On Wednesday 19th of October, I went to the Brehon Hotel in Killarney for National Women's Enterprise Day. This event was organized by the Local Enterprise Offices (LEO) of Kerry and Cork and similar events took place throughout Ireland that day. It is a fantastic networking day and the idea is to bring female entrepreneur's together to mingle and motivate one another.
At the National Women's Enterprise Day in The Brehon Hotel, Killarney.
Upon arrival at 9:30am, I registered and then everyone was treated to tea, coffee and delicious refreshments. There was an electric atmosphere and all of the attendees were friendly and bubbling with excitement. Once everyone was seated, the welcome and conference open was very professionally done by Moira Murrell, Chief Executive of Kerry County Council.
The first keynote speaker was Barbara Moynihan of On Your Feet. She presented a "Masterclass on Mastering Your Elevator Pitch". This was a fun and interactive educational tool full of tips and tools for perfecting your introductory pitch, and it included facilitated networking opportunities. I thoroughly enjoyed this workshop. It focused my mind and we all worked very hard on our pitch.
At 12 noon, there was a Workshop Series and you could choose one topic from a choice of four. I decided to attend "Power Tips for Twitter" delivered by Greg Canty of Fuzion Communications. Greg Canty is a marketing and PR expert whom I know since 2010 and it was a pleasure to listen to his top twitter tips. It was informative and relevant and once again, it was genuinely applicable to your own business.
With Greg Canty of Fuzion Communications.
It was now lunchtime and the morning had flown by! We were treated to a fabulous 2 course lunch in a private dining area. This was another great networking opportunity. The lunchtime keynote speaker was Clodagh McCarthy of Bright Sparks Coaching and her topic was "Mindfulness: Balance and Wellbeing". We all participated in mindfulness meditation and it was a relaxing, wonderful experience.
The afternoon focused on an Panel Discussion with LEO clients facilitated by Liz Maher of Kerry Businesswomen's Network. It was extremely interesting hearing the business stories of the panel. Each had their own unique pathway to success and it was truly inspiring to listen to their business journey. There was a questions and answers session and it was super to see and hear so many enterprising women interact.
With Christine Heffernan of the Local Enterprise Office Cork North & West.
The final item on the agenda was "Steel A Heel", a facilitated networking opportunity. This involved taking one shoe off, placing it in a bag and putting the bag in the centre of the floor. Over one hundred women took part! And you had to pick a shoe and find it's owner. It was great fun and provided another invaluable networking opportunity. The exciting day drew to a close at 4pm.
For me personally, it was brilliant to spend a day with like minded, driven, focused, enterprising women who all have their own businesses. The face to face networking opportunities were endless and the atmosphere was very open and friendly. It was professionally run and I was delighted to be a part of such a business focused event.
