Mayor looking forward to a busy week for local business

Enterprise Week got off to a mouth-watering start with the Taste our Best '˜Producing, Pitching & Promoting Provenance' Conference in the Guildhall yesterday.
Diarmuid Murphy Brand Manager with Simply Better at Dunneâ¬"s Stores,  Chef Neven Maguire Simply Better Ambassador, Aeidin McCarter, Head of Culture, Derry City and Strabane District Council, Chef Brian McDermott, Host, Mary and Sally McKenna, 100 Best Restaurants in Ireland authors and Martin Graham, Tourism Northern Ireland, pictured during the Taste Our Best Conference in the Guildhall. Picture Martin McKeown. Inpresspics.com. 05.03.18Diarmuid Murphy Brand Manager with Simply Better at Dunneâ¬"s Stores,  Chef Neven Maguire Simply Better Ambassador, Aeidin McCarter, Head of Culture, Derry City and Strabane District Council, Chef Brian McDermott, Host, Mary and Sally McKenna, 100 Best Restaurants in Ireland authors and Martin Graham, Tourism Northern Ireland, pictured during the Taste Our Best Conference in the Guildhall. Picture Martin McKeown. Inpresspics.com. 05.03.18
Diarmuid Murphy Brand Manager with Simply Better at Dunneâ¬"s Stores, Chef Neven Maguire Simply Better Ambassador, Aeidin McCarter, Head of Culture, Derry City and Strabane District Council, Chef Brian McDermott, Host, Mary and Sally McKenna, 100 Best Restaurants in Ireland authors and Martin Graham, Tourism Northern Ireland, pictured during the Taste Our Best Conference in the Guildhall. Picture Martin McKeown. Inpresspics.com. 05.03.18

The event marked the start of a jam packed programme of workshops, talks and networking opportunities.

Now well established as the North West’s busiest business event, Enterprise Week runs through until Friday, and offers support for businesses across all sectors - from fledgling companies to established enterprises - providing the tailored support they need to progress their business.

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Speaking ahead of the opening, Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District, Councillor Maolíosa McHugh, encouraged local entrepreneurs to come along and see what’s on offer.

Chef Brian McDermott from the Food Ovation Centre with John and Sally McKenna, Diarmuid Murphy Brand Manager with Simply Better at Dunneâ¬"s Stores and Chef Neven Maguire, during the Taste Our Best Conference in the Guildhall. Picture Martin McKeown. Inpresspics.com. 05.03.18Chef Brian McDermott from the Food Ovation Centre with John and Sally McKenna, Diarmuid Murphy Brand Manager with Simply Better at Dunneâ¬"s Stores and Chef Neven Maguire, during the Taste Our Best Conference in the Guildhall. Picture Martin McKeown. Inpresspics.com. 05.03.18
Chef Brian McDermott from the Food Ovation Centre with John and Sally McKenna, Diarmuid Murphy Brand Manager with Simply Better at Dunneâ¬"s Stores and Chef Neven Maguire, during the Taste Our Best Conference in the Guildhall. Picture Martin McKeown. Inpresspics.com. 05.03.18

“Enterprise Week offers a wide variety of opportunities for anyone hoping to boost their business with specially tailored support to address a wide range of business issues,” he stressed.

“It’s fantastic that once again the programme features some of the best innovators and industry leaders around, who will be on hand to share their experiences with up and coming entrepreneurs.

“The event is a fantastic platform and a great networking opportunity for local SMEs hoping to establish meaningful contacts with potential clients and customers. Council is working hard to bring businesses together with the shared objective of creating a strong, sustainable and competitive economy. I would really recommend coming along to find out what Council can do to help your business progress to the next level.”

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The Taste Our Best ‘Producing, Pitching & Promoting Provenance’ Conference opened the week of activity, ideal for anyone with an interest in the restaurant industry. The event featured leading ambassadors for the local food industry, including award winning chefs Neven Maguire and Brian McDermott, and food guide gurus John and Sally McKenna, who shared their recipes for success with the packed audience.

Cheff Brian McDermott, pictured during the Taste Our Best Conference in the Guildhall. Picture Martin McKeown. Inpresspics.com. 05.03.18Cheff Brian McDermott, pictured during the Taste Our Best Conference in the Guildhall. Picture Martin McKeown. Inpresspics.com. 05.03.18
Cheff Brian McDermott, pictured during the Taste Our Best Conference in the Guildhall. Picture Martin McKeown. Inpresspics.com. 05.03.18

As the week continues, a whole host of events will cover important topics such as rural business investment, brand development, delivering the perfect pitch and how to make your business Brexit ready.

On Wednesday, the Grow Entrepreneurship Festival will provide an inspirational programme of talks and masterclasses, with some top tips on how to achieve success.

Online gaming guru Craig Thompson, whose company Mini Ladd has taken YouTube by storm, will be joined by well-known TV Dragon Peter Casey, as keynote speakers during the festival which is being hosted at Ulster University.

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Events conclude on Friday with a Meet the Buyer morning delivered in collaboration with Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, offering local SMEs the chance to showcase their business capabilities to an influential public sector and big business audience.

Chef Brian McDermott from the Food Ovation Centre with John and Sally McKenna, Diarmuid Murphy Brand Manager with Simply Better at Dunneâ¬"s Stores and Chef Neven Maguire, during the Taste Our Best Conference in the Guildhall. Picture Martin McKeown. Inpresspics.com. 05.03.18Chef Brian McDermott from the Food Ovation Centre with John and Sally McKenna, Diarmuid Murphy Brand Manager with Simply Better at Dunneâ¬"s Stores and Chef Neven Maguire, during the Taste Our Best Conference in the Guildhall. Picture Martin McKeown. Inpresspics.com. 05.03.18
Chef Brian McDermott from the Food Ovation Centre with John and Sally McKenna, Diarmuid Murphy Brand Manager with Simply Better at Dunneâ¬"s Stores and Chef Neven Maguire, during the Taste Our Best Conference in the Guildhall. Picture Martin McKeown. Inpresspics.com. 05.03.18

Business Support Manager with Council, Louise Breslin, said there’s still time to register your business. “I’m really looking forward to a busy week ahead. We’ve had a great response from our local business community this year but there are still a few places left at some of the sessions should anyone still wish to register. The programme is a one stop shop for anyone starting out and our team will be on hand to direct new enterprises to the services and support they need to achieve success.”

To view the full programme for Enterprise Week 2018 and to register please visit www.derrystrabane.com/enterpriseweek

Places are limited for each event so please register as soon as possible.

For further updates on this year’s events and activities in the run-up to Enterprise Week 2018 please visit the Facebook page Business Support Derry Strabane. #EW2018