Louth firms at all island trade fair
DESPITE the ongoing uncertainty over Brexit and its impact on the food sector, eight Louth firms attended a major all-island trade event in Greater Dublin last Thursday (21 November).
The Food eirEEN Meet the Buyer & Matchmaking Event was held at the City North Hotel on the outskirts of Dublin, where over 150 food businesses from all over Ireland, and further afield, engaged in pre-arranged meetings, allowing producers to pitch their products and secure orders from key food buyers.
The event was organised by Enterprise Europe Network through the Local Enterprise Offices in Ireland and Invest NI in Northern Ireland; producers at the event were drawn from a cross section of sectors including bakery, chilled, dairy, seafood, beverages and fresh produce.
Speaking about the event, EEN co-ordinator Eileen Kelly said: ‘We’re delighted at the response to Food eirEEN - just over 500 meetings took place between buyers and suppliers, allowing our smaller companies, many of which were meeting corporate buyers for the first time, the opportunity to go face to face and very quickly get down to the business of doing business.’
Speaking of the importance of the event, Thomas McEvoy, Head of Enterprise, Local Enterprise Office, Louth County Council commented:
‘ The Local Enterprise Offices have been actively driving the growth and development of the indigenous food sector over the past ten years though local food strategies, strategic national alliances and programmes and through active engagement with local food businesses.
Through this event, and others planned in the next few years, we aim to create opportunities for our food producers to engage with other food businesses, to discuss the potential for strategic partnerships and alliances, and to identify new sales opportunities – but primarily generate new sales.’