BOI Enterprise Town Expo back

SUMMING up last November’s Bank of Ireland Enterprise Town Expo, I finished off my piece with the verdict of a man I encountered at the end of the first night at Castleisland Community Centre.

Manners took a back seat as he spoke between and through massive mouthfuls of a free-of-charge burger he had just been presented with.

It was praise in a veil when he said simply: “They should hold this again next year,” and then he tore straight back into the job in hand.

I doubt if local B of I Manager, Paddy Garvey or any of his fellow organisers would remember the quote – and much less be influenced by it. But they are doing it again this year.

The Bank of Ireland Enterprise Town Expo 2016 version is at the planning stage for early November. Public consultations and meetings are due to be held at the River Island Hotel from next week. I also wrote in last year’s report that the event was a rip roaring success and that the people of the town embraced the concept as a kind of walking away from the all consuming period of recession.

“It brought the town out of itself and it badly wanted it.” That was another man’s observation on the Expo. It’s the kind of brevity and perfect summing up you’d find on a cave wall – one line – job done.

Last year’s Expo was held on Friday, night, November 13th and on the following Saturday morning up to lunchtime.

Over the two days, a Business & Community Expo was held on the opening evening and a Sports and Community Expo on the second day. Events were free to attend and were open to both customers and non-customers of Bank of Ireland. Friday’s Business and Community expo was fully booked well in advance and had over 100 local businesses registered.

Guest speakers included Gavin Duffy, entrepreneur of Dragon’s Den fame and Dr Edmond P Harty, CEO of Dair- ymaster and Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2012. On Saturday, Mick Galwey held the full hall spellbound with his scheduled talk. Needless to say, you’ll hear a lot more over the coming weeks.

Guest speaker, Gavin Duffy and Cllr. Danny Healy Rae visiting the Castleisland Day Care Centre stand and being welcomed by Nurse manager, Marcella Finn (left) with Eilish Moynihan and Kathleen Griffin at last year’s Bank of Ireland Enterprise Town Expo.