Olympic athlete lines up for Laois Enterprise Week
Cllr Barry Walsh, Cathaoirleach of LCC; Michael Rainey, Chief Executive LCC and Angela McEvoy, Director of Services LCC with the LEO Laois team of Linda Meredith, Dom Reddin (acting Head of Enterprise); Jason Maher, Honor Deevy and Gearoid Sheridan at the launch of Local Enterprise Week. Photo: Alf Harvey
AN Olympic athlete and an RTÉ presenter are among the inspirational speakers lined up for Laois Local Enterprise Week, which will run from 2 to 6 March.
Former Olympic hurdler Derval O'Rourke and broadcaster Eoin McGee will be among the guest experts, during a week featuring 15 events for small business owners and budding entrepreneurs.
Run by Laois Local Enterprise Office (LEO), events are open to all and offer expert advice on key areas of business, from raising and saving funds to improving online presence and the potential of AI.
To mark International Women’s Day on Friday 6 March, local businesswomen are invited to a ‘meet up and lunch’ at 12 noon in the Killeshin Hotel, Portlaoise with guest speaker Derval O’Rourke.
The former Irish international athlete competed in the 60 and 100 metres hurdles at two indoor World Championships, five outdoor World Championships and three Olympic Games.
Since retiring from athletics, she has published two bestselling cookbooks, created a healthy lifestyle online platform derval.ie and appeared as a sports analyst for RTÉ and World Athletics. Tickets are €20 per person but places are limited, so early booking is essential.
Meanwhile, Eoin McGee’s talk titled ‘How to be good with money’ will start at 6pm on Wednesday 4 March in the Midlands Park Hotel, Portlaoise.
A certified financial planner and adviser, Eoin has worked with clients and businesses for 25 years and has also presented RTÉ television shows that included ‘How to be Good with Money’ and ‘The Complaints Bureau’.
Motivational speaker Gerry Duffy will appear at Abbeyleix Manor Hotel on Tuesday 3 March, at an event run by LEO Laois in collaboration with Laois Chamber Alliance.
Best known for completing 32 marathons in 32 consecutive days, Gerry translates lessons from endurance sport into practical strategies that business leaders can apply immediately. He has worked with over 1,000 organisations across Ireland and internationally, ranging from SMEs to global brands.
Other events during the week will include one-to-one mentoring clinics in areas such as marketing, business advice, finance and website development.
Details for all events are available at www.localenterprise.ie/laois. Most events are free but registration is essential.
Honor Deevy of LEO Laois said: “There is something for everyone and those who maybe always had that ambition to start on their own, or a great idea, this is the week to see how to get started and make it happen.”
