Month: February 2020

The Cork Business Association has a new president!

At the Annual General Meeting held in the Metropole Hotel yesterday evening the 26th of February 2020, our now former president Philip Gillivan handed over the presidents chain to Eoin O'Sullivan after two years of service and commitment to Cork's Business community.

Eoin O'Sullivan is the Sales Director of M&P O’Sullivan which is a wholesale food business situated in Wilton. He co-manages the business along with his cousin Patrick. He also has a strong personal connection with the Cork Business Association as his father was the President of the CBA for three successive terms.

We are the 4th generation to run the company. After working many other roles I decided I would like a career in Sales. I began working with Nestle foods for two years as a Sales Executive and studied sales and business management by night in CIT before I came back to the family firm. When I returned in 2011, the business predominantly sold dry goods and serviced  Cork city and surrounding areas with 3 salespeople, now we are a multi-temperature distribution business covering over 10 counties, with a sales team of ten.

A family business since 1905, M&P O’Sullivan Ltd, now into its fourth generation, continue to play an integral role in the Irish Food industry. According to Eoin a key driver of their growth is their continued passion to provide unrivaled levels of customer service to all of their customers, both big and small.

We are looking forward to working with Eoin and we wish Philip all the best with his businesses and his new endeavors, but we also hope he will enjoy some of his free time.

Visit Cork to hold Tourism Industry Day at Radisson Blu

Visit Cork, the official tourism body for the Cork region, is hosting a briefing session for those involved in the tourism industry on Wednesday 12 February 2020 at Radisson Blu Hotel & Spa, Little Island.

Anyone with an interest in tourism or in attracting visitors to Cork is invited to attend the Tourism Industry Day, from local community and tourist groups, to festivals and event organisations, to accommodation and experience providers, for an update on Visit Cork’s achievements to date and plans for the promotion of Cork for leisure tourism (Pure Cork) and business tourism (Cork Convention Bureau).  They will be joined by their partners in Fáilte Ireland.

It promises to be a highly interactive, dynamic session with presentations from Gerard O’ Mahoney, Chair of Visit Cork, Seamus Heaney, Head of Visit Cork, Evelyn O'Sullivan, Manager of Cork Convention Bureau, Sam Johnson, the Manager of the Regional Convention Bureau of Ireland, and Arthur McGauran from SITE Ireland (Society of Incentive Travel Executives).

Alison Levins from Fáilte Ireland will also unveil ‘Keep Discovering’, the new road map to delivering growth in the domestic short break market to 2023, and Eoin Kennedy from Zone Digital will advise how you can take advantage of social media for both MICE and leisure tourism.

Commenting on the industry event, Seamus Heaney, Head of Visit Cork, said,

“We encourage everyone involved in the tourism industry in Cork to attend the Visit Cork Industry Day and explore how they can work with Pure Cork and Cork Convention Bureau to enhance their business and help collectively promote all that Cork has to offer to domestic and international business and leisure visitors.”

 

The Pure Cork Industry Day will take place from 10.00am-1.30pm, with registration from 9.30am. It is an open invitation to any individual or business involved in tourism in Cork (City and County).

Register today for the industry day on https://corkconventionbureau.clr.events/event/129408:visit-cork-industry-day-2020 or contact the team at Visit Cork on (021) 431 8036.

For further details on Visit Cork or interviews contact

Niamh Murphy, ETC niamh@e-t-c.ie 087 0617705

Maria Rolston, ETC maria@e-t-c.ie

The Cork Business Association (CBA) has announced the finalists of the '2019 Cork Business of the Year Awards’. The overall winners will be announced at their black-tie President’s Dinner on 22nd February at Cork’s Vienna Woods Hotel.

President’s Dinner and Awards Ceremony will include a special Chefs of Cork Dinner

Chefs from seven Cork hotels will work together on this showcase dinner, representing their hotel and restaurant.  Be prepared to enjoy a culinary feast Cork might not have seen before.

The Awards, which are run in partnership with JCD and The Irish Examiner, recognise the outstanding contribution of businesses and individuals working diligently across varied sectors of business in Cork City and its environs. They are judged by an independent panel of judges.

We are glad to announce that the finalists of the Cork Business of the Year Awards are:

Best in Retail (sponsored by Cork City Council):
Cork Art Supplies
Sheena’s Boutique
Samui Fashion’s

Best Hotel (sponsored by Kings Laundry):
Clayton Cork City
Cork International Hotel
The Maldron South Mall

Best in Arts, Events and Tourism (sponsored by Irish Hotels Federation):
CADA Performing Arts
Nano Nagle Place
Cork International Choral Festival

Best New Business (sponsored by the Local Enterprise Office):
Sisu Aesthetic Clinic
PV Generation
Workvivo

Best Family Business (sponsored by Musgrave):
The Courtyard on Sober Lane
John Daly Opticians
The Herlihy Group

Best in Digital (sponsored by B2B Signs & B2B Print):
Red FM
Visit Cork
Yay Cork

Best Restaurant (sponsored by The English Market):
The Cornstore Restaurant
The Spitjack, Rotisserie & Brasserie
Orchids Restaurant in Hayfield Manor

Best Café (sponsored by The English Market):
Café Gusto
The Parlour Café
Café Marius

Best VFI Pub (sponsored by the VFI):
The Franciscan Well Bar
The Oliver Plunkett
Nana’s

Best in Professional Business Services (sponsored by Peninsula):
Lisney
Springboard PR & Marketing
Career Training Internships

On the night three other awards will be presented… the overall Cork Business of Year (medium business and large business categories), and The Champion of Cork award, which was created to praise, honour and recognise a Corkonian who has made a real difference to Cork and its people, be it through driving business, their contribution to the arts, their charitable work, their efforts in developing our city or their passion and drive for promoting all things Cork.

Commenting on the shortlist, President of Cork Business Association Philip Gillivan said,

“This year we received a record number of entrants and I would like to congratulate each of our very deserving finalists. To be a finalist is a wonderful achievement, and I wish everyone the best of luck on the night. I would like to sincerely thank all of our sponsors, in particular our award sponsor JCD, event partner AIB, and media partner The Irish Examiner”

The awards will be presented at the CBA’s glittering black-tie President’s Dinner in Cork’s Vienna Woods on Saturday 22nd February 2020. The year, the menu will be extra special as some of Cork’s finest chefs have joined forces with Vienna Woods to create a culinary feast. They will present daring and delicate dishes that not only showcase their individual creativity but also use the best local produce that can be found in and around Cork.  This is the first time that such a collaboration has taken place in Cork.

Tickets are priced at €120 and include a pre-dinner drinks reception, a three-course meal, wine, spot prizes and stellar live entertainment. To book online click here or for more information contact (021) 427 8295 info@corkbusiness.ie or see www.corkbusiness.ie.

We are delighted to present the shortlisted businesses for the CBA Cork Business of the Year Awards 2019.

The nominees are as follows:

Best in Retail (sponsored by Cork City Council):

Cork Art Supplies

Sheena’s Boutique

Samui 

Best Hotel (sponsored by Kings Laundry):

Clayton Cork City

Cork International Hotel

The Maldron South Mall

Best in Arts, Events and Tourism (sponsored by Irish Hotels Federation):

CADA Performing Arts

Nano Nagle Place

Cork International Choral Festival

Best New Business (sponsored by the Local Enterprise Office):

Sisu Aesthetic Clinic

PV Generation

Workvivo

Best Family Business (sponsored by Musgrave):

The Courtyard on Sober Lane

John Daly Opticians

The Herlihy Group

Best in Digital (sponsored by B2B Signs & B2B Print):

Red FM

Visit Cork

Yay Cork

Best Restaurant (sponsored by The English Market):

The Cornstore Restaurant

The Spitjack, Rotisserie & Brasserie 

Orchids Restaurant in Hayfield Manor

Best Café (sponsored by The English Market):

Café Gusto

The Parlour Café

Café Marius

Best VFI Pub (sponsored by the VFI):

The Franciscan Well Bar

The Oliver Plunkett

Nana’s 

Best in Professional Business Services (sponsored by  Peninsula):

Lisney

Springboard PR & Marketing

Career Training Internships

Congratulations and the Best of Luck at the Awards!