Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Bank of Ireland UK will join forces to host a major cross-border networking event in Belfast next week.
The Connecting for Growth event, which is expected to attract around 200 businesses from both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, will feature a keynote speech from John Hurley, Head of B2B, Partner and Channel Marketing at Dublin Airport.
Dublin Airport is a key gateway to the island of Ireland, the fastest growing airport in Europe and a major economic engine supporting an estimated 97,400 jobs and contributing €6.9 billion to Ireland’s GDP. Last year, passenger numbers at Dublin Airport increased by 11 per cent to a record 27.9 million, which is more than four times the population of the island.
Highlighting the significance of this event, as well as its wider Connecting for Growth programme, Gavin Kennedy, Head of Business Banking NI at Bank of Ireland UK, said: “With £5bn in all-island cross-border trade of goods and services, Bank of Ireland UK believes its partnership with the chamber to deliver the Connecting for Growth programme is pivotal in building awareness, confidence and support for local businesses to achieve their growth ambition through expansion and diversification into non domestic markets.”
Sandra Scannell, Head of Business Services at NI Chamber, added: “Networking is one of the most important tools available to businesses and comes with a world of opportunity – if you’re prepared to get out there. The Connecting for Growth cross-border networking event is expected to attract 200 delegates across a range of sectors from both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and provides the perfect platform for cross-border relationships to be built.”
The Connecting for Growth programme, which has been run by NI Chamber in partnership with Bank of Ireland UK since 2014, is designed to facilitate increased business between companies from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
The networking event takes place on Wednesday 15th March 2017 from 8.30am to 12pm at Titanic Belfast. Business executives can register for the event now.
