Exciting year ahead for Laois Chamber Alliance

Considered Ireland’s youngest Chamber of Commerce, established in 2019, Laois Chamber Alliance has another exciting year ahead with a jam-packed calendar.

September 2022 saw the merger of Laois Chamber and Laois Tourism to form the umbrella organisation, Laois Chamber Alliance.

The vision of Laois Chamber Alliance is to utilise the synergies of both organisations to make Laois the ideal location to live, work, visit and do business, working with businesses of all sizes from sole traders to multi-nationals.

As well as monthly networking events for Laois businesses which are held throughout the county, the first major event on the Chamber’s calendar is the 2023 Laois Jobs Fair, taking place on Monday 20th February in the Midlands Park Hotel.

An added feature at this year’s event is the UnLaois-ing your Full Potential Stage, with presentations for employees and jobseekers, and also for employers. The full line up will be available at www.laoisjobsfair.ie .

Shine in Emo will be returning on Saturday, 20th May in the beautiful surroundings of Emo Court and Parklands.
The inaugural event was hugely successful last year, attracting 5,000 attendees to a family friendly event with something for everyone.

Around the main sporting arena will be a trade show style event, showcasing the best of business and tourism in Laois.
The 2022 event saw 120 exhibitors, from food producers and crafts, to professional services and retailers.

The Invest in Laois Committee, which is driven by the Chamber, includes prominent business people based in Laois, as well as the Cathaoirleach and Chief Executive of Laois County Council, and representatives from Local Enterprise Office Laois.

Last year saw meetings held with Oireachtas members representing the county, as well as a meeting with the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment at the time, Leo Varadkar, in Government Buildings in Dublin to discuss IDA and Enterprise Ireland investment in Laois.

The Invest in Laois was set up to encourage further investment to the county, and is extremely active.
Following the piloting of the Vacant Commercial Property Incentive Scheme in Portlaoise in 2022, there are plans to roll the scheme to other parts of the county this year.

With events returning to normal following a turbulent period as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, Laois Chamber Alliance will be attending trade events to promote Laois and the range of businesses, activities, and scenic attractions located here to encourage even more visitors to the county.

With International Women’s Day taking place on Wednesday, 8th March, Laois Chamber Alliance will be hosting a Women’s Networking Lunch again this year in collaboration with Local Enterprise Office Laois. Dr. Diane Cooper is this year’s guest speaker, and will be speaking about her entrepreneurship journey, and will also talk about wellness and wellbeing in workplace.

Dr. Cooper is a former winner of the Local Enterprise Office Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur award representing Laois. She is a Clinical Exercise Physiologist, founding director of True Fitness, and presenter of the Health and Fitness Show on Midlands 103.

Speaking about the year ahead, CEO of Laois Chamber Alliance, Caroline Hofman, said: “As the Chamber continues to grow with the support of our new and existing members, we have another exciting year ahead following on from the many successful events we held in 2022.

“It is great to be back with in-person events after a challenging period during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We have an excellent Board of Directors and President, Yvonne McKeon, and 2023 will be an exciting year following the merger of Laois Chamber and Laois Tourism as we unleash new synergies.

“Our Invest in Laois Committee continues to work on encouraging further investment to Laois.
“With the recent acquisition of an additional 45 acres adjacent to the existing IDA Business and Technology Park in Portlaoise, we are eager to see a long-term plan for the development of this site to ensure we get the most for our county.

“We are also looking forward to attending events to promote Laois and put us on the map as the ideal place to live, work, visit and do business.

“For example, last year’s National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska was a fantastic opportunity to promote the county, and we are really looking forward to attending again this year!”