Irish Business Enterprise is being set up byAgnes Fitzgerald and Richard Dickinson and will hold its official launch at the Titanic Hotel at Stanley Dock on Thursday, October 26. Tony McDonough reports

Irish businesses or those with Irish staff or connections in the Liverpool city region are being urged to join a new network.

Irish Business Enterprise (IBE) will hold its official launch at the Titanic Hotel at Liverpool’s Stanley Dock on Thursday, October 26.

Long affinity

Liverpool is a city that has a long affinity with Ireland – north and south of the border – with a significant percentage of the Merseyside population having Irish ancestry.

IBE aims to capitalise on this by bringing together firms and entrepreneurs who, one way or another, feel they have an affinity or connection to Ireland.

As well as helping members prosper within the North West, the organisation will also look to build connections with firms in Ireland, north and south, and also tap into the Irish diaspora in North America and Australia.

Wealth of experience

The venture is being run by directors and experienced business people Agnes Fitzgerald and Richard Dickinson.

Originally from Limerick in the Republic of Ireland, Ms Fitzgerald runs Agnes Fitzgerald Marketing and has been self-employed in the fields of marketing, personal development and promotions for 16 years.

She has been instrumental in setting up a number of networking groups and is involved with both the Federation of Small Businesses and Liverpool’s International Business Festival.

Mr Dickinson has been a lead coach for Merseyside on the Government-backed initiative, the Growth Accelerator Programme, for the past five years during which time he has helped more than 40 companies develop and grow.

During the last 14 years as a business coach he has worked with more than 400 companies in and around the North West and during Liverpool’s Capital of Culture Year in 2008 he ran the Liverpool Fringe Festival.

Getting organised

Ms Fitzgerald said: “As an Irish business person, naturally the affairs of the Irish business community have always been close to my heart.

A while back I was invited by two local Irish charity fundraising events on the same evening. The sad thing was, I and everybody else at either event – would have happily attended both events.

“There and then I was convinced that the Irish business community had to get organised, to get its act together. IBE is the forum to do exactly this.

“We can help companies and organisations, large and small, to work together, support each other, and derive mutual benefits from building relationships.”

The Titanic Hotel, which itself was built by Irish developer Harcourt, is also sponsoring the event which runs from 5pm to 7pm.

Organisers ask those who want to attend to register on Eventbrite by clicking here. For more information about IBE or to join click here.