Over 100 of Ireland’s best up and coming craft & design businesses will get a chance to meet with buyers from across the world as part of the Local Enterprise Showcase at the 2023 Showcase event in the RDS, running from the 22-24th January.

An initiative of the Local Enterprise Offices, the Local Enterprise Showcase, is a special area at Showcase that houses a range of Ireland’s newest design talent. Recent participants include the likes of Limerick fashion designer Aoife McNamara, and industrial design brand Kopper Kreation.

The event, which is a pinnacle event in the global design and crafts calendar, will open its doors to thousands of buyers from across the world, including Ireland, the UK, USA, mainland Europe, Asia and Africa, generating millions of euros of sales orders during the show. Showcase is presented on behalf of Design & Crafts Council Ireland, with support from Enterprise Ireland in promoting the trade show internationally through their network of offices overseas, and the Local Enterprise Offices nationwide.

In 2022 there were thousands of buyers from 25 countries in attendance at the event in the RDS and it is expected this will increase again in 2023 following the lifting of Covid restrictions that were still in place early last year.

The Local Enterprise Offices across the country have been working with each of their clients on merchandising for their stands, marketing, and sales techniques to ensure they maximise opportunities at the three day event.

Oisin Geoghegan from the Local Enterprise Offices believes this is an opportunity like no other for up-and-coming craft and design clients looking to make that break through, stating, “to be exposed to this many high-quality buyers in one place is an incredible opportunity for any business starting out. If things go well at this event, a business could fill their book for the year and may well establish a partnership that could extend longer than that and help them grow. While that won’t happen for every business, just to be here, see other clients, get new ideas and develop their skills in marketing and sales will stand by them going forward.”

Rosemary Steen, CEO of Design & Crafts Council Ireland said, “we at Design & Crafts Council Ireland are greatly looking forward to the return of our international trade fair, Showcase 2023. Showcase offers designers and makers the opportunity to not only meet and do business with buyers from Ireland, the UK, USA, mainland Europe and Asia, but also the chance to come together to celebrate the creativity, the impact and the importance of the heritage of the Irish craft and design sector globally. With restrictions linked to the pandemic due to be fully lifted for Showcase 2023, we look forward to even more buyer attendance this year.”

Local Enterprise Showcase is one of several enterprise initiatives run by the Local Enterprise Offices across the year to foster entrepreneurship and help small businesses to start and grow. Other events include Local Enterprise Week, National Women’s Enterprise Day, the National Enterprise Awards, the Student Enterprise Programme and the Local Enterprise Village as part of the National Ploughing Championships. For more information on the Local Enterprise Offices and the supports they can provide, please visit LocalEnterprise.ie

Source: Local Enterprise Office