Chamber Awards 2022 Winners

Winner of Chamber of the Year – Galway Chamber

Best Marketing Campaign – County Carlow Chamber

 Carlow Elves – Shop & Support Local Online & Offline

The Carlow Elves campaign was designed to showcase the message of “Shop & Support Local, Online & Offline” through a variety of channels. Over the Course of December, the 5 Carlow Elves were placed in different retail premises across the county. Each elf contained details on how people could enter a draw to win Love Carlow Gift Cards. The chamber also placed signage reminding people to shop and support local online and offline across the county on the approach to all towns. Static signs were placed in locations around Carlow Town using the Bee Visible poster system in the town.

Event of the Year – Westport Chamber

Dare to Include Initiative

As part of Mayo Social Inclusion Week, Westport Chamber’s ‘Dare to Include’ Autumn business summit, with Disability Federation of Ireland, aimed to encourage business owners to consider how their activities can be open to all members of society, both as employees and as customers. The morning of the event examined workplace challenges, inclusive hospitality, built environment, with the keynote speaker being Jack Kavanagh, pharmacist and Diverse Ability Champion. Pól Ó Conghaile moderated the morning event. The afternoon component was held in the Leeson Enterprise Centre, and saw  the launch of three pathways to employment projects.

Local Authority Collaboration – Athlone Chamber

Athlone Sustainable Digital Innovation Hub

Athlone Chamber are part of a collaboration working to develop a sustainable digital innovation hub in Athlone. Their partners are Westmeath County Council, IDA and the Technical University of Shannon (TUS). The project involved identifying a Historic Town Centre building and completing a full feasibility study. The hub will be a space for innovation and collaboration. The hub aims to provide a space for companies, entrepreneurs, individuals and to serve as a landing space for FDI. Creating an ecosystem for start-ups, existing micro-enterprises and SME’s, as well as a training and mentoring space supported by TUS, the hub brings a strong community element. It will cater for 200 people in a 20,000 sq. ft building and will revitalise a town centre area.

Most Innovative Project – Cork Chamber

Cork’s Place in Europe – Communicating Europe Initiative

Cork Chamber’s Communicating Europe Initiative ‘Cork’s Place in Europe – Next Generation EU’ supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs received valuable feedback on what is needed to improve and sustain public dialogue on the EU in Cork – a thriving European city driven by an international outlook. The Chamber launched its Communicating Europe Initiative with a public survey on 31 August. The campaign and associated promotion and communications served to improve and sustain public dialogue in Cork on the EU and the role that Cork businesses and citizens can play in shaping their place in a European city.

Most Successful Policy Campaign – Shannon Chamber

Shannon and Regional Airports Covid Traffic Recovery & Support Scheme (TRSS)

In 2021 Shannon Chamber, in collaboration with the Irish Hotels Federation, and supported by Ennis, Limerick and Galway Chambers, set out to prepare a business case for a multi-annual, fully funded regional air access recovery and growth action plan for presentation to Government. The objective of this undertaking was to demonstrate that, while the funding allocated by Government to support Irish airports up to 2021 is welcome, a reform of funding strategy would be needed given that the recovery, restoration, and growth of regional air access will require a sustained period of multi-annual funding until at least 2024 and as late as 2029, depending on when traffic returns to 2019 levels. Restoring connectivity is a critical element of this recovery. The group proposed for the Government to consider providing three forms of sustained multi-annual funding to Shannon and other regional airports. The first draft of the business case was launched in March 2021 and the campaign ran throughout 2021.

Best Membership Initiative – Dungarvan & West Waterford Chamber 

‘Why We’re Chamber Members’ Membership Campaign

47 member businesses of all sectors and sizes were included in the initiative. In a brief statement, each business involved expressed why they were Chamber members, the value they see in the services offered by the chamber and what they gain from being a member. This was adapted into an image created by the chamber along with a relevant photo of the business owner/ manager or premises, and it also included the business and Chamber branding. The campaign ran on Chamber social media. The result was 39 new members to the D&WW Chamber in 2021, the second highest record of new members joining.

Partnership For Business – Drogheda & District Chamber

Embrace the Change

Drogheda & District Chamber, Love Drogheda BIDS, and The Mill Enterprise Hub have collaborated on a new strategy to encourage more startups, multinationals, and remote workers to base themselves in the wider Drogheda region. Due to the remote working shift, the chamber recognised the 15,000 commuters who previously left the region every day, would need support in transitioning. The ‘Drogheda Commuter Survey 2022’, and surveys carried out in 2019 and 2021 informed the campaign.

Supporting Enterprise and Social Enterprise – Galway Chamber

‘Scaling Our Legacy’ Event in partnership with Galway Technology Centre

Galway Chamber is the main stakeholder of the GTC and recently held a special virtual 25th anniversary event for them to celebrate their history of success called, ‘Scaling Our Legacy.” The ‘Scaling Our Legacy’ event shed light on the 300+ companies,3000+ jobs and €1.3 billion GVA brought to the West region since the founding of the Galway Technology Centre. ‘Scaling Our Legacy’ also provided a platform to unveil AcademyWest, a massive and much needed expansion of the Galway Technology Centre. AcademyWest is expected to have a transformative effect on the business ecosystem by bringing 12,500jobs and €1.4 billion over the next 15 years to Galway.

Engagement with the Sustainable Development Goals – County Kildare Chamber

Sustainable Kildare

Sustainable Kildare is a year-long climate action programme for businesses led by County Kildare Chamber and sponsored by Intel. The programme is running in 3 stages in the form of an online Championship where businesses can participate and compete with each other by partaking in and logging eco-friendly activities over a 3-week period – an example of these activities might include taking a shorter shower, walking or taking public transport to work instead of driving, or turning off unnecessary lights/ electronics. These activities are logged on an app known as ‘Ducky’.

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