MeetWest 2012, which took place in the Hodson Bay Hotel, Athlone on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 20-21, was a huge success.
Speaking as he launched the event, Minister for Small Business John Perry said he sees events such as MeetWest as pivotal in highlighting the wide range of companies that continue to operate successfully.
“I am pleased to echo the sentiments of Tom Crosby, mayor of Roscommon, that all of you have created a momentum for economic growth in the region in recognising the potential synergies that exist between your businesses and how you can help and support each other,” he said.
The Minister also outlined the supports available to SMEs under the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs 2012.
Jim Miley, director of The Gathering Ireland 2013, spoke of the vision of The Gathering and of his own experiences as an entrepreneur in his former business MyHome.ie
‘An Hour with an Expert’ workshops took place on topics including social media, taxation, innovation, exportation, and procurement. The event also included a presentation on the Europe China Trading Hub with guest speaker Irial Finan, Roscommon native and executive vice president of the Coca-Cola Company.
Over 250 companies with 385 delegates took part, and for the second year this new concept in networking was a success.
MeetWest 2012 attracted participants across all business sectors including agri-food and beverage, pharmaceutical and health, construction, engineering, craft and textiles, IT, energy supply, alternative energies, manufacturing, printing and design, services to SMEs, research and education, tourism, hospitality, transport and logistics, representatives of business networks, Irish public sector buyers, micro-enterprises, small and medium-sized companies, large companies and multinationals.
Organisers of MeetWest 2012 were the City and County Councils and the Enterprise Boards of Roscommon, Galway, and Mayo and the Western Development Commission with the support of Enterprise Ireland, IDA, and Udaras na Gaeltachta.
