We're delighted to announce that we'll be hosting the first Lovin Dublin FoodConnect industry conference on April 21. Taking place in the Button Factory and Filmbase, this event will give food and drink entrepreneurs the opportunity to learn from experts, be inspired by real-world successes, and connect with potential business partners.

It's a fantastic opportunity for food/drink start-ups and restaurateurs to be inspired by some of the highest achievers in this field, to learn best-practice on everything from branding to social media and digital marketing, to network and meet suppliers, new industry contacts and others in the field.

Details

• Speakers' Lunch 12.30pm-2pm
• Talks and Panels 2pm-6pm
• Jobs Fair 6.30pm
• Tickets from €49, to go on sale at 11am this Thursday, March 12

Speakers

Iseult Ward

Founder, FoodCloud

Iseult, is co-founder and CEO of FoodCloud. She was recently named by Time Magazine as one of their six Next Generation leaders. FoodCloud have also been awarded the Social Entrepreneurs Ireland award and received a €140,000 prize for their not-for-profit. Foodcloud is a community-based social enterprise that brings food businesses and charities together with an easy-to –use and reliable platform, matching those with too much food with those who have too little.

http://foodcloud.ie/

Andrew Rudd

Chef and Food writer, Medley.ie

Andrew has turned a lifelong passion for food into a successful and expanding career, primarily providing cookery demonstrations, private catering and fine dining to food lovers nationwide. He has had a fascination with food for over 20 years and has explored the culinary delights of many cities around the world. Andrew can also be seen featuring regularly on Irish television and radio – and contributes a weekly recipe to Lovin Dublin.

http://www.medley.ie/

Feilim Mac An Iomiare

PR and Media Relations Manager, Paddy Power PLC

Feilim originally began working for Paddy Power after his 'Jobless Paddy' Billboard campaign caught the public imagination and propelled him into media across the UK and Ireland. As PR manager of one of Ireland's most successful brands Feilim has his hands full getting Stephen Hawking to predict world cup results, Nigel Farage to support Europe in the Ryder Cup and causing general mischief to successfully get newspaper column inches.

http://blog.paddypower.com/

Ernest Cantillon

Owner, Sober Lane and Electric Bar

Cantillon is the owner of Sober Lane Dublin and Cork and the Electric Bar. A savvy marketer, he most recently using Snapchat to hire staff, causing a stir in the press, and he has also successfully used crowdfunding via Linked Finance to raise money for his businesses expansion.

http://soberlane.com/

Iain Slater

Founder, Slater Design

Slater Design was created in 1994 in order to offer a different outlook towards design, and the company has since worked with Paul Costelloe, Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, Scribbles Sandwiches, Ness and Eddie Rockets delivering top quality design solutions.

Niall Harbison

Founder, Lovin Dublin

A familiar face to Lovin Dublin readers, Niall travelled the world working as a private chef to some of the richest people on the planet, before giving it all up to settle in Dublin and found digital agency Simply Zesty, which he later sold to UTV. He's an investor and mentor to Irish start ups, he wrote the best-selling book Get Shit Done, and he founded Picstash as well as Lovin' Dublin.

What To Expect

Networking:

At the Lovin Dublin Food and Beverage Industry Conference you will be able to network with hundreds of businesses in the industry, from the person who plants it to the person who sells, and everyone in between! Buyers, retailers, suppliers, restaurateurs will all be there on the day.

Inspiration and practical advice:

Setting up your own business can seem like a hard slog and be a lonely road. However we want to make it easier for those brave enough to take the entrepreneurial route and those looking to get into the food, restaurant or drinks business, A host of inspirational and informative speakers and panels will deliver insights on branding and marketing, PR, Social media, upcoming trends, moving from start-up to big business, and plenty more.

One-to-One sessions:

Sometimes your problems can be very industry-specific, so we'll also give you the chance to have a one-to-one chat (free with ticket) with accountants, legal, PR professionals, health and safety professionals and experienced entrepreneurs to steer you through the difficulties facing your business right now.

Jobs Fair:

After a day of brilliant talks, one-to-ones, and business networking, we'll finish the evening by giving a select range of businesses the chance to meet with Ireland's best graduates in the Lovin Dublin Food and Beverage Job Fair. We'll help your SME gain access whatever skills you need to bring in next, including web designers, digital marketers, PR, salespeople, and a huge range of other talented professionals.

The food and drinks industry is unquestionably the sector to get into right now, but success is never guaranteed. The Lovin Dublin Food and Beverage Industry Conference will help you to achieve a range of competitive advantages for your business, and is the perfect next step for anyone looking to grow their food or drink enterprise.