Cork city schools set to wow shoppers at Christmas Trade Fair
Blackpool Shopping Centre Thursday December 5, 2018 at 9.30am
The annual Cork Schools Enterprise Programme Christmas Trade Fair returns this week to Blackpool Shopping Centre on, Thursday December 5th. In line with previous years, the Trade Fair will feature some dynamic new business ideas and mini-companies initiated by Cork secondary students.
Run by the Local Enterprise Office, Cork City, the event will feature sixteen schools across the city, during which they will be given the opportunity to showcase and put on sale to the public some of the innovative new products and services they have developed as part of the programme.
Beginning at 9.30am, 212 students from the 16 schools will present 49 stands to the public. Those participating this year are: Scoil Mhuire Gan Smál, Colaiste an Spioraid Naoimh, Nagle College, Presentation Boys School, St. Angelas School, Glanmire Community College, Bishopstown Community School, St. Aloysius School, Ursulines Secondary School, St Patrick's School, Blackpool, Glen and Faranree Community Training College, Colaiste Dhaibhead, Cork Educate Together Secondary School and Colaiste Muire Realt na Mara.
Speaking ahead of the Christmas Trade Fair, Olive Guerin, Assistant Business Advisor, Cork Schools Enterprise Programme, said: “Once again it is very heartening to see the talent, innovation and creativity of the students involved with our Schools Enterprise Project 2019. This Thursday, we hope that shoppers at Blackpool Shopping Centre will enjoy and support the students' mini-companies and some of the fantastic ideas and gifts they have devised for Christmas.”
The event will showcase businesses from across a range of sectors including craft, education, social entrepreneurship and technology. The Christmas Trade Fair is open to the general public giving students the opportunity to increase sales of their product/service, as well as helping them learn valuable lessons in customer relations and promotion.
Judges on the day at Blackpool Shopping Centre will be Joan Walsh from Partnership International, Philip Gillivan, President of Cork Business Association and Joan Lucey, Vibes and Scribes and member of CBA executive.
On the day, the following prizes will be awarded:
Best Display Stand
Best Sales Plan
Best Business Idea
Best Endeavour
Best Market Research
Best Overall Company
The Local Enterprise Office Cork City's Schools Enterprise Programme is an enterprise education programme that gives second level students in Cork city the opportunity to set up and run a mini-company over the course of the academic year in order to learn what it’s really like to be an entrepreneur.
A range of interactive enterprise activities are organised during the school year to encourage students from 1st – 6th year to learn more about entrepreneurship and what is involved in setting up and running a business.
The Programme runs from September to April with high profile national finals taking place in Dublin in May each year.
