Fingal Company Gets Chance to Exhibit to Almost 300,000 at Ploughing Championship

Media Release

31st August 2022

A small Fingal photography studio will get a chance to exhibit their business to almost 300,000 people at the National Ploughing Championships next month as part of the Local Enterprise Village. DesignWorks Photography who are supported by Local Enterprise Office Fingal are a Donabate based photography studio founded by Award-winning photographer by Denise Cannon who specialise in fun family portrait sessions and newborn portraits.

The initiative of the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) will see 31 small businesses, one from each LEO, take a stand in the Local Enterprise Village in the heart of the Ploughing Championships, opening their businesses up to almost 300,000 prospective customers across the 3 days of the event. There will be a variety of products and services on show for the visitors to this year’s Ploughing Championships to enjoy, which includes food, fashion, agtech products, farm safety equipment, spirits, sportswear and even skincare for animals!

AnnMarie Farrelly Chief Executive of Fingal County Council said: “It is fantastic to see The National Ploughing Championships return especially for small businesses looking to promote their products and services. This year, it is hoped that as many visitors as possible will venture through the doors of the Local Enterprise Village, to support local Irish businesses. We’re expecting huge crowds this year following two years of absence due to the Covid 19 pandemic.”

Oisín Geoghegan, Head of Enterprise at LEO Fingal outlined what a significant opportunity this is for these businesses; “Small businesses very rarely get an opportunity like this and it could be a significant event for them all in the growth of their business.  They will be at the very heart of the action at the Ploughing Championships getting the chance to tell their story and sell their product / service to a massive new audience, an audience that will be excited to be back following a two-year break. 

“We have been working with DesignWorks Photography across the Summer to ensure they maximise this opportunity through sales and marketing training and stand design. The Local Enterprise Village is always a great buzz and no doubt will be one of the big hits for visitors to Ratheniska this September.” Speaking in advance of the Ploughing Championships Denise from DesignWorks Photography mentions how “We are delighted to be representing Fingal at the Ploughing Championship this year. It is a fantastic opportunity to showcase our photography business to spectators from all over the country and gain a new audience in the process”

The Local Enterprise Village was launched by Damien English, T.D., Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail along with some of the businesses that will be involved including handmade children’s furniture company Lucy & Me, luxury natural skincare and home products Jo Browne and Donegal designer Bernie Murphy.

Minister English emphasised how positive it is to have this opportunity back for small businesses; “The Local Enterprise Village at the Ploughing Championships will showcase the very best of our small business community from across the country.  I look forward to joining with almost 300,000 people at the Ploughing and have the opportunity to meet with some of the businesses embedded in our communities and who are the drivers of local economic growth and job creation.  Visitors to the Village can expect to see the depth and diversity of amazing small businesses who are supported by Government through their Local Enterprise Office.” 

NPA President James Sutton said: “It is wonderful to see that so many diverse and interesting companies will be represented at this year’s National Ploughing Championships’ ‘Local Enterprise Village’. This is a fantastic opportunity for these small local businesses to showcase their products to the 300,000 visitors expected throughout the 3 days.”

Ends

About Local Enterprise Office, Fingal  

The Local Enterprise Office (LEO) in Fingal is part of a network of 31 Local Enterprise Offices nationwide, located within the Local Authority structure. The Fingal office is one of the largest and most active LEOs in the country.  The role of the LEO is to support and provide assistance to existing and potential small business promoters located in Fingal, North County Dublin.  In addition, the Fingal LEO aims to foster the development of an enterprise culture. The LEOs operate under a Service level Agreement with Enterprise Ireland. Local Enterprise Office Fingal is funded by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund.