Media Release

25 September 2023

Offaly business, Glass Innovations Ltd. got the chance to exhibit to over 200,000 people at the National Ploughing Championships last week as part of the Local Enterprise Village.

Glass Innovations Ltd. who are supported by Local Enterprise Office Offaly provides a decoration service for bottles and glasses for drink, candles, and diffuser customers such as Lidl, Aldi, Dunnes, Handmade Soap, Fragrances of Ireland and Max Benjamin.

The initiative of the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) saw over 30 small businesses from across the country take a stand in the Local Enterprise Village in the heart of the Ploughing Championships, opening their businesses up to over 200,000 prospective customers across the 3 days of the event. 

And the Local Enterprise Village was very much the place to visit across the week as it welcomed well-known faces from Nevin Maguire and Minister Simon Coveney to President Michael D Higgins and An Tanaiste, Micheal Martin.

Gretchen Donovan said at the end of the Ploughing Championships “Having a stand in the Local Enterprise Village at the bustling heart of the Ploughing Championships, we reaped the invaluable benefit of exposing our business to an expansive audience of prospective customers during the three dynamic days of the event, resulting in unprecedented visibility and growth opportunities.”

Orla Martin, Head of Enterprise Local Enterprise Office Offaly, said: “Exhibiting in the popular Local Enterprise Village at the Ploughing presented a unique opportunity for Glass Innovations Ltd. It allowed the Offaly company to connect with thousands of potential customers daily, to develop business leads and new market opportunities. Over the summer, we collaborated with Gretchen and the team to enhance their marketing strategies and event merchandising, ensuring they could fully capitalise on this exceptional opportunity.”

Some of the clients involved this year covered areas such a kids clothing & games, agtech products, luxury bathing and skincare products, artisan food and drink producers, sustainable clothing and beauty products and range of innovative products from Ireland’s best small businesses.  Year on year the Local Enterprise Village has proven to be one of the most popular destinations for visitors to the Ploughing Championships.

The Local Enterprise Village is just one of a number of initiatives that the Local Enterprise Offices run, to foster entrepreneurship across the country. Others include Local Enterprise Week, the National Enterprise Awards, the Student Enterprise Programme, National Women’s Enterprise Day and Local Enterprise Showcase. The Local Enterprise Offices in local authorities are funded by the Government of Ireland through Enterprise Ireland. Established in 2014, the Local Enterprise Offices are the essential resource for any entrepreneur looking to start a business or any small business that is looking for support or advice to help them grow. Since their inception eight years ago, the Local Enterprise Offices have helped create over 25,000 jobs across the country. The LEOs work with thousands of client companies across Ireland in a diverse range of sectors offering mentoring, training, expert advice and financial supports to small businesses. For more information see www.LocalEnterprise.ie

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For further information:

info@leo.offalycoco.ie