Author: Tina Calder

Jubilee Farm is welcoming you to be part of their community and join them at their first Supper Club on Saturday April 27 dedicated to local, sustainable pork.  

As Northern Ireland’s first community owned farm, it promotes knowing where your food comes from, high-welfare, free-range and chemical free.  A co-operative model based on community involvement, the heritage pigs raised at Jubilee Farm are sustainable and truly represent a short farm to fork journey.

Partnering with Hillmount House in Larne on the Causeway Coastal Route, a private Georgian residence, guests will receive the usual warm welcome as the are delighted in a culinary adventure in the modern barn for over 100 guests.  Hillmount House launched their pop-up Supper Club dining portfolio in Autumn 2023, supporting local chefs and restaurants to celebrate local NI food, with each night a sell-out success.  

The trifold delivery of this exclusive event welcomes Chef Rob Curley of Slemish Market Supper Club, who has designed a menu to receive and enjoy pork in each course. An expert at pop-up dining experiences, for Chef Rob, the aim of the dishes on the menu is for each plate to tell a story. Every ingredient is chosen to paint a picture in the diner’s mind and spark their imagination as well as their palate.  

Chef Rob Curley said: “A Supper Club in its very nature invites you to trust the imagination of the Chef whilst simultaneously enjoying high quality, fresh local food that is delicious.  Our final course on the menu, a Hazelnut & Lard Cake with Rhubarb Compote, presented as ‘Bacon from Heaven’ may just be the lightest cake you will ever eat, we promise.”

These Little Piggies Went to Market pop-up dining Supper Club is taking place at Hillmount House, Larne on April 27 at 7pm arrival.  

Portia Woods, Marketing Manager at Jubilee Farm added: “It is of great pleasure we can work together in partnership with a local venue and local chef to deliver a story of high-welfare, sustainable food.  

“Having grown up in a market town I relate fondly to the memory of farming heritage and sale of animals on market day.  As well as being passionate about slow food I wanted to present a Supper Club that would ignite more conversation about food. I often wonder, are many divorced from where real food comes from, our rural and farming heritage? 

“That we just hear stories of ‘market days’ or for some of us, from first-hand experience we are the lucky ones who can reminisce. On the evening of the Supper Club we will present a short story of ‘Market News’ and delight diners with a six course pork menu.  

“The pork on the plate will be from the pasture-raised, organic-fed pigs of Jubilee Farm where high-welfare care is a daily task of the farmer and volunteers.  There are many aspects of Jubilee Farm to relate to, from its conservation plan, regenerative farming principles, social care farming, community involvement, to how it operates day to day, providing citizens with access to traceable, ethical slow food.”

Tickets are £49pp with entertainment to follow dining.  All bookings can be made by contacting enquiries@hillmounthouse.com

A whole host of local entrepreneurs are set to take to the stage at the Mums At Work Elevate Your Business event later this month.

Sandra Miskimmin of SMASH Worldwide and Tina Calder of Excalibur Press will be delivering talks throughout the day while Stefany Watson from Digital Ghost NI and Maria McLaughlin and Roisin McAteer from Admin Answers NI will join a panel of businesswomen hosted by Emma Weaver of Mental Wealth International.

Mums At Work, a Community Interest Company focused on empowering women in business, is thrilled to unveil new three speakers for their upcoming Elevate Your Business event happening later this month.

Taking place on Monday, March 25th, at the Tullyglass Hotel in Ballymena the Elevate Your Business event aims to uphold the vision of its late founder, Sinead Norton, by providing a supportive and nurturing environment for women in all areas of business.

Sandra Miskimmin is the founder of SMASH Worldwide (Sandra Miskimmin’s Alternative Solutions for Health), which aims to help women who are suffering with health and weight concerns. 

Having lived with chronic back pain, numerous conditions and being classed as clinically obese in 2013, Sandra undertook a dramatic change to her lifestyle and health and turned her life around. As a result of this, she went back to school and retrained in nutrition, weight management, naturopathy and behavioural change. 

She is passionate about educating women on how to implement easy strategies into their lives so they and their families can live a healthier life in the long run.

Her talk, titled “Hormone Harmony to Maximise your Personal and Professional Goals” will empower women to embrace their hormones rather than fear them. It will help women to understand how each of the hormones respond in their body and more importantly, how to use their hormones to their advantage. 

When women work with their hormones, rather than against them, it opens up a whole new world of opportunity. When this happens, women will become more successful in their personal, physical, and professional life. 

Sandra said: “When I first joined the network, I was terrified of going to networking events. However, the community is so welcoming, that I grew to look forward to going to them and now embrace them.

“MAW has given me the confidence to network and perfect my 60 second introduction so I can now do it anywhere with ease. I highly recommend this network to any woman who is thinking about joining it.”

Tina Calder, founder and chief vision officer of Excalibur Press began her career in journalism. In more recent years, she has become an expert in sales conversion, copywriting, thought leadership, brand storytelling, and content and marketing strategy, as well as being a trainer and speaker.

Tina uses her own unique and creative approach to stimulate innovative thinking and idea creation which goes beyond the traditional corporate constraints while keeping a focus on strategic objectives.

In her talk, ‘Building A Personal Brand: The Importance Of Standing Out From The Crowd’, she will be taking you on a whirlwind tour of the importance of building a personal brand and revealing her top tips, tricks and techniques for standing out and being memorable.

Along with examples from her own personal journey, Tina will outline the pitfalls and risks of raising your profile whilst demonstrating the opportunities and benefits of taking the leap into the public eye.

She said: “I hope that my talk will help businesswoman understand the importance of a personal brand and why it’s more important than ever before to consider how you present yourself to the world.

“Being authentic is a buzz phrase used so often these days that people forget what it really means, learning to be your authentic self whilst carrying a personal brand can often be a daunting experience.

“I hope attendees at the Mums At Work Elevate Your Business event will go away feeling much more confident about crafting and honing their personal brand.”

This year’s event will also include a panel discussion hosted by TEDX speaker and entrepreneur Emma Weaver of Mental Wealth International.

Taking to the panel are Stefany Watson from Digital Ghost NI and Maria McLaughlin and Roisin McAteer from Admin Answers NI.

Speaking of the session, Maria said: “I hope women who are attending can identify with our experiences of running and setting up in business as well as get some good hints/tips on being more organised in their business.”

During the panel attendees will get the opportunity to ask questions about how to move forward in their business, troubleshoot your processes or simply find out something they’ve been wanting to know about admin, marketing or digital.

According to Mums At Work Director Danielle Norton, Elevate Your Business is an opportunity for women to “exchange ideas, share experiences, and learn from one another”.

She added: “The purpose of the Elevate Your Business events is for women to have a chance to meet other women who are looking to grow their businesses. 

“It is a welcoming and supportive environment for women to feel comfortable and gain confidence.  We hope the attendees will make new connections, receive referrals and increase their brand visibility. We also hope they leave feeling inspired and motivated by our speakers who will give valuable insight and tips on how to take your business to the next level.”

For more information, to book a ticket or a stand at the Elevate Your Business event on March 25th go to >> https://bit.ly/MAWelevatePress or search for the event on Eventbrite.

There’s just one day left to enter Northern Ireland’s inaugural marketing awards aimed at recognising the talent and hard work of individual marketers across the country.

Nominations for the The Remarkable Marketing Awards are now open until midnight 14th March. It’s completely free to enter and there are just three questions to answer, which will be judged by a panel of industry experts from outside of Northern Ireland. 

The Remarkable Marketing Awards which are the brainchild of marketer Treena Clarke, founder of the hugely popular annual Big Marketing Meet Up conference will be held on Friday 31st May at the Europa Hotel in Belfast.

Speaking of the extension for nominations, Treena said: “We’re not surprised by the interest in the awards, the Northern Ireland marketing industry has been crying out for a way to acknowledge the fantastic work done by individuals across the sector.

“We want to make sure everyone who wants to enter is given the opportunity.”

Hosted by communicator and presenter, Emer Maguire, the RMA’s are calling on all marketers and their teams to blow their own trumpets and nominate themselves or their colleagues to be recognised for their creativity, innovation and marketing successes.

Leading the judging panel is Walter Campbell, one of the most award-winning creative thinkers and inspirational ECD’s in advertising. Best known for his TV work, his film “Surfer” for Guinness was voted Best Commercial of All Time by the UK public. 

Walter is joined by judges from across Europe including Sara Riis-Carstensen, who has worked with iconic brands including Lego, DeBeers and Lufthansa and Steve Brown who led the comms strategy for Absolut Vodka as well as previously judging the Drum Marketing Awards.

Asked what he’s looking to see from the entrants, Steve said: “I’m looking for bold and impactful actions that demonstrate a clear and nuanced understanding of target audiences and showcase your remarkable work over the last 12 months.”

With 20 categories to choose from across 15 business sectors and five team and individual marketer awards, there is something for everyone at the RMA’s. Awards include categories for Technology and Innovation Sector, Charity and Not for Profit Sector and Media and Creative sector among others.

About the awards, Treena said: “The Remarkable Marketing Awards are a celebration of the people behind groundbreaking initiatives. These awards are not about brands, channels or tactics, they’re about you – the visionary marketer.” 

Expected to be a night of fun and excitement, the night begins at 6pm for pre-event drinks before the ceremony begins at 7pm. After the event, guests are more than welcome to stay for some entertainment and music from The String Ninjas until midnight. 

If you’re a class first marketer producing class remarkable work, then entering this event should be a no-brainer. You can also nominate a worthy colleague, make a name for yourself and enter today.

The RMA’s are sponsored by headline sponsors Card Group Research and Insight, along with category sponsors Excalibur Press, Horrible and Mrktsearch. 

To enter, buy tickets or find out more go to remarkableawards.com

Motivational speakers Susan Steel of Performance Breakthrough and Grace Smith of Forge Female Fitness have been added to the speaker lineup of the forthcoming Mums At Work Elevate Your Business event.

Mums At Work is a Community interest company dedicated to empowering women in business, their Elevate Your Business events aim to uphold the vision of its late founder, Sinead Norton, by providing a supportive and nurturing environment for women in business. 

Susan Steele, the Director of Performance Breakthrough and Grace Smith, founder of Forge Female Fitness will be taking to the stage on Monday, March 25th, at the Tullyglass Hotel in Ballymena.

Susan Steele has over 14 years of experience through her own company Performance Breakthrough, which was born through her own experiences with her two sons. After experiencing first hand what happens when children do not reach their full potential, Susan knew something had to change. 

Performance Breakthrough is a company dedicated to unlocking the potential of children and adults who want to enhance their performance in sports and education, while also dealing with the root cause of emotional and behavioural issues.

In her interactive talk, “Perform It Better”, Susan will be explaining why some children have great difficulty concentrating on tasks and why some get very frustrated or anxious about the little things. She will give you practical tips on how to create a calmer home. 

Speaking about her talk, Susan explained: “I want people to come away from my talk with three main things: relief that they are good parents and that there is a scientific reason for the challenging traits their children display. 

“An understanding that there is a natural solution that will produce permanent, positive results for their children and family as a whole. And excitement that their wonderful, intelligent child can have a bright, happy future.” 

Also speaking is Grace Smith, the founder of forge female fitness. 

After losing her father at 21, and losing 156lbs within 12 months, Grace decided to help others achieve their goals and now runs three successful coaching businesses, transforming thousands of women’s lives over the last 8 years.

Forge Female Fitness is the North Coasts No.1 Ladies Training Studio, sculpting confidence, building strength and fostering community. We help women restore their confidence, health and happiness, and make positive long-term lifestyle changes, so they can take on life feeling mentally and physically strong, energised and fulfilled.

In her talk, “From Transformation To Triumph”, Grace will share how to use your background, experiences, and personality to boost your business and build a loyal community.

Speaking about her talk, Grace said: “I want people to feel inspired to use their experience and unique personality to further build their brand and business and not be scared to take risks and back themselves, along with practical tips on how to take what they’ve learnt and apply it straight into their business.”

According to Mums At Work Director Danielle Norton, Elevate Your Business is an opportunity for women to “exchange ideas, share experiences, and learn from one another”.

She added: “The purpose of the Elevate Your Business events is for women to have a chance to meet other women who are looking to grow their businesses. 

“It is a welcoming and supportive environment for women to feel comfortable and gain confidence.  We hope the attendees will make new connections, receive referrals and increase their brand visibility. We also hope they leave feeling inspired and motivated by our speakers who will give valuable insight and tips on how to take your business to the next level.”

For more information, to book a ticket or a stand at the Elevate Your Business event on March 25th go to >> https://bit.ly/MAWelevatePress or search for the event on Eventbrite.

Organisers behind Northern Ireland’s inaugural marketing awards have extended the deadline for nominations.

The Remarkable Marketing Awards have been so well received according to organisers they have been inundated with requests to extend the deadline.

Nominations are now open until midnight 14th March. It’s completely free to enter and there are just three questions to answer, which will be judged by a panel of industry experts from outside of Northern Ireland. 

The Remarkable Marketing Awards which are the brainchild of marketer Treena Clarke, founder of the hugely popular annual Big Marketing Meet Up conference will be held on Friday 31st May at the Europa Hotel in Belfast.

Speaking of the extension for nominations, Treena said: “We’re not surprised by the interest in the awards, the Northern Ireland marketing industry has been crying out for a way to acknowledge the fantastic work done by individuals across the sector.

“We want to make sure everyone who wants to enter is given the opportunity.”

Hosted by communicator and presenter, Emer Maguire, the RMA’s are calling on all marketers and their teams to blow their own trumpets and nominate themselves or their colleagues to be recognised for their creativity, innovation and marketing successes.

Leading the judging panel is Walter Campbell, one of the most award-winning creative thinkers and inspirational ECD’s in advertising. Best known for his TV work, his film “Surfer” for Guinness was voted Best Commercial of All Time by the UK public. 

Walter is joined by judges from across Europe including Sara Riis-Carstensen, who has worked with iconic brands including Lego, DeBeers and Lufthansa and Steve Brown who led the comms strategy for Absolut Vodka as well as previously judging the Drum Marketing Awards.

Asked what he’s looking to see from the entrants, Steve said: “I’m looking for bold and impactful actions that demonstrate a clear and nuanced understanding of target audiences and showcase your remarkable work over the last 12 months.”

With 20 categories to choose from across 15 business sectors and five team and individual marketer awards, there is something for everyone at the RMA’s. Awards include categories for Technology and Innovation Sector, Charity and Not for Profit Sector and Media and Creative sector among others.

About the awards, Treena said: “The Remarkable Marketing Awards are a celebration of the people behind groundbreaking initiatives. These awards are not about brands, channels or tactics, they’re about you – the visionary marketer.” 

Expected to be a night of fun and excitement, the night begins at 6pm for pre-event drinks before the ceremony begins at 7pm. After the event, guests are more than welcome to stay for some entertainment and music from The String Ninjas until midnight. 

If you’re a class first marketer producing class remarkable work, then entering this event should be a no-brainer. You can also nominate a worthy colleague, make a name for yourself and enter today.

The RMA’s are sponsored by headline sponsors Card Group Research and Insight, along with category sponsors Excalibur Press, Horrible and Mrktsearch. 

To enter, buy tickets or find out more go to remarkableawards.com

Ends

Belfast XR Festival is set to open tomorrow, Wednesday, February 28 at The Black Box merging technology and art to create a unique virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experience for attendees.

The two day festival, Belfast XR, now in its third year, specialises in curating worldclass immersive technology content that takes the art of storytelling to a new level.

Extended Reality or ‘XR’ is the collective name for virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). VR is a computer-generated artificial environment with scenes that appear to be real, while AR is a digital overlay onto the real world, which is viewed through your phone or an iPad. 

Last week the full lineup was confirmed to include three unique paid for experiences along with an additional three free bonus experiences available for visitors to the festival.

Appearing at the festival will be the magical VR journey through the work of Catalan architect and designer Antoni Gaudí in Gaudí, The Atelier of the Divine.

Attendees will take part in a 20 minute experience designed for small groups of six.

The story will take festival goers back to 1926 when, weakened by age and feeling his death approaching, Gaudí invites his new assistants to discover his studio, to understand his vision and complete his work. 

The heart-wrenching voyage of survival Stay Alive My Son is also one of the key events, based on the internationally acclaimed memoirs of Pin Yathay, this immersive 60 minute story thrusts audiences into the shoes of a pained father forced to make the gut-wrenching decision to abandon his six-year-old son to survive during the Cambodian genocide.

The final headline experience will be Eternal, the profound exploration of eternal life, where during this 20 minute experience attendees will step into the realm of eternity with a mesmerising audio journey designed exclusively for one person, in the comfort of their own bed. 

As intimate audiences of just two people per time slot climb into a bed they will delve into a profound exploration of eternal life and contemplate the sacrifices one might make for immortality. 

Deepa Mann-Kler, director and curator for Belfast XR Festival which is an annual gathering for the XR arts – storytelling, visual arts, music, drama, dance, literature and theatre, said bringing virtual and augmented reality content to new audiences locally is something the team at Belfast XR are passionate about.

She said: “Our ambition is to create an unmissable annual gathering for XR that inspires storytelling and our passion is to bring the best global virtual and augmented reality content to new local audiences. You don’t need to have used a virtual reality headset before, as our team will guide you through the whole process.”  

For attendees who purchase tickets for any of the headline events this year they will have exclusive access to three additional free experiences.

Emperor is a 40 minute long captivating virtual reality experience that delves into the mind of a father grappling with aphasia. Attendees will witness the poignant journey of a daughter striving to connect with her speechless father, uncovering the depths of his memories along the way. 

Flow is a 15 minute experience where users will be swept away by the winds through what appears to be an ordinary day filled with turbulence. Encounter the sensations of smells, heat and breath, as the air currents unveil hidden presences and reveal captivating events in the life of a woman. 

SEN is also a 15 minute experience where attendees will enter the mystical realm of the traditional Japanese tea room, where they’ll meet SEN, the tea spirit. As disaster strikes and SEN dissolves into the universe, it discovers unity with all beings, bringing calm to the tea room. 

Running on Wednesday February 28 and Thursday 29 this year’s festival theme is Legacy which will offer attendees the chance to experience world history in captivating ways allowing audiences to step into the past, interact with historical figures, and explore significant events firsthand. 

Belfast XR Festival is both for XR enthusiasts and those who haven’t experienced any form of XR in the past.

Deepa explained: “The Festival is aimed at 16+ years of age and is open to everyone. You don’t need to have experienced AR, VR or any of these types of experiences before. We  have an amazing team who will guide you through the whole process from the minute you step into The Black Box.  

“I want people to have memorable experiences. I want them to be altered, in a good way. I want them to talk about how it made them feel. I want to increase their appetite to experience more. 

The Belfast XR Festival is supported by the National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. It is also supported by the Department for Communities through Northern Ireland Screen, Digital Catapult NI, Future Screens NI and Ulster Screen Academy.

For more information follow Belfast XR Festival on social media or go to belfastxrfestival.com 

CARD Group Research & Insight is encouraging marketers across Northern Ireland to enter the inaugural Remarkable Marketing Awards (RMAs) 2024. 

The awards are Northern Ireland’s first dedicated awards ceremony celebrating individual marketers.

Taking place on Friday 31st May at the Europa Hotel in Belfast the RMA’s are the brainchild of marketer Treena Clarke, founder of the hugely popular annual Big Marketing Meet Up.

This year’s theme is about encouraging marketers to blow their own trumpets and celebrating the people in Northern Ireland behind some of the most impactful campaigns promoting brands, helping clients hit targets and turning remarkable ideas into reality. 

Hosted by communicator and presenter, Emer Maguire, the RMA’s are calling on all marketers and their teams to blow their own trumpets and nominate themselves or their colleagues to be recognised for their creativity, innovation and marketing successes.

Nominations are open until March 8. It’s completely free to enter and there are just three questions to answer, which will be judged by a panel of industry experts from outside of Northern Ireland. 

CARD Group Research & Insight have secured the headline partner slot for the inaugural RMAs and with 20 awards, there’s a category for every marketer – from independent consultants to in-house teams, and in sectors from education and training to hospitality and retail.

Along with being headline partner CARD Group Research & Insight are also sponsoring the category for ‘Best Use of Market Research in a Campaign’. 

Consumer insight is key to crafting a campaign that shapes behaviour and delivers real impact. Winners of this category will  understand deeply what makes people tick – and use this to deliver a truly remarkable campaign.

Albert Hamilton, CEO of CARD Group Research & Insight said: “When I heard the driving force behind the fantastic Big Marketing Meet Up Belfast events of 2023 was planning these Awards I knew we wanted to be involved! These dynamic events put a real focus on the wealth of marketing genius we have in Northern Ireland, and I came away feeling energised and inspired. 

“So it’s great that we can take this to the next level now with Awards to formally recognise those remarkable marketers and marketing teams, and have a big night out to shout about their success. 

“Thank you to Treena Clarke, the ‘maestro’ behind this opportunity to blow your own trumpet, for launching these Awards, and I look forward to what promises to be a fabulous night of real celebration on 31 May 2024.”

Leading the judging panel is Walter Campbell, one of the most award-winning creative thinkers and inspirational ECD’s in advertising. Best known for his TV work, his film “Surfer” for Guinness was voted Best Commercial of All Time by the UK public. 

Walter is joined by judges from across Europe including Sara Riis-Carstensen, who has worked with iconic brands including Lego, DeBeers and Lufthansa and Steve Brown who led the comms strategy for Absolut Vodka as well as previously judging the Drum Marketing Awards.

Speaking of the awards, Treena Clarke, founder, said: “The Remarkable Marketing Awards are a celebration of the people behind groundbreaking initiatives. These awards are not about brands, channels or tactics, they’re about you – the visionary marketer.” 

Other sponsors of the event also include category sponsors Excalibur Press, Horrible and Mrktsearch. 

To enter, buy tickets or find out more go to remarkableawards.com