MARKET PLACE THEATRE KICKS OFF AUTUMN SEASON ON A MUSICAL NOTE

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The Market Place Theatre in Armagh is kicking off its Autumn ’23 season with a superb range of entertainment, including two very different musical performances.

‘Here Come The Girls’ will feature eleven amazing diva tributes in one great show! Celebrating some of the finest female artists of all time, and featuring Cher, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Shania Twain, Annie Lennox, Gloria Estefan, Blondie, Katy Perry, Adele, Abba and Bananarama!

All of your favourite songs from your favourite female artists spanning five decades, in one spectacular, fun, fast paced, energetic show! ‘Here Come The Girls’ will be staged on Friday 8 September. Tickets are priced £22.50 each.

On the same evening, trio TRÚ will take to the stage. TRÚ draw their inspiration from the mythological trio of poet-musicians who were revered throughout the Celtic world. Michael Mormecha [percussion/vox], Zachary Trouton [guitars/vox] and Dónal Kearney [flute/vox] come from different musical backgrounds.

The three are children of the Peace Agreement in post-conflict Northern Ireland. From their British-Ukrainian, Ulster-Scots and Irish heritage, they have inherited an unusual and fruitful ethos based on respect and exploration.

Despite their individuality and an eclectic repertoire of influences from Clannad to Nine Inch Nails via Joni Mitchell and The Beatles, the trio’s collective chemistry is enchanting audiences with powerful storytelling and noteworthy songcraft.

These are stories told with a contemporary voice. There is nothing traditional about TRÚ except the songs themselves. Tickets for TRÚ can be booked for £15 each at www.visitarmagh.com/marketplacetheatre or through the Box Office on 03300 561 025.

10 things to do in Northern Ireland

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Here are ten exciting things to do 28 August- 3 September

  1. HotBox Field Trip, Limavady, County Londonderry, 28 August. Destress and unwind in this wood fired hot tub or sweat it out in the Finnish sauna. This pop up, usually on Benone Strand, is taking to a tranquil new woodland setting at Drumagosker. After braving the heat take the plunge in icy showers, before relaxing in front of the fire pit with warming mugs of tea.
  2. Eats and Beats Festival, Newcastle, County Down, 2-3 September. This festival is a must for foodies and music lovers. A celebration of delicious local cuisine alongside great live performances by some of the hottest acts around. Eats and Beats draws thousands of visitors each year who come to sample the incredible food and soak up the festive atmosphere all set against the fabulous backdrop of the majestic Mournes.
  3. Tide and Turf Portavogie, Portavogie, County Down, 2 September. Set along the harbour and fish market this free family event showcases local produce with a special emphasis on the renowned seafood and beef. Pick up a snack from the many food stalls or be inspired by chef Paula McIntyre on how to cook up a storm in your own kitchen! Children can try the pedal boats or sand crafts and there’s live music from The String Ninjas and Bangor band the Florentinas who are making big waves on the local scene.
  4. Guided Tours of the Archbishop’s Palace, Armagh, County Armagh, 3 September. Take the chance to see behind the doors of what was the home of the Church of Ireland’s Primate’s from the 1700’s until 1970’s. This hour-long tour will guide you around this wonderful neo classical listed building.
  5. After the Rain, Derry ~ Londonderry, County Londonderry 26 August. The French circus Collective, Compagnie XY, accompanied by a 50 plus strong local ensemble of acrobats, local musicians and choirs will be in Guildhall Square. This specially commissioned event celebrates the resilience of the people and communities of the city 25 years on from the Good Friday Agreement.
  6. Fermanagh Fun Farm, Lisbellaw, County Fermanagh, 28 August. A fun day out for little children with the chance to meet 150 rescued and adopted animals. This social enterprise offers the opportunity to handle and feed some of the pets. A great day for hand on family memories with donkey and pony walking and grooming, a soft play area and indoor play barn.
  7. Downpatrick Racecourse, Downpatrick, County Down, 28 August. It’s Ladies Day at this historic course which has been hosting horses and riders for 150 years. Enjoy a fun day out of racing and fashion followed by live music. The turnstiles will open two hours before the first race.
  8. An Creagán, Omagh, County Tyrone, 25-27 August. Enjoy fantastic cycling and walking trails, all nestled in an area of outstanding natural beauty at the foot of the specular Sperrins. Catering for all tastes, there’s a wild wood for children and a forest walk and boardwalk for bigger kids. If history is your thing, there’s a reconstructed Bronze Age dwelling. Explore the community garden and refuel and relax after your exertions in the coffee shop, complete with an open fire, and pick up cool gifts in the craft shop.
  9. Spinning Yarns Festival, Newtownabbey, County Antrim, 2 September. Mossley Mill has a packed programme of workshops and stalls celebrating all things woolly. There’ll be traders from across Northern Ireland offering afternoon teas, artisan craft and gift stalls and much more.
  10. Belfast International Tattoo, Belfast, County Antrim, 1-2 September. Per head of the population there are more marching bands here than anywhere else in the world. This event is routed in the history, music, and dance traditions of the Ulster Scots. Pipe bands from across the globe will amass at the SSE Arena with the Majesticks Drum Corps and the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra among those taking part in this musical spectacle.

 

For more information on what’s on or to plan a short break in Northern Ireland, visit https://discovernorthernireland.com/

 

“AI Is An Inevitable Tool That Businesses Should Be Integrating Into Their Marketing Strategy” Says Content Expert

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The hype of AI isn’t going away and neither is the idea that it can “revolutionise” your marketing, especially if you’re the type of business that’s struggling to keep up with the demands practically and financially.

Whilst it’s absolutely true that, used properly, AI can provide you with a vital resource which can reduce time spent on creating content it can also, however, have a negative impact on your business if used badly.

Comms strategist and director of Excalibur Press Tina Calder said companies who ignore AI could find themselves on the “back foot” at a later date.

However, she warns that agencies like hers must also be using the tools responsibly and ethically.

“Earlier this year at Excalibur Press we realised AI wasn’t going away and tools like ChatGPT were going to continue to dominate the minds of not just many of our clients but also our staff and interns”, she said.

“With that in mind we immediately put in place a constantly updated AI Usage Policy and AI Best Practice Guidelines. 

“We operate on the basis that working with AI must be ethical and professional, therefore, if we use AI for a client we inform that client. After all, ultimately the choice must be theirs as to whether they will accept content that has some form of input from AI platforms such as ChatGPT. 

“Whilst the use of AI is not prohibited within Excalibur Press its use is strictly limited to being a research resource.”

Approach with care

The benefits of AI have been lauded across the communications world with many small businesses and marketing teams hailing it as a “saviour” and “the answer to their prayers”.

With that said, Tina said it’s important for people to spend time understanding how to use the tools effectively and efficiently.

She explained: “Whilst my scepticism of AI copywriting tools in particular has waned and I now train in-house teams to use it effectively, it’s absolutely vital that those who use it understand it can never really replace human expertise, experience and analytical thought.

“Like Canva, Hootsuite, Hubspot and many more tools that sit in our marketing stack your AI tools should be exactly that, a tool that helps you work more efficiently.”

Among the sticking points for Tina are things such as nuance and vernacular, detail, analysis, accuracy and true marketing copywriting.

“There’s absolutely no doubt having tools like ChatGPT in your marketing stack can help you level up your game. It’s essential to ensure that you understand the limitations in comparison to your own brain” she said.

“In my experience AI tools simply can’t get the right nuance and vernacular that I personally would use when writing. It doesn’t really have an attitude. Yes, it can mimic an attitude and a style of writing but it’s a bit dad dancing at a disco or a mum using the aubergine emoji to mean an aubergine. It was just a bit ‘off’.

“In properly informed copywriting the devil is in the detail. It’s why you pay for research, expertise and experience and anything I’ve managed to get out of the AI was simply surface level knowledge. It has always required my time and effort to mould into the right piece.

“When it comes to real human analysis, no matter how hard I tried, I simply couldn’t get real analysis out of the tool. That human thought process that brings context and humanity to what’s being written. 

“Much has been written about the limitations of AI and its knowledge bank. I had a significant number of incidences where it gave me irrelevant, incorrect and inaccurate information and examples. Even just asking it about myself and my career I found it was way off, and, in one case, completely reported information that was totally wrong. It also often makes suggestions that are out of date, ill informed and things that would be rather embarrassing if one of my writers turned in the content to me.”

There is hope for AI

Despite the lack of abilities the current machine learning models have, AI is an ever changing technology and will continue to grow and get better as we, humans, get better at teaching it.

Tina explained that businesses shouldn’t be deciding whether to embrace it or not but rather how they should be embracing it.

“It’s not all bad news. There’s certainly a right time and a right place for using tools like ChatGPT and, in my mind, it’s the same principle that I apply to Canva.

“If the person using the tool is professional, knowledgeable and experienced enough they will have great success using the tool to optimise their workflow, speed up their brainstorming and research and, ultimately, assist them in delivering their expertise in a speedier manner.

“However, what it is not, is a replacement for this professionalism, knowledge and experience. We have found that no matter how much you train it, no matter how much information you feed the system an AI tool cannot currently deep dive into our client’s business, their customer mindset and the style in which the content needs to be delivered whilst considering the psychology of the customer journey, geographic and cultural considerations and – ultimately – the style the client likes to see their content presented in.”

How do you use it efficiently?

According to Tina embracing AI is “not optional”. 

She said: “AI is many things to many people but ultimately if you see it in the way we do at Excalibur Press you can better understand its functional use and benefit.

“It’s the intern you really want – if you brief it well enough, give it the right background and teach it enough information then AI copywriting tools can deliver you work that is definitely as good as a graduate intern. Whilst not always perfect, it’s much easier for us to edit and work with something that’s already on the page.

“It can be the mentor you wish you had – sometimes you just want someone to ask questions to, check on past trends, ask about traditional tactics and strategies and learn from a brain full of knowledge. You don’t necessarily want this person to do the job for you, just be a sounding board that you can ask questions to that you may not want to be seen asking in the office.

“It’s a good desktop research tool – sometimes when you just need some quick information organised in a certain fashion so that you can see/read it all at once and quickly, AI can be your saviour. It’s always important for you to back up the research yourself to ensure it’s correct but it’s a great speedy resource for “on the go” information.

“It can become someone to brainstorm with – many people just don’t have the luxury of colleagues to be able to brainstorm ideas with, to figure things out and throw around some ideas to see what pops up. AI is great for this, it’s a brilliant space to brainstorm in a way where you’re leading the charge and you can quickly change the course of the brainstorm without offending anyone if it isn’t going the way you want it to.”

It would seem that in order to make AI work for you it’s important to figure out what you want it to help you with. 

“So many people just jump in, open a new tab and say ‘create me 10 social media posts for a hairdresser,’ said Tina, adding: “And what comes back is bland, generic content that doesn’t reflect the brand at all.

“Think of ChatGPT and other AI copywriting tools as another member of staff. Consider what you want them to do, what you need out of it and how much time you have to commit to ensuring they are well briefed and that you have set time aside to edit, amend and review their content.”

Throughout the month of September Tina will be delivering a number of free training sessions around ChatGPT including Zoom @ Noon for Social Enterprise NI on September 12, TechConnect in Dublin on September 14 and in a free webinar on September 28. For more information go to excaliburpress.co.uk/events

 

If you would like to find out more about Excalibur Press’ training and content services which includes content creation, ChatGPT training, copywriting, social media management and website development contact Tina Calder on tina@excaliburpress.co.uk or go to excaliburpress.co.uk

Offers of the week from Discover Northern Ireland

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Belmore Court and Motel, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh

Situated just a short walk from the town centre, this is a perfect base for exploring the wild beauty of the area or delving into its rich history. You are surrounded by beautiful lakes and remarkable parkland golf courses with the chance to visit the stunning Enniskillen Castle and breathtaking Marble Arch Caves. So why not enjoy the perfect blend of relaxation and comfort? “The Sleepy Sunday” offer gives the option of a double bed and breakfast for one evening with a late checkout from £84pps. A two-course evening meal can be enjoyed at one of three nearby restaurants including the WV Bar, The Firehouse or Crowe’s Nest. This is the ultimate way to kick-start a new week.  Visit https://www.motel.co.uk/about-belmore-court-motel for more information.

 

Blackwell House, Scarva, Banbridge, County Down

Enjoy the ultimate relaxation and destress with this offer, available 30th August – 3rd September. You can enjoy a fabulous two-night dining retreat, perfect for those occasions when one night simply isn’t long enough! Guests can enjoy a relaxing stay in an individually designed luxury guest bedroom with comfortable super king-sized beds. Wake up to an award-winning breakfast each morning and indulge in a five-course taster menu on one evening of your choice, cooked with local produce. Designed to offer an authentic spa experience with a hot tub and sauna, this stay at Blackwell House is not to be missed. The Blue room and the Charleston Room are £425.00 per room for two nights. Visit https://blackwellhouse.co.uk for more information.

 

Book in advance to avoid disappointment. Subject to availability.

For more information on what’s on or to plan a short break in Northern Ireland, visit https://discovernorthernireland.com/

Save the date for Bushmills Salmon & Whiskey Festival 2023

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The Bushmills Salmon & Whiskey Festival will make a welcome return this autumn to celebrate the food, drink and local heritage of the area.

The village will host the festival on the weekend of 6th – 8th October, with lots to look forward to from a variety of fantastic food demonstrations, entertainment, live music, fishing activities and outdoor fun for children to enjoy. Foodies will be able to indulge locally produced food and drink, with a focus on salmon and whiskey.

Visitors will enjoy the local warm hospitality of the village at both the Bushmills Distillery and the Naturally North Coast & Glens Artisan Market. The distillery will be open during the festival weekend, while the market will offer the opportunity to meet the makers behind the local produce, purchase unique handmade crafts and more.

Many independent businesses are involved to help make the festival a success, as well as involvement from local chefs, including Gary Stewart from Tartine at The Distillers Arms, who is an integral part of the weekend. Celebrity chef Paula McIntrye will be attending over the weekend and will be hosting several cookery demonstrations.

The festival is part funded by DAERA – NI Regional Food Programme, supported by the Bushmills Business Association.

Friday, October 6

A unique Coast & Countryside tour will be available throughout the day, exploring the bespoke offering Bushmills has to offer. This will be guided by the wonderful Wendy Gallagher (pre-booking required via causewaycoastfoodietours.com).

The highlight of Friday evening is the Bushmills ‘Dine around Town’, a unique food and drink experience created to indulge visitors with bespoke menus using the finest quality local produce. Musical performances in select venues will set the mood to kick-off the festival weekend. This is a ticketed event with limited places. More details on how to book will be announced later.

Saturday, October 7

Enjoy wandering around Bushmills and guide yourself through the Taste Trail, taking in the smells and flavours on offer. The many great restaurants and cafes in the village welcome you to try a variety of fresh local dishes embracing locally sourced ingredients, especially Salmon and/or Whiskey. Bushmills Distillery will be open during the weekend and hosting tours. The Visitor Information Centre will host a taste showcase of products from local artisan producers. Various establishments will also host music and entertainment into the evening.

Sunday, October 8

The Outdoor (STREAT) programme will consist of Naturally North Coast & Glens Artisan Market stalls, Bushmills Distillery whiskey tastings and tours, cookery demonstrations with celebrity chef Paula McIntyre and various talented local chefs, musical acts, and entertainers. There will also be a quiet time session for children with additional needs.

Main Street carpark will host an afternoon of live cookery demonstrations and the ‘Whiskey Hub’, a brand-new experience for the Whiskey enthusiast. A select range of local distilleries will host a taste and information session across Sunday afternoon, allowing visitors to taste and experience the fine whiskeys on offer in Northern Ireland.

With many ways to enjoy unique food experiences, this festival is not one to be missed!

DAERA has advised Council that, due to budget constraints, it is unable to open up the River Bush Salmon Station to the public as part of this year’s festival, as it had done in the past.

James Huish and his Band are back – LIVE ON STAGE!

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James Huish and his band are back in action and making their way to the Belfast music scene once again.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled about it! We’re super excited to announce that we will be bringing a brand new Big Band show to the fabulous Avenue Arts Centre on the Lisburn Road in Belfast. Mark your calendars for September 8 because this is a show you don’t want to miss!“

We want to extend a warm invitation to all the wonderful folks out there who have had the pleasure of seeing James and his band before, as well as those who simply adore the timeless music of the American songbook. Think Tony Bennett, Elvis Presley, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra and of course Michael Bublé too. Send such as “The Way You Look Tonight”, “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”, “Home”, and “Always On My Mind”. “Fly Me To The Moon”. Feeling Good”, and many more. Get ready, because it’s going to be a truly magical evening that will leave you dancing all the way home. Come on down and join us for a night of pure musical bliss!

Now, let’s talk a bit about James and his incredible journey. Known as IRELANDS “King of Swing” and the UK’s Michael Bublé, James has been wowing audiences all across the UK, Ireland, and Europe and further afield with his mesmerizing vocals. But wait, there’s more! After taking a well-deserved break to create the James Huish Academy of Theatre Arts, he’s now ready to bring back the glory of his musical career to the world that existed before Covid. From sold-out shows at prestigious venues like the Grand Opera House and the Empire to performing at corporate events in glamorous cities like Dubai and London, James has truly made a name for himself. And now, it’s time to reignite that amazing sound once again!

If you’re as excited as we are and want to grab your tickets, please click HERE.  Be quick! This is an experience you won’t want to miss out on! See you there!

Arctic Monkeys Announce World Tour Finale in Dublin and Belfast!

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Announce World Tour Finale in Dublin & Belfast

15th October 2023 – 3Arena

16th October 2023 – The SSE Arena

17th October 2023 – 3Arena

19th October 2023 – 3Arena

Tickets On Sale Tuesday 29th August at 9am

Arctic Monkeys will be returning to Dublin & Belfast in October for a series of arena dates to mark the end of their World Tour. The band are pleased to announce Miles Kane as Special Guest. These dates follow the cancellation of the band’s summer show at Dublin’s Marlay Park.

Previous ticket holders will be sent a unique access code and will be given 72-hour priority pre-sale access starting at 9am on Friday, Aug 25th to purchase tickets. Only the same number of tickets, or less, purchased previously for Marlay Park will be available to purchase for these new dates.

All remaining tickets will be made available for sale at 9am on Tuesday, August 29th.

In support of their seventh, Mercury shortlisted album, ‘The Car’, Arctic Monkeys commence a 30 date tour of North America in Minneapolis on Thursday the 25th of August which concludes with two nights at Foro Sol Stadium in Mexico City on October 6th & 7th.

For more information contact:

 

Website/Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/Spotify/YouTube/Apple Music

Something Must Change In The Takeaway Industry Or Consumers Will Continue To Feel The Financial Impact

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By Sandeep Sharma, eatlocaluk.co.uk

In the last three years, operational costs associated with running a takeaway or food-to-go business have increased by up to 35-40% for some businesses.

From the rising energy costs which show no sign of coming back down again and the increases in raw produce and food/packaging supplies, takeaways have found themselves finding it more and more difficult to operate profitably.

Whilst the Covid-19 pandemic in some ways helped the industry go digital, this fast-forwarding of digital transformation has ultimately had devastating effects on the bottom line.

Companies like JustEat, Uber Eats and Deliveroo very quickly captured the market and became the consumer go-to for food delivery. Businesses that once relied on orders via telephone were finding less and less people lifting the phone and more and more orders coming through these global food ordering platforms. 

For some businesses this was revolutionary and many have increased their gross revenue as a result, but, in many cases, this has been a false economy with businesses just becoming busier but paying more and more of their profits out in commissions each week to the larger corporate apps.

Currently a conservative estimate is that over £40-45 million is leaving the Northern Ireland economy each year, this equates to between 1300-1500 takeaways across the country averaging payments weekly of between £300-£3000 per takeaway to the three main global ordering apps.

The industry is now in a position where, without big changes, takeaways will continue to go to the wall as they attempt to keep on top of and keep up with the low-profit apps.

And it’s not just bad news for the businesses. Rising operational costs like utilities and food prices as well as high commissions going to JustEat, Uber Eats and Deliveroo among others means the consumers are feeling the pinch too.

Just Eat, for example, claims in its terms and conditions that those businesses who sign up must offer menu board prices, ie, the price on the menu board when you enter the shop. But the reality is there’s no way businesses can do this and operate a sustainable business. As a result, the costs are being passed on to the consumer and, in some cases, they’re paying more for each item they order than they would in the shop. This can be up to £7-10 extra for a family ordering their Friday night takeaway.

It is in response to the continued rising costs for the food delivery industry from large corporate ordering apps that we have launched a local, Northern Ireland based competitor that focuses on the needs of both the consumer and the business.

Eat Local, the new food delivery app will offer restaurants, takeaways, cafes and other food-to-go establishments the opportunity to significantly decrease their costs for operating their delivery services.

This game-changing app allows food-to-go businesses the ability to reclaim complete control over their food delivery business whilst keeping their profits and their data allowing them to decide how they run their business without the restrictions many of the global food ordering apps place upon the takeaways who sign up to their services.

Part of our mission is to encourage establishments to offer consumers the same prices on the app as they would get in the shop, more commonly known in the industry as ‘menu board prices’, saving that extra £7-10 for families. 

It’s time for the takeaway industry to take back their profits and to stop paying exuberant fees to global organisations which haemorrhage money from the local economy.

All we need is for our local communities, businesses and people to join us in our quest to nourish your neighbourhood by keeping those millions in our local economy.

Business & Mindset Event Momentum Is Back For A Night At The Museum

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Momentum Founders Amée Spence and Warren Giffin

A Belfast business and mindset event is to return this Autumn with a whole host of new speakers.

The event, supported by Gekkoshot,will take place at the Ulster Museum on September 22, is set to reveal an all-star speaker lineup including leading names in hospitality, mindset, marketing, ecommerce, data and much more.

According to organisers Warren Giffin and Amée Spence, Momentum: A Night At The Museum aims to bridge the gap between business needs and mindset support.

Speaking of September’s event, Warren said: “We’re delighted to be bringing Momentum back for a second event, building upon the resounding success of our inaugural event back in January at The MAC.

“Last time we had fantastic speakers such as self-made entrepreneur and CEO of Bellamianta & Iconic Bronze, Linda Stinson, as well as passionate mental health advocate and Let’s Face It podcast host, Domhnall Nugent.

“This time we’re excited to get ready to announce an equally special lineup of industry experts who will give our attendees a night to remember.”

Momentum founders, Warren and Amée seek to provide a space where ideas can manifest, grow and build by bringing together a diverse community of entrepreneurs, innovators, thought leaders and marketing professionals who are fuelled by passion, curious at heart and determined to succeed. 

Amée explained: “Momentum serves as an accelerator for personal growth and professional progress.

“We understand that the world of business can often be a lonely one. Especially for business owners and entrepreneurs who have chosen a life outside of the usual 9-5.

“These people often struggle to find the right support both professionally and mentally. Which is why we set up Momentum.

“Our events are designed to facilitate open dialogues and share expertise across various business domains, while simultaneously providing insights into personal development and mindset mastery. 

“What sets Momentum apart is our commitment to creating an immersive and unforgettable experience. We believe that learning and growth should be enjoyable, and our evening events are designed to combine education, entertainment, and networking opportunities in a vibrant and lively atmosphere.”

“With a Prosecco reception, mesmerising fire performers, dinner and thought-provoking talks from industry leaders, Momentum: A Night At The Museum offers a refreshing departure from traditional business gatherings. It’s an occasion to dress up and have fun while gaining valuable insights on how to elevate your business to new heights.”

Tickets for Momentum: A Night At The Museum on September 22, 6.30pm-late are now on sale from thisismomentum.co.uk 

THE JOLLY BIG BUSINESS BOOST COMPETITION IS BACK, GIVING YOUNG BUSINESSES A CHANCE TO TRADE FOR FREE AT BELFAST CHRISTMAS MARKET

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The lucky winners of the Jolly Big Business Boost will be given the opportunity to trade for FREE at the Belfast Christmas Market from 18 November until 22 December 2023. Operators of the Belfast Christmas Market, Market Place Europe, are looking for innovative, young entrepreneurs from across Northern Ireland who are ready to take their business to the next level. The Jolly Big Business competition focuses on providing recently established businesses, a platform to sell their products and to build awareness of their brand with over 1 million visitors expected in this year’s Belfast Christmas Market.

Allan Hartwell, Managing Director of Market Place Europe said:

“The Jolly Big Business Boost is a great way for entrepreneurs to enhance their business and get their foot in the door and has proven to be very successful. Businesseve been running this competition for over ten years and each year without fail the winning business has traded brilliantly at the market, so much so that many previous winners have continued to trade each year.’’ 

This year’s judging panel will include media partner Q Radio presenter Jordan Arnold, Fiona Liversidge who looks after Tourism NI’s International Marketing and PR and Market Place Europe’s Managing Director Allan Hartwell. The judges are on the lookout for eye-catching, exciting and creative products.

Q Radio presenter Jordan Arnold said:

“I’m thrilled to join this year’s judging panel to help find the next big name in small business and uncover some of the region’s most exciting entrepreneurs. I would encourage every small business owner from right across Northern Ireland to apply and make their business dreams come true this Christmas. With local and international traders all under one roof, Belfast Christmas Market is a fantastic place to tick off that all-important shopping list, so I’ll be looking for a business that stands out with something really unique that I can give as a gift this year. As an advocate for inspirational women, I’ll also be looking out for the best submissions from female entrepreneurs. Who knows, they could soon be my guest on Q Radio’s Girl Talk!”

Previous winners of the competition, include OutsideIn, Belfast Beard Company and Wave The Animals, all of whom reported great sales and an increase in awareness of their products, vital to success in the early stages of growth.

If you think you have a jolly good product that visitors to the Belfast Christmas Market will enjoy, we want to hear from you, download the application pack now. Interested businesses should submit a short written application, supported by a  2-minute video telling the judges about themselves and their products. Full details of the competition can be found at www.marketplaceeurope.co.uk/news

Belfast Christmas Market will open at 12 noon on the 18th of November.

Opening hours are:

Monday – Wednesday 10am – 8pm

Thursday – Saturday 10am – 10pm

Sunday 12noon – 6pm

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