Business events

Below is a range of our current business events. We also provide business programmes to help local businesses.

Retail masterclasses

We are offering a range of free masterclasses for independent retailers. Each masterclass will take place between 6pm and 9pm at The Edge, May’s Meadow, Belfast.

To register, please contact Ivy Rollins on 028 9050 0512 or email rollinsi@belfastcity.gov.uk

Find out more about our retail masterclasses


Retail masterclasses
Date Event Speaker Register for event by
14 April Branding for retailers – a journey, not a destination Professor Lester Manley, Manleys Ltd 8 April
20 April Why retailers should be trading online Aine Murphy, eBay Ireland Academy 14 April
23 April Loyalty schemes - their place in today’s environment James Burke, James Burke and Associates 17 March
28 April Retailers using concessionaries as a way to expand Bob Jones, Business Support Kent, CIC 22 April

Belfast Entrepreneurs Network events

To register for BEN events, please contact Rhonda Lynn on 028 9027 0229 or email lynnr@belfastcity.gov.uk

Find out more about BEN


Upcoming BEN events
Date Event Time Venue Speaker Cost
1 April 2010 Building a Brand (networking event)
Lester Manley of Manleys will provide a challenging look at making your brand work for your business. You will also be able to take part in coffee tasting hosted by Grounded’s owner Graeme Finnegan.
5.30pm - 8.30pm Grounded Coffee Shop, Boucher Road Lester Manley Free
6 May 2010 Transformational Leadership: The Obama Way (networking event)
Jude Lynch from Leading Edge Partnership will take you through the three key messages for successful business leaders and show how you can adapt your leadership style.
5.30pm - 8.30pm The President’s Club Jude Lynch Free
9 June 2010 Business Champions Tackle World Cup Challenge (networking event)
We are teaming up with Management Leadership Network MLN to bring a line-up of business champions, kicking off the World Cup celebrations with a series of ‘need to know’ team talks on key business matters. This interactive event will allow you to meet the champions and learn tactics to score your goals.
5.30pm - 8.30pm Belfast City Hall Free

Enterprise events

To register for any of our enterprise events, please contact Rhonda Lynn on 028 9027 0229 or email lynnr@belfastcity.gov.uk

Upcoming enterprise events
Date Event Time Venue Cost
20 April 2010 Practical Sales Techniques (workshop)
Selling is so important for business success yet it leaves many of us tongue-tied and confused. This practical workshop will help you identify sales techniques suitable for growing and developing your business.
9.45am - 1pm (including lunch and networking) Grove Leisure Centre Free
25 March 2010 Be Delicious! Good food means good business breakfast seminar
To stay ahead of the competition, food businesses need to adapt new techniques to promote their services and continually assess their quality. Guest speaker Martin Hamilton, from Mash Direct, will give an insight into how his award winning company has developed new products, put in place an effective marketing plan and adopted best practice in environmental health.
8am - 10am Holiday Inn, Ormeau Avenue, Belfast Free
18 May 2010 Be Enterprising Business Advice Show
As part of European SME Week, we are hosting the Be Enterprising Business Advice Show. It will feature free seminars, a one-to-one advice zone, networking zone and 'promote yourself wall'.
10.30am - 2.30pm Hilton Hotel Free

World Trade Centre events

World Trade Centre (WTC) Belfast provides local companies with an effective global gateway to new business opportunities, business contacts and market intelligence. For more information on these events, please visit www.wtcbelfast.com

World Trade Centre
Event Date Details
Buy/Make/Sell (Business Development Programme) 1 February - 30 September 2010 This programme offers participants an exciting opportunity to improve their global operations. It combines four key elements including:
  • business improvement diagnostic
  • supply chain management workshops
  • individual business mentoring
  • international market visit.
This programme costs only £250 + VAT (per participant).

This includes: six workshops delivered by people with extensive practical commercial experience and five consultancy days with an experienced business mentor who has a proven track record in the field of small business development.

If you are interested in this programme, contact Ruth Rea on 028 9050 0518 or email rearuth@belfastcity.gov.uk
The Whys and When Of Export Documentation (Global Skills Workshops) 25 March 2010 This free workshop takes place from 9.30am - 1.30pm at the Presidents’ Club, Midtown Center, 25 Talbot Street, Belfast.

It aims to eliminate any confusion over exporting and will provide companies with a clear explanation of what is required. Participants will discover why and when export documentation is required and how to complete them correctly.

Business programmes

We provide a range of programmes to help businesses in Belfast enhance their own competitiveness and growth potential. Find out more about our business programmes

Contact us

Economic Development Unit
Telephone:
028 9027 0482
Email: economicdevelopment@belfastcity.gov.uk