Press Release Tuesday, January 12th 2016 Kildare Design and Craft Businesses Target International Buyers The network of Local Enterprise Offices has unveiled 97 different design and craft businesses, including local businesses, aiming to impress 5,000 buyers visiting the ‘Enterprise Zone’ at Showcase in Dublin later this month. The small craft and design businesses, representing 22 counties around Ireland, have all been supported by their Local Enterprise Office, making it possible for them to sell to international retail buyers from more than twenty countries such as the US, France, Japan, China and Italy. Kildare will be represented by four craft and design businesses within the Enterprise Zone, which include: Ken & Trish Greene of KT Metal Design Leixlip, Laurence Harney of The Bog Oak Studio Clane, Karin Lang of Nature’s Glow Straffan and Joanna Doyle of Joanna Doyle Ceramics Castledermot. Showcase at the RDS runs from January 24th to 27th and is the first major trade event of the year, organised by the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland and promoted internationally by Enterprise Ireland. The dedicated Enterprise Zone on the balcony area, co-ordinated by the Local Enterprise Offices, has become known as the home for emerging designers and craftspeople in recent years. A wide range of creative sectors will be represented within the Enterprise Zone this month, such as ceramics, knitwear, jewellery, interiors, skincare and giftware. Mary Foley from Local Enterprise Office Kildare said: “Thanks to practical business supports through the Local Enterprise Office in the Local Authority, our local craft and design businesses are well-placed to secure substantial international orders during the four days of Showcase, helping them grow and expand into new markets.” She added: “On a year-round basis, there are lots of other supports available to the craft and design sector locally. These include financial assistance, microfinance loans, trading online vouchers, mentoring, business advice clinics and training programmes, which are all available through the Local Enterprise Office.” According to figures from Indecon*, well over 5,000 people work in the craft sector in Ireland with plenty of opportunities for small companies to grow and for new enterprises to start-up. Karen Hennessy, Chief Executive of the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland said: “We are delighted to be working once again with the Local Enterprise Offices in introducing Irish and international buyers to the latest exciting products from emerging Irish designers and makers at Showcase. This annual trade show, which is now in its 40th year, is instrumental in promoting Ireland’s well recognised strengths for design and creativity to buyers from Ireland and over 20 countries around the world. I would like to commend and thank the Local Enterprise Offices for supporting small craft and design businesses in participating in the Enterprise Zone at Showcase. The exhibiting companies represent the wealth of creative talent in Ireland today and this dedicated area at Showcase plays a critical role in helping emerging Irish entrepreneurs develop their business and expand their client base.” The Enterprise Zone is located along the Balcony Area of the RDS Main Hall at Showcase, which is open to trade buyers from Sunday, January 24th to Wednesday, January 27th. Further information around the Enterprise Zone at Showcase is available through www.showcaseireland.com and www.localenterprise.ie. ENDS Notes to Editor: For all media queries around the Enterprise Zone at Showcase, please contact your Local Enterprise Office. *Source: Indecon International Economic Consultants Report (October 2013) “Economic Analysis of the Current Status and Future Clustering Potential for the Crafts Industry in Ireland”. According to this report, 5, 321 people are employed in the craft sector in Ireland (as of 2012) Designers and Makers Exhibiting within the Enterprise Zone at Showcase in the RDS (Jan 24th – 27th 2016) Supported by the Local Enterprise Offices in the Local Authorities Network From the County of Carlow Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority Carlow Category Exhibitor Name Stand N° JEWELLERY Bolina F15 HOME & GIFT Rara Photography F14 Category Exhibitor Name Stand N° HOME & GIFT Sealed with Irish Love F68 Clare FASHION & JEWELLERY Celtic Fusion Design F69 Clare HOME & GIFT Airmid Natural Irish Skincare F70 Clare HOME & GIFT Avokado & Co F71 From the County of Cork Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority Category Exhibitor Name Stand N° Cork County and City HOME & GIFT Ocean Bloom F78 Cork County and City HOME & GIFT Loominations Irish Custom Throws F79 Cork County and City HOME & GIFT Little Red Skincare F80 Cork County and City HOME & GIFT Little Green Dot F81 Cork County and City HOME & GIFT Craftek F82 Cork County and City JEWELLERY Angela O’Keefe Jewellery F83 Cork County and City HOME & GIFT Waters + Wild F84 Cork County and City HOME & GIFT Olive Murphy Designs F85 Cork County and City HOME & GIFT Aurora Natural Skincare F87 Cork County and City HOME & GIFT O’Dea Irish Art F88 Cork County and City HOME & GIFT Seymours Irish Biscuits F89 Cork County and City HOME & GIFT My Stones F90 Category Exhibitor Name Stand N° HOME & GIFT Donegal Pottery F24 Carlow From the County of Clare Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority Clare From the County of Donegal Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority Donegal Donegal From the County of Dublin Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority Dublin City Dublin City Dublin City Dublin City Dublin City Dún Laoghaire – Rathdown Dún Laoghaire – Rathdown Dún Laoghaire – Rathdown Dún Laoghaire – Rathdown Fingal Fingal Fingal Fingal South Dublin From the County of Galway Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority Galway Galway Galway Galway From the County of Kerry Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority Kerry Kerry Kerry Kerry From the County of Kildare Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority Kildare Kildare Kildare Kildare From the County of Laois Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority Laois Laois From the County of Leitrim Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority Leitrim Leitrim Leitrim Leitrim Leitrim From the County of Limerick Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority Limerick Limerick Limerick Limerick HOME & GIFT Irish Furniture Store F25 Category Exhibitor Name Stand N° FASHION & JEWELLERY HOME & GIFT FASHION & JEWELLERY HOME & GIFT HOME & GIFT HOME & GIFT FASHION & JEWELLERY HOME & GIFT HOME & GIFT FASHION & JEWELLERY HOME & GIFT FASHION & JEWELLERY HOME & GIFT HOME & GIFT Lorna Gaffney White Design LouLouBelle Design Aria-V Jewellery Wild by Water Lainey K Shirley Copperwhite Designs Melanie Hand Design Jewellery Killiney Arts Clonlea Design James Joyce Jewellery Berry Be Beauty Tracy Gilbert Design Fab Cow Design Green Angel F35 F36 F34 F33 F37 F4 F5 F6 F7 F20 F21 F22 F23 F1 Category Exhibitor Name Stand N° HOME & GIFT HOME & GIFT HOME & GIFT HOME & GIFT Turnstone Pottery Friends and Family Trees Michael Vignoles Bodhrans Pippablue F74 F75 F76 F77 Category Exhibitor Name Stand N° FASHION & JEWELLERY FASHION & JEWELLERY HOME & GIFT FASHION & JEWELLERY, HOME & GIFT Kerry Woollen Mills Made4U Muckross Bookbinding Amélie Gagné Studio F10/F11 F12 F13 F13 Category Exhibitor Name Stand N° HOME & GIFT The Bog Oak Sculpture HOME & GIFT HOME & GIFT HOME & GIFT Joanna Doyle Nature’s Glow KT Metal Design F48 F48 F48 F48 F48 Category Exhibitor Name Stand N° HOME & GIFT HOME & GIFT Edyta ART Rose and Alice Handcrafted Soaps and Gifts F58 F58 Category Exhibitor Name Stand N° HOME & GIFT HOME & GIFT FASHION & JEWELLERY HOME & GIFT HOME & GIFT Leitrim Pottery The Leitrim Design House Jean Whitfield Jewellery Jo Gray Collections Roy Humphreys Woodturning F41/F42 F41/F42 F41/F42 F41/F42 F41/F42 Category Exhibitor Name Stand N° HOME & GIFT HOME & GIFT HOME & GIFT HOME & GIFT Cill Seannaig Coillteach Brid O'Kane Homeland Candles Ballyhoura Ceramics F64 F64 F64 F64 Limerick Limerick Limerick Limerick From the County of Louth Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority Louth Louth Louth Form the County of Mayo Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority Mayo Mayo Mayo Mayo From the County of Meath Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority Meath Meath Meath Meath From the County of Monaghan Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority Monaghan Monaghan From the County of Offaly Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority Offaly Offaly From the County of Roscommon Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority Roscommon Roscommon Roscommon From the County of Sligo Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority Sligo Sligo Sligo Sligo From the County of Tipperary Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority Tipperary Tipperary Tipperary From the County of Westmeath Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority Westmeath Westmeath FASHION JEWELLERY FASHION & JEWELLERY HOME & GIFT Daiva's Textiles Fergus Grant-Stevenson Susan McCarthy Designs Moon River Chocolates F64 F64 F64 F64 Category Exhibitor Name Stand N° JEWELLERY, HOME & GIFT HOME & GIFT HOME & GIFT Orla Barry Art Finca Skin Organics Duinn Designs F8/F9 F8/F9 F8/F9 Category Exhibitor Name Stand N° HOME & GIFT HOME & GIFT HOME & GIFT HOME & GIFT Celtic Slang The Mood Designs Rainbow Stained Glass Padraig McCaul Images F26 F27 F28 F29 Category Exhibitor Name Stand N° HOME & GIFT HOME & GIFT F16 F17 HOME & GIFT HOME & GIFT Big Red Kitchen Noreen Walshe Art & Photography Soilse Candles Colette Gough Craft Category Exhibitor Name Stand N° HOME & GIFT HOME & GIFT Cooper Handcrafted Furniture Painted Clans F91 F92 Category Exhibitor Name Stand N° HOME & GIFT FASHION Mojo Creations Rita Daly Designs F61 F63 Category Exhibitor Name Stand N° HOME & GIFT HOME & GIFT HOME & GIFT Naomh Padraig Handcrafts Vera Gaffney Ogham Wishes & Bog Buddies F47 F73 F72 Category Exhibitor Name Stand N° HOME & GIFT HOME & GIFT HOME & GIFT HOME & GIFT Nature Saponified Colm Brennan Woodturner Katie + Maud Ian Carty Ceramics F45 F46 F46 F43 Category Exhibitor Name Stand N° HOME & GIFT HOME & GIFT HOME & GIFT Jane Ryan Fashion Illustration Johnny McCarthy Woodturning Deborah Hickey Ceramics F30 F31 F32 Category Exhibitor Name Stand N° JEWELLERY HOME & GIFT MW Jewellery Jeanette Everson Handmade Ceramics F55 F56 F18 F19 From the County of Wexford Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority Wexford Wexford Wexford From the County of Wicklow Local Enterprise Office in Local Authority Wicklow Wicklow Wicklow Wicklow Category Exhibitor Name Stand N° HOME & GIFT FASHION FASHION & JEWELLERY Pauline Quigley Kymaia Liwu Jewellery F38 F39 F40 Category Exhibitor Name Stand N° HOME & GIFT JEWELLERY HOME & GIFT HOME & GIFT The Crafty Bird Amoc Jewellery Hairy Fruit Art Geraldine Leonard F51 F52 F53 F54