IDA Chief to Address Business Leaders at Shannon Chamber Lunch

IDA chief executive Martin Shanahan will visit Shannon this week to address a Shannon Chamber lunch, were he will make a presentation on the IDA strategy and IDA’s plans for the region. The lunch, which is sponsored by the Shannon Group, Morgan McKinley and Dromoland Castle, takes place at Dromoland Castle Hotel on Thursday, 26 February, commencing with registration at 12.30pm.

Speaking in advance of his visit to Shannon, Mr Shanahan said: “I’m very pleased to be asked to address Shannon Chamber’s lunch this week. Shannon Chamber is an extremely pro-active group who have put considerable effort into marketing, lobbying and advocating for the Shannon region. It’s an excellent example of how stakeholders in regions can work to identify opportunities for investment and endeavour to exploit the full potential of such opportunities. I am looking forward to outlining IDA’s plans to members and guests and to hearing their views on how we can work together to maximise the region’s value proposition.”

Shannon Chamber’s chief executive Helen Downes commented: “The business community in the Shannon area will be keen to hear how the IDA plans to position the region to attract investment, particularly with the new focus on regions announced recently by Minister Bruton.

“Regional development is about turning regional strengths into opportunity, identifying, building on and realising the potential offered by a particular place and its geography or location.  It’s also about organisations pulling together to make things happen. Shannon Chamber and its members are ready to participate in this initiative. We already have a successful CEO Forum which is focussed on generating further growth in Shannon by building on strengths and resolving barriers to further investment.

“This is the message we will be giving to Martin Shanahan during his visit. We will also be keen to discuss an investment programme for Shannon. While a new masterplan for the Shannon Free Zone is ready for implementation, which will involve the reinvention and transformation of older buildings on the Zone, it needs capital to be turned into reality. Shannon Chamber would be keen to see a significant portion of the Regional Action Plan funding, announced by government, allocated to this task. Shannon offers a perfect opportunity to demonstrate how the Regional Action Plan can work in practice. Allocating capital funding to implement the Shannon Free Zone masterplan provides a perfect example of how existing strengths, in this case the track record of investment in Shannon, can be developed further. Shannon can be a test case to demonstrate that the Action Plan is for real.

“The forthcoming lunch in Dromoland presents the ideal opportunity for Shannon businesses to share their views on how Shannon can attract further foreign direct investment.”

For further information or to book a place at the lunch, contact Shannon Chamber at 061 708341 or email: admin@shannonchamber.ie