Let's do business at the Volvo Ocean Race

The Volvo Ocean Race Grand Finale is an opportunity for Irish business to reach out and make new connections and also strengthen old ones, according to Micheline McNamara, Project Director of Let’s Do It Global.

To facilitate this, the event from 30 June to 8 July will feature the Global Village, where Irish businesses will be able to profile their companies by exhibiting, networking, entertaining and participating in a programme of events with their customers and business partners both from Ireland and abroad.

Four key pillars of Irish business will be showcased at the Global Village business destination, namely Innovation, Food, the Green Economy, and Marine.

Innovation Pillar

The Innovation Pillar is led by Alan Crean, who has extensive experience of the aviation and medical device sectors.

Key Innovation Pillar activities will include:

- A Science Fair

- Talks by key note speakers drawn from key stakeholders, including Enterprise Ireland, the IDA, Science Foundation Ireland, universities, multi-nationals and the SME sector.

- Networking Centre.

- Industry Sector Days.

- An Investor Forum.

- Dragons’ Den Event.

- Science and Technology Career Advice.

Food Pillar

The Food Pillar, led by Cáit Noone of GMIT, will showcase outstanding Irish food and beverage produce throughout the nine days of the festival. 

Activities within the pillar will include interactive cooking demonstrations with Ireland’s leading culinary professionals, microbrewers with food tasting opportunities, a kids’ cooking club, an artisan food and beverage producers market and an interactive sea and marine display.

Participants in the Food Pillar include Bord Bia, Euro-toques, Irish Hotels Federation, Restaurant Association of Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, MorAnco and the Galway Mayo Institute of Technology.

Green Pillar

The Green Pillar, chaired by Stephen Nolan, Executive Co-ordinator of the Green IFSC Initiative, will demonstrate how Ireland is gearing up to be a world leader in green finance.

Embracing Ireland’s expertise in green enterprise, finance and education and talent, the Green Pillar will bring together the thought leaders, entrepreneurs, financiers and dealmakers to demonstrate why Ireland is the obvious choice for green finance activity and support services.

Marine Pillar

The Marine Pillar is led by Yvonne Shields, Chief Executive of the Commissioners of Irish Lights.

The Pillar will highlight the vast scale and potential of Ireland’s continental shelf, which is one of Europe’s largest seabeds with a 220 million acre marine resource that is largely unexplored.

The Marine Pillar will host a wide variety of case studies of the best emerging technologies and companies that are seeking to build the commercial potential of this natural resource.

Semi-State Partners

Let’s Do It Global is partnering with a wide range of government agencies to present each pillar, including Bord Bia, the Commissioner for Irish Lights, the Irish Marine Institute, the Naval Service, Galway Mayo Institute of Technology and Enterprise Ireland.

Discover Ireland and Fáilte Ireland are also heavily involved in leveraging the tourism opportunity around the race, which is expected to bring over 50,000 international visitors to Ireland.

Appeal for Volunteers

Let’s Do It Global, the not-for-profit organisers of the finish of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011/12, are appealing for 1,200 volunteers to help Galway and Ireland host a week long international festival in celebration of the race finish.

Marketing Manager Caragh McGovern said: “Please get in touch and see how you can be a part of the team. It will be hard work on a voluntary basis but there will also be great fun, camaraderie and experience to be had while doing something really worthwhile and beneficial for Galway and Ireland.”