Information Exchange
Jane Newbigging
Context Business Solutions
www.contextbusinesssolutions.com 
With over a 28 year career Jane Newbigging has advised and worked with businesses and organisations to allow them to grow to new levels of performance and success through training, mentoring and seminars. A graduate of the Dale Carnegie business programme, Jane has worked with blue chip organisations as well as local & national companies both in Ireland & UK
Talk Description: Increasing Turnover Through Delivering Customer Service
Mark O’Connell
Associate Director, Focus Consulting
Mark has over 15 years experience working with service industry brands. He works with some of the countries leading tourism, leisure and hospitality brands developing marketing and branding strategies. He was previously marketing director with BDO Simpson Xavier and past winner of a National Marketing Innovation Award from the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
Talk Description: Marketing Payback in the Services Industry Partner, Business Advisory, BDO
A discussion on the need for a focus on marketing efficiency and cost effectiveness in a changing marketing environment which presents many opportunities for marketing innovation.
Diarmuid Hendrick
Talk Description: Financial Management of Your Business in Challenging Times
Presentation and discussion on the financial strategies and options for owner managed business within the service industry that can be implemented to improve business performance.
Gearoid McGann Managing Partner, Sweeney McGann Gearóid McGann i s Managing Partner and Partner with responsibility Sweeney McGann Caroline Keane practices in the area of Employment and Company Law. She advises on all manner of employment issues. She has extensive experience before the Employment Appeals Tribunal. Caroline further advises in all aspects of Company Compliance and also specialises in compliance with Employment Legislation. CEO, Customer Connect Finbarr Malone is the CEO of Customer Connect Loyaltyand has developed successful loyalty programs across the hospitality sector, clients include many names across the sector including Lynch Hotels, The Slieve Russell, Clontarf Castle, Cruzzo Restaurant, Stillorgan Orchard and Mint Catering. CEO, Restaurant Association of Ireland Adrian Cummins is the Chief Executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland. Mr Cummins has a wealth of experience in the hospitality and tourism sector having previously been the Chief Executive of the Irish Hospitality Institute and also Marketing English in Ireland. A graduate of NUIG, GMIT, and the Institute of Languages and Business, Galway, Mr Cummins has represented Ireland in the US through the Tourism Policy Makers Programme under the Good Friday Agreement. Mr Cummins was the youngest elected Director for Ireland West Tourism and a founder member of Galway East Tourism. Creative Director, Zinc Design Consultants
for Commercial Law/ Corporate Governance and Employment Law/ Labour Law. He graduated with honours from UCC in 1986. In 1986 Gearóid established Gearóid McGann & Associates. In 1995, he together with David Sweeney established Sweeney McGann Solicitors. Since then Gearóid has developed the firm to the evel where i t can provide a wide and complete range of legal services to clients of all sizes. Gearóid is acknowledged as being a leading practitioner in his areas of expertise and has established a wide
and varied loyal client base both locally and nationally.
Talk Description: The Licensing Law and Requirements Regarding Hospitality & Catering
Caroline Keane

Talk Description: The Employment Relationship and Recent Developments in Employment Law
Finbarr Malone
Adrian Cummins
Talk Description: “Social Media for an Irish Restaurant”
Tara Clarke
www.zinc.ie
Tara Clarke is an award-winning graphic designer and creative director. During her 19 years in the graphic design sector, she has developed international branding solutions, corporate communication programmes and promotional campaigns. Clarke is a founding partner of Zinc Design and is the studio’s creative director. She has judged international design competitions and been a keynote speaker at industry events. Clarke's work has garnered national and international awards and has been featured in international design publications. Strategy and Planning Director, Zinc Design Consultants Ruth Kelleher has worked in the advertising and design sectors for over 25 years. Kelleher is a founding partner of award-winning studio Zinc Design. She has worked with a diverse client base building strategic brand frameworks in which robust and effective customercentric solutions are developed. During her career Kelleher has worked with national and international clients in the financial, FMCG, tourism, public, arts and not-for-profit sectors. Zinc clients include: Diageo, The Convention Centre Dublin, Royal Marine Hotel & Spa - Dun Laoghaire, Weddings by the Water, Gilbeys, ECDL Foundation, Safefood, An Post, EIQA, Caledonian Life, Lemon Juice and Coffee Bar, DLR County Council and South Dublin County Council. Green Hospitality Clodagh Fitzgerald Food Safety Professionals Association
Ruth Kelleher
Talk Description: How Graphic Design Builds Business Success and Improves Profitability
Maurice Bergin 
Maurice is Managing Director of the Green Hospitality Programme, the industry leader in environmental certification for the hospitality sector.
Talk Description: “Managing Environmental Costs” No and Low Cost Savings
We will focus on practical actions to reduce consumption and make savings and use examples of our members who have taken some of these actions. This session is very practically focused and designed to allow attendees to go off and search for more solutions within Catex.

www.fspa.ie
Clodagh has a wealth of expertise and knowledge of the catering industry and start-up food business development in Ireland and has a passion for food and food safety. She was manager of the Food Technology Centre in Sligo for several years and previously managed her own catering business. Clodagh is a catering graduate with a M.Sc. in Food Safety Management from DIT and has recently started her own Food Business Training Enterprise. She is Education Coordinator for the Food Safety Professionals Association (FSPA) and also represents this Association on the National Hygiene Parnership Management Committee.
Talk Description: Food Safety Culture in Catering- Achieving food safety assurance requires changing food safety behaviour at work. It’s what really matters.
Roberto Magliocco Noel Recruitment

Roberto is an experienced recruitment professional with a early background from the hospitality industry. At the age of 14 he began working in hospitality and some years later qualified from Cathal Brugha St DIT as a professional chef. He continued his academia for a further 5 year period achieving a BA Honours Degree in Culinary Arts and a Certificate in Personnel Development with the aspiration of pursuing a career in people management. Now 6 years later Roberto is an Area Manager with Noel Recruitment and manages teams of recruitment consultants in delivering the highest standards of recruitment solutions, both temporary and permanent to a variety of market sectors including the Irish hospitality market. Noel Recruitment have been the proud winners of the National Recruitment Federation’s Hospitality Agency of the Year in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
Talk Description: Attracting & Retention of Talented Employees in These Challenging Times
- Advice on Sourcing Top Calibre People
- Tips On Interviewing Potential Employees
- Motivational Ideas to prevent staff turnover
Gerry Doherty Dublin City Council
Talk Description: Pollution Reduction Programmes: Implementing a Fats Oils and Grease programme
and what it means for catering establishments
Clodagh McGrath
Green Business.ie
www.greenbusiness.ie
Clodagh McGrath has over 16 years experience in environmental and waste management, technical and commercial roles. Her key areas of expertise are in Resource efficiency, waste feasibility options, environmental legislation, environmental pollution, environmental management systems and training, Clodagh¡¦s role within SKM Enviros is to provide environmental and waste management consultancy to the private and public sector and to manage the Dublin Team.
Her work and responsibilities have included
- Project management of EPA Green Business Initiative (2009-to date)
- Project management of EPA Waste Facility and Collection Permit review (2007-2009)
- Project Director of EPA Guidance and Training to waste and industry sectors regarding requirements of the Pollution Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) (2008)
- Project management of EPA European Pollution Emission Register (EPER) (2005)
- Project management of FAS sponsored training for New Technologies for the diversion of biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) from landfill (2007)
- Other projects include: Due Diligence Projects, EPA Hydrological Review Projects, Environmental Liability Risk Assessment Reports, EPA National Waste Database Compliance Audits, Report and FAS Waste Management training
- Clodagh is a previous committee member of the Irish branch of the CIWM.
- Managing Director of McGrath Environmental Consultants (2001 to 2004)
Talk Description: Greenbusiness and the Catering Industry
Seamus Kilmartin
Utility Saver
www.utilitysaver.ie
Seamus Kilmartin is Commercial Director at Utility Saver Ireland involved within the renewables & environment industry “Addressing high energy costs, energy efficiencies, solving issues, ideas and suggestions”
Helen McDaid
Failte Ireland
www.failteireland.ie
As part of Fáilte Ireland’s Food & Hospitality Innovation division Helen has the lead role in the development of a national plan for Food Tourism. This role is a natural fit for Helen as it allows her to capitalise on her 25 years experience in the Irish and international hospitality industry.
Talk Description: Growing Food Tourism in Ireland













