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Deirdre to leave Chamber of
Commerce
05.02.08
Buncrana exhibition
company takes on the King's Hall
BUNCRANA Chamber of Commerce manager Deirdre Bradley
is leaving her post to head up a major new
exhibition centre for the North West.
Deirdre has joined new Buncrana-based company North
West Exhibitions Ltd., for the launch of its
27,000sq ft space at Coshquin on the Derry-Donegal
border. The centre will be the third biggest
exhibition space in the country after the RDS in
Dublin and the King's Hall in Belfast. It is
expected it will create a number of jobs in the
run-up and during each show including registration
personnel, stewards, car park attendants and
catering staff. |
Carndonagh-born Deirdre
will leave her current post on Friday and, with just
the weekend to catch a breather, will be at her new
desk on Monday. Her first project as exhibitions
manager will be a four-day Ideal Homes Exhibition
scheduled for May 30 to June 2.
Speaking to InishowenNews.com, the outgoing Chamber
manager said her decision to leave after four years
was "heartbreaking" but she believes the time was
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a change of direction.
"What can I say? I'm very sad to be leaving the
Chamber because I made a lot of very good friends
during my time there. But the timing for a change of
direction feels right to me.
"The reason the job with North West Exhibitions
Ltd., appealed to me so much was because it is very
similar to the work I was doing. I'll still be
working with business people and will be giving them
an opportunity to showcase their businesses. We'll
be giving companies in the North West an opportunity
to show their products and services on their own
doorsteps without them having to travel all the way
to exhibition halls in Dublin or Belfast."
The 41-year old's personality and professionalism
saw her become one of the best business advocates
for the region. She found her niche after joining
the Buncrana Chamber as an administrator on a FAS/Jobs
Initiative Scheme in 2003. This followed a
much-loved stint as a classroom assistant in the
Irish language pre-school in her hometown. She would
actively encourage people to get involved with the
"fantastic" Jobs Initiative programme and "take all
the training that's going". It definitely stood to
her. Under her watch, the Chamber grew from a
70-member non-active organisation to a vibrant
110-member lobby group for Inishowen with a
dedicated office - first at Ardaravan Square and
latterly in the Buncrana Tourist Office. "The
collaboration between the Chamber and North West
Tourism worked out very well because the tourism
aspect of business is hugely important to Inishowen
and can't be ignored."
Husband to Kevin and mum to four children - Emer,
18, Matthew, 14, Ronan, 11 and Lorcan, 8, Deirdre,
cut her teeth in exhibitions after organising two
successful fashion shows and two trade shows in
Buncrana. It was only a matter of time before other
opportunities came knocking.
"Our last trade show, in 2007 in the Plaza, was a
very big success. We had 54 exhibitors and 34 have
already rebooked for this year, so it's a very good
start for whoever takes over." Meanwhile, she now
has her sights firmly set on her upcoming challenge
and turning the North West Exhibition centre into a
haven for all things 'home'. "We've had a brilliant
response from traders so far and we hope to exhibit
everything related to an ideal home, from beautiful
kitchens and bathrooms to the best renewable energy
systems." In the meantime, she has no intention of
forgetting the people she worked with over the past
four years. "Inishowen is a very important market to
me. I'm glad I'll still be based in Buncrana, so
they won't be getting rid of me that quick," she
laughs. The Buncrana Chamber of Commerce committee
meets for their agm tonight in Tullyarvan Mill,
during which the issue of a replacement manager will
be high on the agenda. |
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