On Wednesday 21st October 2009, while helping to host the Irish Technology Group's 'Silicon Valley Comes to Ireland - Belfast 09', the Presidents' Club held a session entitled Joining the Dots.Our idea, somewhat like the massively resourced Farmleigh Global Irish Forum, was to consult with people from and connected to the Northern Ireland and wider Irish Diaspora. (Note: I understand the Farmleigh event was organised by the Office of the Taoiseach/DFA and I think included [perhaps appropriately] a couple of Northern Ireland based people.)
In Belfast at The Presidents' Club we set out to consider:-
A. Just what is 'The Diaspora' and how do we engage more effectively with it?
B. Creating a 'Terms of Engagement', a set of courtesy protocols that should be observed by all the players on the pitch (too simplistic to say Public & Private sectors) who are seeking to attract FDI and do more and better business.
Our modest gathering was opened by Sir Reg Empey MLA, Minister for Employment & Learning and was attended by representatives of:-
- US State Department / US Consulate
- Belfast City Council
- Ireland- US Council
- Boston Irish Business Association
- ITLG
- Belfast Harbour Commissioners
- Titanic Quarter
- Shannon Development
- Atlantic Way
- Invest NI
- IDA
- Enterprise Ireland
- InterTradeIreland
- Newry & Mourne
- Crossmaglen & South Armagh
- Dundalk Chamber
- Tangible Ireland
- West Belfast & Greater Shankill Enterprise Council
- Washington Ireland Program
- DFP
- DEL
- Hibernia International/Project Kelvin
- and a host of significant small business and larger corporations
That said, this was clearly the start of a conversation and we hope people will now contribute to the discussion. Six themes came to the fore that require action and further consideration:-
1] Engaging the Diaspora - getting our COLLECTIVE heads around the strength and depth of the Northern Ireland/Irish Diaspora and working out how to appropriately engage.
2] Terms of Engagement - we remain committed to drafting a series of courtesy protocols for how the Public and Private sector should cooperate and support one another in the field.
3] Trading Places - a new Trade Initiative - to support and resource our SME sector to do more and better business on new frontiers. We had interesting examples of expansive and ambitious small businesses from Belfast's Shankill Road.
4] Kicking Off Kelvin - an inclusive initiative to ensure we maximise Project Kelvin and its potential. Always considered the 51st State, we are now physically attached by Hibernia's fibre optic connection.
5] Ambassadors' Master Class - learn from the best and most successful Northern Irish and Irish businesses (large & small) who have cracked it in USA and elsewhere. Just what are the do's and don'ts?
6] Top Tool Box - release the talent by encouraging our fantastic technologists to produce a suite of tools to aid conversation, communication, engagement and collaboration. Not just a web site, or Twitter, or Facebook, or LinkedIn, Ning...maybe a White Label solution....who knows? Let's ask our tech gurus who do know!!
A number of practical initiatives are already underway and The Presidents' Club seeks to support and encourage this activity.
Feedback and thoughts please. ALL constructive contributions valued.
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