Digital Masterplan for Dublin

Lord Mayor of Dublin, Naoise Ó Muirí, today launched the Digital Masterplan for Dublin with the Vice President of the European Commission Neelie Kroes. The Digital Masterplan is a roadmap for Ireland's Smart Economy and society.

Integral to the Masterplan is the development of the Digital Maturity Scorecard (DMS), an analytical tool to benchmark Dublin’s digital performance internationally. The Scorecard is a world first and was developed by Intel, Maynooth’s Innovation Value Institute and Dublin City University.

The Masterplan lays out 7 “Big Ticket” actions to be completed.

The first action is to provide a minimum of 100MB speed fibre broadband to every home in the Dublin region by Easter 2016. Fast, reliable and cost-competitive broadband infrastructure is critical to the development of Dublin as a smart city region and an ICT hub for Europe. The aim is that Fibre in the home should be as easy as buying shelves in your local DIY.

The second action is the development of a flagship Digital Accelerator District (DAD) programme. This programme aims to build on existing digital hotspots and initiatives in Dublin including Launchbox.ie; Dogpatch Labs and the Digital Hub amongst others.

The third action is to support improved ways of working between multi-nationals and indigenous SMEs. The Digital Masterplan outlines the need for indigenous SMEs to enter the supply chain of multi-national corporations in order to deliver a substantial expansion of eCommerce trading and digital business. This plan proposes to partner with the SME representative organisations (ISME, IIA, SFA, Chamber of Commerce) to develop a web based portal for Dublin based multi-nationals to auction packages of digital/innovation/R&D work to the local SME market.

The fourth action is an online ‘Dublin Storefront’ project. This will involve the activation and expansion of work already being undertaken by other organisations in developing an online presence and the use of digital systems by Irish business. There is a requirement to build on this work and create an eCommerce and digital adoption support platform targeting businesses in the non ICT sector such as food, hotels, construction and other small start-ups. This work will facilitate the development of a globally promoted digital ‘Created in Dublin’ brand.

The fifth action is to create a network of Digital Cities where ideas are generated and shared, involving a remodelling of the Citieslinked.com website and targeted at sister cities.

The sixth action is a commitment by Dublin City Council to make information in relation to all services ‘Available as Digital’.

The seventh action involves the commitment by Local and National Government to establish programmes to support the development of digital skills in communities, government organisations, young people and adults.

Commenting on the launch, the Lord Mayor said: “Spearheaded by Dublin City Council, the Digital Dublin Masterplan seeks to create a truly digital city – one which embraces technology and innovation as means to improving the way we live, work and enjoy Dublin. It challenges national and local government to put technology and innovation to the forefront of everything we do in Dublin.

He continued: “We, as citizens of Dublin, must work together to ensure the success of this plan, which will reap rewards for everyone in the city in terms of quality of life, business development and job creation. We want to see Dubliners becoming ‘DigiDubs’ - digitally active and engaged citizens - who will submit ideas to shape the digital future for the city of Dublin.”

Ben & Jerry’s and Ashoka Select CoderDojo as Ireland’s Top Social Entrepreneur

James Whelton, Co-founder of CoderDojo

An expert panel of business minds led by Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield has crowned the nine winners of this year’s Join Our Core competition, to find Europe’s finest young social entrepreneurs – with Irish organisation; CoderDojo scooping the Irish ice cream accolade.

After impressing at the competition’s finale in London where finalists pitched ideas to 10 of Europe’s top ethical business minds, the nine winners which includes CoderDojo have each scooped a whopping €10,000. Of equal importance to the entrepreneurs, they will also receive expert business mentoring from Ashoka, the world’s leading network of social entrepreneurs.

The winners will have their business logo featured on an exclusive Ben & Jerry’s tub in 2014. In addition, each has also bagged a trip to Ben & Jerry’s birthplace in Vermont, USA, where they will gain additional training and hear from US based entrepreneurs and socially responsible business leaders.

Cork based, CoderDojo was crowned the Irish winner of Join Our Core 2013, with its Irish led global movement teaching young people how to code, develop websites, apps, games and more, in a social, collaborative learning environment. Speaking from the final in London, James Whelton, Co-founder of CoderDojo comments; “Join Our Core has been such an amazing experience, getting to pitch to a panel that included Jerry Greenfield was one I won’t forget! We’re thrilled to have won and can’t wait to visit Ben & Jerry’s home turf plus see CoderDojo’s logo on a Ben & Jerry’s tub next year!”

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield said: “This year’s Join Our Core competition was extremely competitive. All of the finalists are worthy entrepreneurs with aspirations of operating businesses formed to directly address social or environmental problems in our global community. We loved the ethos and vision of CoderDojo, they are a worthy winner of Join Our Core. I’m looking forward to seeing them on a tub next year!”

Hailing from each of the competition’s nine competing countries, the winners were whittled down from over 430 entries and selected from a final 18 after impressing a panel that included Ashoka’s Paul O’Hara.

Bill Drayton, Founder and CEO of Ashoka commented: “The Join Our Core winners show a motivation from deep within to serve the whole and to make sure solutions are sustainable, fair and efficient.”

Returning bigger and chunkier for its second year, Join Our Core is inspired by Ben & Jerry’s and Ashoka’s dream to find young business mooo-vers that share the philosophy of people being as important as profit, which has seen the 2013 competition expanded from five to nine European countries – the UK, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Austria and Switzerland.

For further information about the Join Our Core 2013 winners and the prizes they have won please visit www.joinourcore.com.

Bushmills Irish Whiskey Sets Up Legacy Fund for Emerging Artists

David C Clements and VerseChorusVerse announced as first recipients of £20,000 fund

Bushmills Irish Whiskey and artist development company Third Bar – made up of Snow Patrol lead singer, Gary Lightbody and Davy Matchett – today announced that they have joined forces to create and curate the Bushmills Live Legacy Fund.

Bushmills Live, the handcrafted whiskey and music festival, is a platform for established and emerging indie talent. This year the festival organisers wanted to take their commitment to supporting up-and-coming talent one step further and set up this Fund of £10,000. Recognising the significance this held for Northern Irish talent, Third Bar’s directors Gary and Davy pledged to curate and match this fund, creating a trust of £20,000 in total. They have selected two exciting emerging Northern Irish artists as recipients: David C Clements and VerseChorusVerse.

David C. Clements, 27, has an ongoing association with the brand having performed at Bushmills Live preview gigs ‘Bushmills Live In The City’ in both Belfast and Dublin. Last year he entertained the crowds at Bushmills Live 2012 and since then has shared a stage with Ed Sheeran, co-written songs with Gary Lightbody and performed exclusive tracks for E4.

VerseChorusVerse, aka Tony Wright, 29, founder of ‘And So I Watch You From Afar’, has recently finished recording his highly anticipated debut album with fellow Bushmills Live performer and Ivor Novello winner, Iain Archer, which is due for release later this year. He also took to the stage to perform intimate gigs in Belfast and Dublin to help celebrate the launch of Bushmills Irish Honey - the latest addition to the Bushmills collection of premium blends and single malts.

The team at Third Bar will be working with both to offer advice and guidance on the right places to invest their Fund. Additionally, Bushmills will be lending a performance platform to the two artists at this year’s Bushmills Live. Both artists will be taking to the stage on 20th June alongside headliners Of Monsters and Men, Jake Bugg, Sons and Lovers, Willy Mason, Bear’s Den, Iain Archer and Foy Vance.

Gary Lightbody’s passion for the Northern Irish music scene saw him donate Snow Patrol’s fee for headlining Bushmills Live last year to the Oh Yeah Centre, Belfast. This donation led to the creation of Bush Gardens – Belfast’s largest rooftop performance space.

He commented: “It’s no secret that I am a passionate supporter of the Northern Irish music scene. Davy and I have been friends since school and we set up Third Bar together to help advise up-and-coming artists in the music industry which is why I think it is brilliant that the Bushmills brand is prepared to get involved at this grass roots level and put their money where their mouth is.”

He added: “I am a big fan of both David and VerseChorusVerse, having watched them both live – they have incredible stage presence and fantastic material, they just need a platform to make it big.”

Bushmills Master Distiller, Colum Egan, commented: “Bushmills Live provides us with a great music platform for established and emerging indie artists. Last year it was where Gary Lightbody watched David C Clements perform and where the idea for the Bushmills Live Legacy Fund was born. We decided that we wanted to provide further support to emerging artists, beyond lending them a stage at the festival. I’m really excited about seeing the recipients of the Fund perform among the casks and pot stills at the Old Bushmills Distillery in June and then following their progress on their path to global stardom.”

Ben & Jerry’s 'Join Our Core' Finalists

The Ben & Jerry’s 'Join Our Core' Irish finalists have been announced. Hand-picked from over 430 entries to compete in the final stage of 'Join Our Core 2013', Ben & Jerry’s Europe-wide search for the most socially conscious and sustainably minded entrepreneur, the Irish finalists will have the chance to pitch their business idea to ten of Europe’s top ethical business gurus. The eventual winner will scoop a whopping €10,000 and on-going specialist business mentoring from Ashoka, the leading global network of social entrepreneurs.

The first finalist, CoderDojo, is an Irish led global movement teaching young people how to code, develop websites, apps, games and more, in a social, collaborative learning environment. MyMind, the second finalist, is a self-referral model of mental health that provides psychological and psychotherapy services to people seeking mental health support.

Europe’s finest social entrepreneurs will gather in London next month for the final stage of Join Our Core 2013, hoping to impress an expert panel that includes Ben & Jerry’s co-founder, Jerry Greenfield and Director of Ashoka Ireland, Paul O’Hara.

The 18 lucky finalists, which include Irish enterprises CoderDojo and MyMind, will have the chance to pitch their business idea to ten of Europe’s top ethical business gurus. The eventual winners each scoop a whopping €10,000 and on-going specialist business mentoring from Ashoka, the leading global network of social entrepreneurs.

CoderDojo, is an Irish led global movement teaching young people how to code, develop websites, apps, games and more, in a social, collaborative learning environment and MyMind, is a self-referral model of mental health that provides psychological and psychotherapy services to people seeking mental health support.

And there’s more! The winners will also be in the enviable position of having their business logo featured on an exclusive Ben & Jerry’s tub to be launched in 2014, as well as bagging a trip to Ben & Jerry’s home turf of Vermont, USA to celebrate its 35th anniversary this year!

Returning bigger and chunkier for its second year, Join Our Core is inspired by Ben & Jerry’s dream to find young business moo-vers that share its philosophy of people being as important as profit, which has seen the 2013 competition expanded from five to nine European countries – the UK, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Austria and Switzerland.

When Ben and I set-up the company in 1978, we believed giving back to the community was as important as making great tasting ice-cream,” commented Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s. We’re humbled by the number and standard of entries we’ve seen this year, and can’t wait to meet and hear more from this year’s finalists.”

Ashoka Ireland Director Paul O’Hara commented, "We are truly excited about the incredibly strong applications coming in from all nine European countries. It is clear that technology is being utilised more than ever as a driving force for social good. We're seeing a rise in the demand for sustainability and resource sharing activated by technology."

For further information about the Join Our Core 2013 competition, the prizes on offer and all the 18 finalists, please visit www.joinourcore.com.

Heineken Unveils Social Tracker

Heineken Social Tracker

The Heineken Cup weekend is finally upon us and the excitement kicked off in stunning style last night with the launch of Heineken's Social Tracker in the heart of Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, at the Get in the Game Clubhouse at Ballsbridge Hotel.

The Social Tracker is a large (5 x 7.5m) projection structure that captures the Twitter chatter around the Heineken Cup. Fans can tweet at #GETINTHEGAME and see their tweets brought to life in stunning animations and visuals. Fans can also step up to the set and take a virtual conversion which, if successful, will send out a tweet of support to their selected team. Supporters can interact in real time by kicking ‘virtual conversions’ and show their support for the two finalists, ASM Clermont Auvergne and RC Toulon via #GETINTHEGAME.

Over 200,000 individual tweets have been measured since the quarter-finals with a surge of social conversation expected in the 48 hours leading up to the final. Fan conversations via the hashtag #GETINTHEGAME and tweet conversation in support of both finalists will be monitored live all weekend and this mind boggling array of tweets and data will be converted into a multi-coloured and multi-dimensional animated display on the 5m x 5m structure.

Social Tracker is just one of Heineken's many Get in the Game activities, which has seen fans engage with Heineken Cup rugby online, on their mobiles and in pubs and venues around the country in the build-up to the biggest sporting event to be held in Ireland this year. To date over 85,000 people have engaged and played Get in the Game online via www.heineken.ie/game.

The projections start from 9.15pm each night at the home of the Heineken Get in the Game Clubhouse at Ballsbridge Hotel Dublin 4 and will be displayed after daylight hours until the post-Heineken Cup Final celebrations on Saturday 18th May. Heineken’s Get in the Game Clubhouse is the best place to be this weekend to enjoy the excitement of both the Amlin and Heineken Cup finals. For live updates check out #GETINTHEGAME or www.facebook.com/heineken

Bushmills Live to Return to The Old Bushmill Distillery in 2013

Bushmills announces the return of Bushmills Live, to be headlined by Of Monsters And Men

The Old Bushmills Distillery today announced that it will once again throw open its doors to play host to ‘Bushmills Live’ - a unique two-day festival celebrating handcrafted whiskey and music. Following the huge success of last year’s inaugural event, ‘Bushmills Live 2013’ will take place on Northern Ireland’s stunning North Coast on 19th and 20th June 2013.

To celebrate the launch, Bushmills commissioned Wishbone Dagger to make a 3D art installation that depicts the Bushmills Live poster using materials inspired by the handcrafted whiskey and music at the heart of the festival. The master craftsmen - who cemented their friendship when creating the stage set for a hugely popular American television epic that was filmed in Belfast – used 254 casks, 250 bottle tops, 30 bottles of whiskey, five metres of AMP wiring and four guitars to handcraft the 10ft by 16ft installation artwork.

The Icelandic five-piece acclaimed indie folk band, Of Monsters and Men, are currently enjoying enormous worldwide success having just won the 2013 European Border Breakers Award, which honours the best new European music acts. Of Monsters and Man have been dubbed the ‘must see act’ of the year and this summer marks the beginning of a busy festival schedule for the group which will include a performance at one of the biggest international festivals, Coachella in California - making their intimate appearance at Bushmills Live unlike any other that fans will experience this year.

Only 500 tickets are available globally for Bushmills Live, and these ‘money can’t buy tickets’ will not go on general release. Instead, music and whiskey fans can win the chance to attend the festival by entering a draw on the Bushmills Irish Whiskey Facebook page. Entries to the draw will open this Sunday, on St Patrick’s Day at 16:08 GMT.

Of Monsters and Men, said: “Playing a show in such a unique location, around the centuries-old warehouses and whiskey barrels, to such an intimate audience, is an experience we are very excited about. It’s going to make our first gig in Northern Ireland a memorable one, and not just for us, for the fans too, we hope!"

Of Monsters and Men are in good company. They join a list of fellow indie rockers such as the iconic Snow Patrol, singer-songwriters Foy Vance and Iain Archer, Elijah Wood, Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Marcus Foster, The Staves, General Fiasco and David C Clements who all played electrifying performances at Bushmills Live last year.

Speaking at the launch of Bushmills Live 2013 event Master Blender at The Old Bushmills Distillery, Helen Mulholland, promised fans that they can expect to enjoy “more great music between great friends at this year’s event.”

“Whiskey and music have always gone well together”, added Helen Mulholland. “And at Bushmills Live we like to make both by hand, bringing this fusion of handcrafted whiskey and handcrafted music together against the backdrop of our beautiful distillery with performances from artists who are friends - which makes for a cracking atmosphere!”

“It goes without saying that we’re looking forward to extending a warm Bushmills welcome to our new friends, Of Monsters and Men, and to emerging artists who we’re proud to support by creating a music platform that allows fans to discover new and upcoming talent.

“I can’t wait to reveal the rest of the line up in the coming weeks. We’re of course just as excited to open our doors to whiskey and music fans the world over who want to attend Bushmills Live, so get your entry in and good luck!”

New Guinness Fermentation and Maturation Vessels

If you've been out in Dun Laoghaire in the last week or two, you'll probably have noticed the huge cylinders sitting on the ship docked right in Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

These giant cylinders are part of the shipment of 27 new fermentation and maturation vessels being installed at St James’s Gate as part of its €153 million expansion and redevelopment.

The new vessels will produce Guinness and other beers which will be shipped to the worldwide market on a daily basis. The Guinness vessels will be able to brew 300,000 pints every two hours using 26 tonnes of malt and barley.

The largest of these vessels, standing almost 10 stories high at almost 85.5 feet tall, is capable of holding just under 1,000,000 pints of Guinness. The largest vessel weighs 28 tonnes while empty and over 500 tonnes when filled with Guinness.

The new brew house will secure the long term future of Guinness brewing for the next generation in Ireland. Malt and barley are sourced locally. Once completed, the St. James’s Gate brewery will consume c.125,000 tonnes of barley per annum, which equates to almost 10% of the national crop. Construction of the project started in early summer 2012 and the new brew house will start producing beer in June 2013.

Hermitage Green To Play St. Patrick's Day at Guinness Storehouse

Festival line-up to rival no other with Silent Disco, Electric Céilí and Four Men & a Dog

The Guinness Storehouse have announced that they will host their annual St. Patrick’s Festival from the 15th-17th March for the eighth year running with an, as always, awesome line-up of music, craic and food.

During the course of the festival weekend, there will be a host of eclectic entertainment to suit every taste including a headline style gig from Irish folk rock group Hermitage Green, a silent disco for any dance music loving fans, a lively set by last year’s festival success story Four Men and a Dog, complimentary Guinness & food tastings, and ‘So you think you can Irish dance’ Céilí.

Widely renowned to be Ireland’s answer to Mumford and Sons, Hermitage Green’s star is on the rise having sold out their last gig in September 2012, at which they launched their first official EP, The Gathering, which held its position at No.2 in the Irish download chart for many weeks.

Throughout the festival weekend, visitors can savour a pint of Guinness in the Gravity Bar overlooking the panoramic views of the city, learn how to pour their own pint of the black stuff in the Guinness Academy and enjoy all Six Nations rugby matches on the big screen over the weekend. The Guinness Storehouse will also be running the VIP Paddy promotion once again this year, welcoming everybody by the first name of Patrick, and variants of the name for free into the attraction on St. Patrick’s Day.

Paul Carty, Managing Director at the Guinness Storehouse commented: "We’re delighted to once again be providing a superb choice of entertainment during our St. Patrick’s Festival. We hope to entertain the masses with our diverse and colourful line-up while also offering excellent value for money. All entertainment during the festival weekend is included in the usual admission price."

Paul added, "Celebrating St Patrick’s at the Home of Guinness has, over the years, started to become a bit of a tradition for Irish people. Each year we see familiar faces who return again and again to savour the unique atmosphere that is the Guinness Storehouse on St. Patrick’s Day. Last year we saw an influx of Irish visits on March 17th, up 60% on the previous year, and we’re looking forward to offering a warm welcome to local visitors again this year."

Carlsberg launches new TV ad ‘Spartacus’

Irish Market the First to Air New Ad Themed Around the 1960 Box Office Smash ‘Spartacus’

Yesterday, Carlsberg unveiled their latest TV ad with an Irish market exclusive. The ad, called 'Spartacus', follows Carlsberg's 'That Calls for a Carlsberg' creative / brand route and sees a modern interpretation of the 1960's film of the same name. Set in an ultra-modern skyscraper office with hundreds of people working in an extremely regimented and drone-like environment, the ad is the story of one workers mini rebellion and the revolt that then ensues.

The film starts when the overbearing company boss enters the room in a fit of rage. He shows a YouTube video depicting him as a dancing monkey, created by the user, Spartacus. He demands to find the culprit of the prank. Reluctantly, the hero ‘Spartacus’ stands up and identifies himself with a bold 'I am Spartacus'. In quick succession his fellow colleagues decide to support their friend and join him one by one claiming to be Spartacus as well. Within in seconds the entire room is standing up in force to take the heat.

‘Spartacus’ ends with the team of workmates heading to the bar for a well-deserved pint of Carlsberg – underlining the brand’s positioning, That calls for a Carlsberg.

Speaking about the new ad, Julie Allman, Senior Brand Manager at Carlsberg, said: “We’re delighted with our new TV ad ‘Spartacus’ which will hopefully excite the Carlsberg drinker and reiterate solidarity amongst friends, something which is embedded in the brand ethos. To coincide with the launch we will be running a themed competition on the Carlsberg Ireland Facebook page, starting on 18th February, to give away Expedia holiday vouchers worth €1,500 and €500 spending money.”

The ad was created by London-based creative agency Fold7, in partnership with Carlsberg's International Brand Marketing Team. The ad will be rolled out across Carlsberg's global markets, starting in Ireland. It will be aired across traditional media and digital channels and will be complemented by a suite of activations, based on the same theme of standing up for your mates, The ad will be supported by substantial media spend in the Irish market.

Guinness Storehouse Welcomes Jasmine Guinness Home to Launch Ambassador Programme for ‘The Gathering’

Jasmine Guinness at the Guinness Storehouse

Yesterday, Jasmine Guinness launched the Guinness Storehouse Ambassador Programme as part of the year of ‘The Gathering’. The programme invites Irish residents to apply online for 1 of 50,000 exclusive ambassador cards entitling them to complimentary admission to the Guinness Storehouse throughout 2013. Friends and family who come home for ‘The Gathering’ will also receive a 10% discount off admission.

Paul Carty, Managing Director of the Guinness Storehouse commented that “during the year of ‘The Gathering’, Irish people are encouraged to invite family and friends ‘home’ to Ireland. We want to reward and encourage those who get behind this special year for Irish tourism by opening our doors to them, free of charge, throughout the year. The Guinness Storehouse is the ‘Home’ of Guinness, and in celebration of ‘The Gathering’, our 50,000 ambassadors are welcome to make our home theirs”.

Welcoming the announcement, Jim Miley, Project Director of the Gathering Ireland 2013 said “we’re delighted to see that the Guinness Storehouse is rolling out the green carpet for visitors to Ireland throughout 2013, the year of the Gathering. The concept of the Gathering is based on a personal invitation from the people of Ireland to our friends, family and connections overseas. The Guinness Storehouse ambassador programme will facilitate those of us hosting gatherings to offer our guests a unique experience at one of Ireland’s most popular attractions”.

Throughout the year, active ambassadors will be entered into a competition to win their own Gathering party for 100 of their friends in the Gravity Bar at the Guinness Storehouse with food, refreshments and entertainment provided. Card holders will also be offered a range of benefits during 2013 including exclusive competitions to win tickets to Guinness events, Guinness merchandise and a range of special Guinness Storehouse experiences to be won throughout the year.

iD Staffing Comes to Ireland

Guinness launches second installment of 'Made of More'.

iD Staffing, part of leading UK experiential marketing agency iD Experiential, is bringing its unique staffing auditions to Ireland. The agency is hoping to attract the cream of promotional staffing talent north and south of the border to join its 5,000-strong team supplying staff to brands across most industry sectors.

The auditions will launch in Dublin on January 28th before moving to Belfast on January 30th. Over the past 12 months, iD Experiential’s work in the Irish market has seen substantial growth. Successful candidates will be working across the agency’s client portfolio including perfume, coffee and electrical brands.

As part of the iD Staffing training scheme staff will be given the opportunity to develop their key skills via a bespoke training course led by Alex Kramer (QVC Presenter). Once sufficiently trained in retail selling techniques, brand ambassadors will be invited to work for established global brands, demonstrating and selling in leading department stores. The programme further reinforces the agency’s position as the home of the industry’s highest calibre of demonstration and promotional staff.

Additionally, iD Staffing will be introducing marketing scholarships to all brand ambassadors, engaging field staff and encouraging personal development.

To reward brand ambassadors, iD Staffing has established the Golden iDOLS scheme. Each month for a year, two of the top brand ambassadors will be rewarded with a £250 Virgin Experience. Furthermore, one lucky brand ambassador will be awarded the ‘biggest achiever of the year’ accolade and receive a £1,000 Virgin Experience voucher to reward their success.

Gemma Murton, Auditions Manager, iD Staffing, said: “I am incredibly excited to be bringing our staffing auditions to Ireland for the first time. 2012 was an incredibly busy year in mainland UK, Northern Ireland and the Republic. It doesn’t look as though that will be slowing down anytime soon. Here at iD we are always on the lookout for fresh new talent to join our agency books and I can’t wait to see what Ireland has in store for us!”

Auditions:
Monday 28th Jan - University College Dublin
Tuesday 29th Jan - The Button Factory Dublin 9.30am
Wednesday 30th Jan – Belfast - The Black Box 9.30am & 5pm

Guinness Storehouse: Ireland's No.1 International Visitor Attraction

Guinness Storehouse celebrates a record breaking year as Ireland's No.1 international visitor attraction receiving 1,087,209 visitors in 2012.

This week, the Guinness Storehouse announced that 2012 was a record breaking year for the number of visitors that it catered to. In 2012, 1,087,209 guests passed through their doors, smashing the previously held record of 1,038,910 in 2008. This represents a 6% increase on 2011 visitor numbers and sees the popular visitor attraction retaining its position as Ireland’s number 1 international visitor attraction.

The Guinness Storehouse is also celebrating its status as one of the largest brand visitor attractions in the world having welcomed visitors from over 25 different countries. However, it wasn't just your ordinary Joe, Franc or Mario who visited the Storehouse in 2012. The attraction was also enjoyed by high profile guests such as the Ellen DeGeneres Show and Conan O’Brien, both of whom recorded segments for their respective US TV shows as well as actor Kellan Lutz (Twilight), musician Example and Fun Loving Criminals.

Paul Carty, Managing Director of Guinness Storehouse commented, “2012 was a very exciting and busy year for us at the ‘Home of Guinness’. Not only did we welcome record-breaking visitors through our doors, including some high profile guests and media, we also unveiled a number of innovative and engaging new experiences as part of our three year €10m investment plan. Over the past number of years, Irish tourism has been hit by the global economic recession. However, it’s heartening to see the numbers increase and with the spotlight on Ireland this year for The Gathering, I believe we can look forward to another successful year in 2013.”

Alex Connolly, Head of Communications with Fáilte Ireland commended the Guinness Storehouse on their performance, adding “along with festivals and events, attractions like the Guinness Storehouse are an integral part of the exciting mixture of things for visitors to see and do in Ireland. Fáilte Ireland is putting its full weight behind its Gathering initiative in 2013 and that should ensure even more visitors this year to places like the Storehouse and to attractions all around the country”.

93% of all visitors to the Guinness Storehouse are from overseas. Visitors from the USA, GB, Rest of Europe, Italy and Germany were the top 5 ranking nationalities in 2012 with USA +12%, Italy +15% and Germany +14% compared to 2011. The busiest month of the year was August with 121,182 visitors, making it the busiest month on record at the Storehouse.

Earlier this year, the first phase of the €10million investment in the popular attraction was unveiled with the opening of the new ‘Global’ 4th Floor, which houses a range of interactive exhibits that tell the story of how Guinness is enjoyed and celebrated around the world. This investment continues through the next two years. In 2013, the Guinness Storehouse will develop a new Guinness Taste Experience, an interactive room telling the Arthur Guinness Story and also invest in a new look Flagship Retail Store.

Electric Ireland Spark of Genius Award: SmartThings

€100,000 prize awarded on main stage at the Web Summit

Yesterday, Thursday 18th October, Electric Ireland announced that SmartThings are The Electric Ireland Spark of Genius Award Winner 2012 at the Dublin Web Summit. SmartThings is the recipient of the Spark of Genius €100,000 prize.

With over 1,000 startups competing in The Electric Ireland Spark of Genius Competition, SmartThings battled with 3 other finalists, pitching to a panel of international investors and industry heavyweights in front of a full audience on the main stage at The Web Summit yesterday.

SmartThings makes it easy to connect the things in your physical world to the internet via your smartphone.  Using SmartThings you can control your air conditioning, lock your doors or get an alert when things go wrong. 

Speaking at the announcement, Margaret Colton, Head of Marketing, Electric Ireland, said, "We are delighted to present the Electric Ireland Spark of Genius Award to SmartThings. At Electric Ireland, we are committed to powering the innovation and the entrepreneurial spirit that is inherent in start-up companies. We wish SmartThings all the best of luck and congratulate the team.”

Dublin Web Summit Founder Paddy Cosgrave said, “SmartThings is a well deserved winner of this year’s Electric Ireland Spark of Genius Award. This competition is an incredible platform for startups to pitch to the world’s top investors and media and we are delighted the winner was announced at the Web Summit, one of Europe’s biggest tech events. On the back of winning the Electric Ireland Spark of Genius Award in 2011, Redeem & Get have enjoyed huge success with a launch to a global audience”.

“The Web Summit is committed to helping emerging technology companies get off the ground. As well as the Electric Ireland Spark of Genius final, we have also showcased 260 leading technology start-ups from Ireland and abroad at the Web Summit. The last two days have been an amazing opportunity for emerging companies to showcase their products to some of Europe’s leading technology figure”, added Cosgrave.

The Electric Ireland Spark of Genius Competition, now in its third year, focused on the most promising high potential Irish startups. 1,000 initial entries were shortlisted to a top 100, who then pitched from one of four separate stages – social, mobile, consumer and enterprise- to leading international investors (Andreessen Horowitz, Kleiner Perkins, Atomico, Accel and many others), industry leaders, startup experts at the Dublin Web Summit. From these 100 finalists, four finalists were chosen for a final stage of judging before SmartThings was announced as the final winner.

Overall winners SmartThings were presented with a €100K prize fund supported by Electric Ireland, Mason, Hayes & Curran, Microsoft Bizspark, KPMG, Cawley Nea, Getty Images, PCH International and HT Meagher O’Reilly.

Famed Privateer Captain Henry Morgan's Lost Fleet Found

Many people don't realise that Captain Henry Morgan was a real person. Not only that but before he became associated with the famous rum baring his name, he was a Privateer working throughout the Caribbean. One of the great mysteries around Captain Morgan is the location of his sunken fleet of five ships that disappeared off the Coast of Panama in 1671. However, for the third year in a row, with the help of the Captain Morgan brand, a team of leading U.S. archaeologists have been scouring the mouth of the Chagres River in Panama in search of this lost fleet.

“Morgan was one of the most infamous privateers of all time, so for me, this is a chance to use archaeological research to bridge the gap between science and pop culture. Most people associate Morgan with the image on a bottle, but in reality, he was an iconic historical figure who accomplished incredible feats throughout the Caribbean,” said Frederick “Fritz” H. Hanselmann, underwater archaeologist and Research Faculty with the River Systems Institute and the Center for Archaeological Studies at Texas State University who has been leading the team in an effort to locate, excavate and preserve the remains of Morgan’s lost ships.

Hanselmann continued, “Locating his lost ships and being able to properly preserve and share it with the public is our ultimate goal with this project. We’re really close – and at the end of the day, his ships are down there and we’re going to find them.”

The story of the search for the lost fleet began back in September 2010 when the archeological team discovered six iron cannons off the coast of Panama belonging to Captain Morgan. The next breakthrough then came last summer with the discovery of a 17th century wooden shipwreck, which is believed to be one of the five ships Morgan lost in 1671 on the shallow Lajas Reef. The fleet included his flagship Satisfaction.

Returning to Panama this summer, the team excavated a host of historic artifacts from the shipwreck in hopes of confirming its origin. During this work, the team recovered a sword, chests, wooden barrels and multiple cargo seals. The artifacts, which are currently housed at Patronato Panamá Viejo (Old Panama Trust) in Panama City, will undergo the preservation process before being studied further and verified by London-based experts in English artillery.

“For us, there’s no better way to communicate the values and unwavering spirit of our brand than by unearthing the real-life history of its inspiration,” said Tom Herbst, Brand Director, Captain Morgan USA. “This adventure that we’ve embarked on truly embodies the character of Morgan himself and the free-spirited nature of rum. In our case, we don’t have to make up a brand story – ours is real and it’s waiting to be discovered at the bottom of the ocean floor.”

Captain Henry Morgan was one of the few men to survive the treacherous life on the high seas long enough to enjoy his successes. From 1664 to 1671, Morgan led daring raids throughout the Spanish Main, resulting in riches for him and his men far beyond what they ever expected.

In 1670, Morgan amassed the largest fleet in the history of the Caribbean and set his sights on Panama City, the richest city in the western hemisphere. While en route, his flagship and four additional ships ran aground on the Lajas Reef at the base of Fort San Lorenzo, the military base that guarded the mouth of the Chagres River – the only water passageway leading toward Panama City. Despite the setback, Morgan and his men prevailed, securing Fort San Lorenzo, sailing up the Chagres and ultimately making their way by foot through the dense rainforest to take Panama City.

All artifacts excavated through the project will remain the property of the Panamanian government and will be preserved and displayed by the Patronato Panamá Viejo in Panama City.

Ogilvy Dublin Scoop Coveted Lion at Cannes Lions for ISPCC

Pictured (L-R) Lloyd Byrne, Director of Fundraising at ISPCC, Dave Smyth,
managing director, Ogilvy Dublin and Michael Duffy, managing director, Blinder Films.

----- Press Release -----

Ogilvy Dublin’s work for ISPCC was recognised on a global scale at the Cannes Lions where the agency picked up a Bronze Film Craft Lion award for Direction at Cannes. This award was the highlight of a number of accolades bestowed on the ISPCC’s “I Can’t Wait” campaign, which has garnered widespread praise and recognition on a national and international level. The ad was a collaboration led by Ogilvy Dublin working with Blinder.

The International Festival of Creativity, known within the industry as the Cannes Lions, is the world’s leading celebration of creativity in communication. The awards, which have been running since 1954, take place every June in Cannes, France. This year over 28,000 entries were received from all over the world with awards handed out in 16 categories. Ogilvy Dublin was the only Irish agency to pick up an award and furthermore was the only Irish agency to have work shortlisted in the awards.

Speaking on the agency’s success, Dave Smyth, managing director at Ogilvy Dublin said, “This is an amazing achievement for Ogilvy Dublin. The win is a credit to the incredible hard work that our team has put in and I am delighted that our work here in Ireland is being recognized as some of the best in the world. The Cannes Lions were a tremendous success for the wider Ogilvy family, Ogilvy & Mather won the coveted Cannes Lions 2012 Network of the Year Award and we were delighted to be a part of that win.”

Smyth continued, “We have been working with the ISPCC since 2009 and it is an organisation we have the utmost respect for. The work they do is paramount and we are proud to work with them. From the beginning the main aim of the campaign was to create awareness for this important cause and we believe we have achieved that.” Globally, Ogilvy & Mather topped off an impressive year with the most successful Cannes Lions in the company’s history. In addition to winning Network of the Year, Ogilvy won a record 83 Lions in total. Some of the award winning work included Lions for brands including: Coke, Hellmann’s, IBM, Sprite, Forbes, Carling and the ISPCC.

Lloyd Byrne, director of fundraising at ISPCC said, “We are very honoured to have picked up this prestigious award. In the creative process for this campaign our main objective was clear; to make an advert that would attract attention and highlight the cruelty of child abuse. From the awards and recognition this campaign has attracted we believe we have met that objective.”

Richie Smyth of Dublin based Blinder picked up the bronze for Director’s craft at the annual awards, which are regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of the advertising industry. “We are delighted to have been awarded with a Cannes Lion, the most prestigious award in advertising” said Blinder managing director, Michael Duffy. “It is testimony to the courageous creative work of the Ogilvy team and the willingness of ISPCC to embrace challenging ideas which has made this commercial such a worldwide phenomenon.”

In addition to the recent win at Cannes, the campaign was also recognised by the D&AD Book which is one of the most respected creative judging forums in the world. This was the first time that an Irish agency had been honoured in over 7 years. Business Insider also voted the ad as the number one ad in the world for 2011. The campaign was also honoured at the CLIO awards held in May in New York where it picked up one of CLIO’s iconic statues which are the most widely recognized and coveted symbol of the industry’s creative accomplishments. Other awards bestowed on the campaign include; a Gold Award in the “Public Interest” category at this year’s EPICA Awards; a Gold Award at the “Global Best Digital Advertising Awards” in Bangkok, Thailand; a Bronze Award in “TV Cinema/Online Film Direction” at the London International Awards (LIA). It was also named “Advert of the Year” on tvads.ie, and listed as the “#1 Ad Worldwide”. In Ireland the campaign picked up 2 Golds and 3 Silvers at the ICAD Awards. ICAD is Ireland's preeminent creative body - and the annual awards are the greatest opportunity for Irish creatives to have their best work recognised and rewarded by their peers. It was also awarded a Silver at the Kinsale Sharks. This collection of awards makes the campaign one of the most awarded pieces of Irish advertising in history.

Volvo Ocean Race Grand Finale

----- Press Release -----

A worldwide audience will turn to Ireland as the Volvo Ocean Race reaches a dramatic conclusion in less than three weeks time when the six teams finish their 39,000 mile race around the planet. Hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected to come to Galway for the finish leading to a multi-million euro boost for the economy.

Since the start in Spain last November, the overall race leader is French entry Groupama 4 skippered by Franck Cammas with a crew of ten that includes veteran sailor Damian Foxall from Kerry. As many as three other teams could still upset the standings in the closest ever conclusion of the race.

The six boats have battled storms, ice threats, freezing temperatures and searing heat as well as a series of challenging equipment problems as their 70 foot state of the art racing yachts are pushed beyond their limits.

Ireland will be the tenth host-country in this edition of the race after Spain, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, China, New Zealand, Brazil, United States of America, Portugal and since Friday (15th June) France. Only Sweden, Germany, Russia and Britain have ever hosted a grand finale in the 39-year history of the race.

Each crew-member has worked almost 20 hours per day, non-stop for up to three weeks at a time living on freeze-dried food with no home comforts while trying to race as hard as possible. Ireland will be the setting for scenes of both joy and heart-break which will be broadcast live to a global audience.

Preliminary research for the race so far indicates a cumulative TV audience of 2.1 million viewers plus 35 million visits to the race website (http://www.VolvoOceanRace.com). Irish fans are the fourth highest Facebook followers accounting for over 13,000 ‘likes’ out of 183,000 people. These figures only account for the first five months of the race that started in Alicante, Spain in November 2011.

The previous race stopped in Galway in 2009 where crowds of 600,000 visitors led to a €55 million boost. Organisers are aiming to repeat this with the finale to this edition of the Volvo Ocean Race and hotels are close to full capacity in the Galway region as fans and crew families are expected from around the world.

The Galway port area is being transformed once again for the arrival of the boats on or after the 2nd July as they sail the final leg of the race from the Breton port of Lorient. An entertainment programme comprising mostly free events has been planned, starting on Saturday 30th June when the fleet prepares to depart France for Ireland.

The Volvo Ocean Race started as the Whitbread Round the World Race in 1973 and has had two Irish yachts compete (1989-90 NCB Ireland and 2008-09 Green Dragon) for what is the undisputed top trophy in ocean racing.

Guinness's Green Carpet For All The Patrick's

Tomorrow, in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, Guinness Storehouse will be putting out the green carpet again for all the Patricks and offering them free entry into the Storehouse. As you may remember, last year everybody by the first name of Patrick, Patricia, Paddy, Padraig, Trish, Tricia or Patsy and all the variants thereof, were treated to a special VIP Patrick experience in the Guinness Storehouse on St. Patrick’s Day.

This year will be no different!

On arrival at the Storehouse, Guinness's VIP Patricks will receive a specially designed Very Important Patrick Pass, free entry, complimentary food tastings and Pour the Perfect Pint Sessions during the day. The exclusive St. Patrick’s Day menu offered will be complete with authentic Guinness beef stew specially designed by the Guinness Storehouse cuisine team on FIVE.

Aside from great food and delicious pints, the three day St. Patrick’s Festival will play host to a fantastic selection of live music from home grown and international talent including Four Men and a Dog, bluegrass collective Tupelo, vocal ensemble Eclectic Spree and London jazz band Brassroots plus many more.

Storehouse visitors will also have the oportunity to take part in a global Guinness World Record Attempt to create the biggest welcome and make St. Patrick’s Day the Friendliest Day of the Year. Part of this will see a friendly Phone available for Patricks to call family or friends for free anywhere in the world.

For full details on the festival and the World’s Friendliest Day Guinness World Record Attempt log onto www.guinness-storehouse.com.

'Paid Owned Earned: maximizing marketing returns in a socially connected world'

Yesterday I got an email from Nick Burcher about his new book. Nick describes the book, 'Paid Owned Earned: maximizing marketing returns in a socially connected world', as an "exploration of the different aspects of Paid Owned Earned and how everything links together - with the text split into individual chapters around 'Listening', 'Community Management and Content Hubs', 'Content', 'Optimization', 'Seeding and Distribution', 'Broadcast', 'Performance', 'Responding' and 'Measurement'".

He goes on to say, "[that] Paid, Owned, Earned is about the complexity of media channels confronting brands, agencies and advertisers. With a multitude of case studies and original thinking it provides a clear framework on how best to approach the fragmented media landscape."

I was absolutely delighted to find out that Nick has released a free editorial sampler featuring excerpts about linking paid owned and earned media together as well as an exploration of how TV and social can be linked.

Paid Owned Earned by Nick Burcher


The full book blurb:
“The complexity of media that now sees multiple channels accessed through multiple devices has created major challenges for today's marketing and advertising professionals. Consumer time is split between TVs, laptops, iPads, X-Boxes and smartphones, with traditional media, websites, videos, social networks and apps all competing for attention, meaning it's difficult for brands to decide how best to reach and engage their audiences. Paid, Owned, Earned defines the constituents of each area of 'paid', 'owned' and 'earned' media and shows how they are linked together. It proposes a blueprint for how to think and navigate across this space using a framework made up of key elements such as communities and content, social media optimisation, seeding and viral distribution, broadcast mass media, social performance media and measurement.”

Paid Owned Earned is available for pre-order now with an official on sale date of the 3rd March 2012 from from both online and offline retailers.

The Interest Graph

A great piece here from Gary Vaynerchuk discussing the explosion of Pinterest, something Gary predicted at the start of the year. While Facebook may be king of the Social Graph, Gary sets out his belief on how Pinterest, and indeed Tumblr, are both offering users interest driven experiences. Well worth a watch...

Guinness Storehouse Still Ireland's No.1

With its visitor numbers increasing by 10% in 2011, it's no surprise that The Guinness Storehouse has announced it attracted over a million (1,025,677) visitors through its doors last year. Not only does this see Guinness Storehouse retain its position as Ireland’s no.1 international visitor attraction but also as the fourth largest brand visitor attraction in the world.

Speaking at the announcement today, Managing Director, Paul Carty said: “We are delighted to announce we are still the no. 1 international visitor attraction in Ireland with over 1 million people passing through the Guinness Storehouse doors last year. Over the past number of years, the Irish tourism industry has been under severe pressure and we are proud to have played a part in enticing overseas visitors to Ireland and encouraging domestic visits too.”

Mr Carty continued “all eyes were on Ireland during the high profile state visits of US President Obama Barack Obama and Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II last May and this had a positive impact on our visitor numbers. A very successful St Patrick’s Day festival and the launch of FIVE, an entirely new experience dedicated to Guinness and Food at the Storehouse also contributed to helping us achieve our second highest footfall figures ever recorded.”

Welcoming the Guinness Storehouse figures, Alex Connolly, Head of Communications at Fáilte Ireland emphasised: “Visitor attractions play a vital part in growing both tourism revenue and visitor numbers and these figures today reflect an increase in overseas visitors last year and maybe also a royal bounce from the Queen’s visit. If we can maintain this momentum in 2012, there is every reason to believe that the Storehouse, and all our other key tourism attractions, can further increase visitor numbers this year. That will be good for tourism and great for our economy”.


Visitor Breakdowns:

• 92% of all visitors to the Guinness Storehouse are from overseas.
• Visitors from the USA, Germany, the UK, Ireland and Italy were ranked as the top five visiting nations to Guinness Storehouse.
• German visitors were up 17%
• US visitors were up 14%
• Irish visitors were up 14%
• Italian visitors were up 5%
• August was ranked as the busiest month in the history of the Storehouse with 116,021 visitors.

Guinness Storehouse Facts:

• The Guinness Storehouse is ranked the fourth largest branded visitor centre in the world after Hersheypark in Pennsylvania; Autostadt, the Audi/Volkswagen Centre in Wolfsburg, Germany; and the Coca-Cola Centre in Atlanta, Georgia.
• The Guinness Storehouse has welcomed over 9 million visitors since opening its doors in 2000
• 92% of all visitors to the GUINNES STOREHOUSE are international. The top 5 nationalities who visit the Storehouse are (1) USA (2) UK (3) ROI (4) Italy (5) Germany.
• Approximately 150 people are employed at the Guinness Storehouse
• 1 in 2 holiday-makers who visit Dublin, visit the Guinness Storehouse
• The building is 125 feet high, 170 feet long and 151 feet wide.
• It would take 14.3 million pints of Guinness to fill the giant glass atrium in centre of the Guinness Storehouse building
• Over 1.6 million visitors have tasted Guinness for their first time
• Over 400,000 visitors have learned how to pour a pint of Guinness
• Gravity Bar is the highest bar in Dublin located 44 metres off the ground