1 March 2020
By Mary Bermingham
mary@TheCork.ie
Network Ireland Cork to hold practical workshop on submitting a winning entry
Entries for the prestigious Network Ireland Cork’s Businesswoman of the Year Awards are open, with past winners to speak next month on how to submit a winning entry. Founder of Fuller Marketing, Ruth Fuller will discuss Marketing of You: Writing An Award Winning Entry at a practical workshop on Wednesday, 4 March from 6pm in the Metropole Hotel. There will also be a panel discussion with past Network Ireland award winners Helen Walsh of Employflex; Irene Twohig of Educogym; Joan Walsh of Partnership International; and award-winning singer Fiona Kennedy. Tickets are available at https://networkcorkmarketingofyou.eventbrite.ie
New President of Network Cork Marguerite O’Sullivan, Senior Innovation Engineer Manager at DS Johnson & Johnson
Pic Darragh Kane
Nominations for the awards, which showcase excellence, professionalism, vision and leadership of women in business, professions and the arts, are now open at www.networkireland.ie/award-application. The deadline for submissions is 13 March and in 2020, there are eight awards categories — Small SME (10 employees or less); Large SME (greater than 10 employees); Solo Businesswoman; Emerging New Business; Rising Star Employee; Shining Star Employee; Arts; and STEM. The winner in each category, to be announced at an awards ceremony in May, will go forward for the Network Ireland National Business Awards.
Guest speaker, Ruth Fuller is to discuss the best way to prepare a winning application with tips, advice, and ideas about how to create a successful entry.
Speaking ahead of the workshop, Ruth said: “Regardless of whether you are a start-up or a multinational, there are huge benefits to entering awards. However, too often businesses find it difficult to communicate what sets them, or their people, apart from others. This is the reason why practical workshops are so effective in assisting those entering awards, from providing tips on how to write an award-winning submission to discovering what judges really look for. This is a workshop that is open to everyone — whether it is the Network Ireland Cork’s Businesswoman of the Year Awards you want to enter, or another accolade.”
Ruth will be joined on Wednesday, 4 March at Marketing of You: Writing An Award Winning Entry by Helen Walsh of Employflex, who won Employee Rising Star last year along with the overall Network Ireland award in the same category; Irene Twohig of Educogym, who won for SME in 2018 and was crowned overall Cork Businesswoman of the Year. Also part of the panel will be Joan Walsh of Partnership International, who won the Award for Best Use of Digital in 2018 and Fiona Kennedy, who scooped the Arts award that same year.
On the 2020 Businesswoman of the Year Awards, Network Ireland Cork’s president, Marguerite O’Sullivan said: “Every year we have some incredible women enter the awards. The calibre of entries year-on-year is a testament to the strong reputation that the Businesswoman of the Year Awards has in the local business community and we expect entries to be significantly up again this year, following last year’s high-profile finalists and winners.
“We are asking all Network Ireland Cork members to embrace the theme of our organisation — Lead Now — and consider entering the 2020 awards or nominate a colleague. There are extraordinary women working across business, professions and the arts in Cork and we urge them to enter the awards, and showcase and celebrate the innovative and inspiring work they are doing.”
For more information on Network Ireland Cork, see www.networkireland.ie/cork.
