The Backyard at Blas Online Programme
5th—9th September A dedicated event for Blas 2022 finalists to join workshops with industry leaders
These online sessions are an opportunity to prepare ahead of the in person Backyard at Blas, supported by Bank of Ireland which is part of our awards weekend in Dingle
Online learning supported by
A word from Ar e
Over the past 5 years we have been proud to bring The Backyard at Blas to life. As a venue it is a space full of posi ve conversa on, learning and support for finalist producers. In 2020 and 2021 when we could not be together in person we moved The Backyard at Blas online. It remained a dedicated space to meet fellow producers, a place to gain knowledge and find support for your business. We are very excited to bring the venue back in person this year and to work with Bank of Ireland to bring this fantas c venue back. We look forward to welcoming our finalists back in person. However, we also saw how much our finalists producers benefi ed from a li le advance prepara on through our online sessions and we want to con nue in that theme of prepara on for success with another great online line up in 2022. These workshops will take place online from the 5th—9th of September and are exclusively for finalist producers at Blas na hÉireann 2022. We encourage you to sign up to this year’s events online, ahead of a ending the events in Dingle. The focus of the workshops will be on what you, as a finalist, can do to make the most of this opportunity. It will be a wonderful chance to not only hear from the experts but to make first contact with fellow finalists as well. Ar e Clifford Blas na hÉireann Chairperson
How will it work?
How do I register?
Why The Backyard?
Each of the speakers will be delivering a workshop, in their own area of exper se aimed specifically at finalists and how you can make the most of reaching this stage.
Register online for each of the workshops you would like to a end.
In 2017 The Blas team was looking to add to our events, a space for producers to build their network and learn from the many experts in our network. We wanted it to be a place among friends, just like in your own backyard and the venue itself was tucked into a space right behind our office, in our own Backyard!
Sessions will be delivered online
Spaces are limited and will be on a first come first served basis. Register Here
These online sessions are an opportunity to prepare ahead of the in person Backyard at Blas which is part of our awards weekend Register here
Online learning supported by
Sharon Noonan is originally from Ballymena, Co Antrim. Her maiden name, Devlin, is synonymous with fresh fruit and vegetables and she grew up in the family business. Having studied Business Studies and French at Queen’s University Belfast, on gradua ng she embarked on a sales and marke ng career which saw her travelling the globe selling an award winning shoe for dairy cows, promo ng the Northern Irish aerospace industry and returning to her Alma Mater, Queen’s University Belfast, to promote its world class facili es to industry. She now resides in Co Limerick and is a freelance marke ng consultant working with food, drink, hospitality and tourism businesses and government agencies. Services include social media management, developing and delivering PR campaigns, event design and coordina on and the crea on and facilita on of training and mentoring programmes. Sharon presents a weekly radio show on West Limerick 102FM that focuses on food and drink topics and regularly moderates at conferences and seminars. The Power of Networking & Collabora on—Wednesday 7th September @ 11am “Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine” Developing your network can lead to collabora on which can open doors to more innova on, increased success, and invaluable support. On comple on of the session, par cipants will have: An understanding of the benefits of networking & collabora on An apprecia on of how to use social media to develop your network & Tips on how to network be er and smarter BE SOCIAL—Friday 9th September @ 9.30am A MasterBLASt of social media ps with the #Blas2022 Twi er Fairy, Sharon Noonan aka @Queenoforg (it’s short for organisa on!) A concise and current look into social media with ps on how to create inspiring material, me-saving ps and strategic tools to capitalise on the opportuni es that social media can generate for you, your business and your award winning products. It’s a no-brainer. Social media costs nothing but your me and it pays off. Malachy O’Connor is a business strategy consultant & commercial skills trainer. Malachy works across all sectors, having spent +20 years in senior posi ons in the ultra-compe ve supermarket retail sector. Thriving in this cut-throat world required deep resilience but also a deep sense of empathy around how to get the best out of people and how best to serve your customers. Malachy reckons this comes from his early life, born in England but spending his forma ve years in the troubled and turbulent society that was Northern Ireland in the 80’s and 90’s. Malachy has 25 years’ grocery retail experience. He spent his early career in M&S, Dunnes Stores, Superquinn and SPAR, then from ’06 as Buying & Marke ng Director at Aldi Ireland and from 2014 as Fresh Foods Commercial Category Director at Tesco Ireland. Malachy’s core values are impact, comradeship and diversity: making a posi ve impact with clients and in the world, nurturing trust to build high integrity rela onships and harnessing diverse thinking to conjure crea ve solu ons. Irish Market Overview—Monday 5th September @ 11am A whistle-stop A-Z tour of Irish Grocery retail. Everything you need to know …. Market context - the arrival of discounters and the response of established players Market Segmenta on and store numbers (and the retailers nobody talks about). - Brand v Private Label dynamics - Impacts of covid on shopper behaviour and retailer performance - Impact of Brexit on supply chains - Role of technology - Major trends
The Mindful Nego ator Thur 8th @ 9.30am A new approach to nego a ons that helps neutralise the power imbalance between small suppliers and big buyers. We will explore the psychology of success and delve into two important topics: Believing in yourself Managing stress
Register here
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Brian McDermo is an award-winning celebrity chef, author and presenter from Co Donegal. Brian has built a na onal reputa on as a chef on one simple belief – that tasty, healthy food based around tradi onal recipes and local produce is something everyone should enjoy. Fans of Brian McDermo will already be familiar with that passion for local food and Donegal which has made him a regular on the Irish food fes val circuit.
This year Brian was named as Producers Champion for 2021 by Blas na hÉireann
Doing well and keeping well Thurs 8th September @ 11am Brian will help with ps to view at the business as a whole within your life, a happy balance to create success
Brian’s current book “ Donegal Table “ was awarded “ Best Cookery Book in the World “ at the Gourmand World Book Awards in China. Brian is presenter and MC for a number of pres ge’s food fesvals and events across Ireland. Brian is one of most passionate, genuine and inspiring public speakers who is o en a headline guest speaker. A regular TV Chef on RTÉ and has his own slot weekly on BBC Radio and he frequently contributes to many local and na onal press outlets.
Business Development Friday 9th September @ 11am Brian is highly experienced in product development , having worked with Kerry Food as NPD chef and se ng up the Food-Development Centre at NWRC in Derry. In this session Brian looks at applying the principles of product development to your wider strategy.
Vivienne Gleeson helps businesses to grow by promo ng themselves effec vely and telling their story powerfully. She works with businesses, big and small, to provide strategic support focused on iden fying and communica ng key messages to drive sales and customer engagement. Vivienne is passionate about helping businesses grow and specialises in helping clients to develop communica ons plans that are tailored to suit their needs and capacity. Vivienne helps clients iden fy their audiences and key stakeholders and advises on how to engage with them effec vely to maximise return on investment, specialising in the following areas: - Developing strategic communica ons plans - PR & digital marke ng, including content planning
- Project Management - Mentoring business owners
What is PR and how do you use it to grow your business? Tue 6th September @ 11am Public Rela ons is one of the most cost-effec ve ways to promote your business compared to adver sing and pay per click. PR means ge ng your name out there, building trust and credibility in your brand, and developing the main stories that will be told about your brand. PR coverage in local, na onal, and interna onal media will generate leads and will increase business. In this session we look at PR, how it works and how to get the best out of PR to grow your business. - What is PR? - How does PR work? - Wri ng a Press Release and tailoring it for the different audiences - Crea ng images to accompany the Press Release - Integra ng PR plans with adver sing, marke ng, and sales
There’s no need to spend big for PR. Wednesday 7th September @ 9.30am In this session, you will learn clever ways to develop newsworthy stories for the media and to get people talking about your business. We’ll look at how to plan for the year ahead, developing opportuni es to speak with the media about your brand, products, and business. We’ll also look at ge ng the most out of working with brand ambassadors, collaborators and iden fying sponsorships that are the right fit for you and your business and that will generate robust media coverage. - Product development & innova ons - Business news & Award wins - Sponsorships & Collabora ons
Register here
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Annie Dunne has twenty years experience working in the food industry, with roles across manufacturing (Kerry Foods) & retail (Superquinn & Harrods), within new product development, packaging design, technical, commercial & category management func ons. As the head of Food Innova on for 10 years in the luxury food retail sector at Harrods, Annie managed the transforma on of it’s iconic and world renowned food halls with a £25milllion investment. Annie's knowledge of luxury food & drink is extensive, and her in-depth knowledge of London & UK food scene is second to none. She's worked with leading chefs such as Anna Jones, Tom Kerridge, Tom Kitchin and Michael Caines. She spear-headed a Food Innova on Academy for the wider Food & Restaurants Team within Harrods, and co-wrote the modules for a Gourmet Food Academy which is accredited by NDQ. She's a regular speaker & Chair at several Food & Drink Trends Conferences. A Masters of Science in Food Business from UCC and an inherent love of food, so much so that she has dedicated her lifelong career to it. Annie now runs her own food consultancy company, "the art of GRATE food" unleashing innova on poten al within food companies and inspiring crea ve solu ons to spark growth. She understands what "excep onal" really means. If you are looking for someone who can elevate your brand through quality, product or packaging, Annie knows how to achieve it.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT CHANNELS FOR YOUR BRAND Monday 5th September @ 12.30pm Planning where your product will be sold is an important part of building your brand and business growth. In this session, Annie will look at What is involved across different channels, what are the key things to consider - Impac ul ways to gain trac on and some of the challenges you might face - Some filters that you need to use to protect yourself and the business you're trying to build.
PERFECTING YOUR PITCH Tuesday 6th September @ 9.30am Being able to communicate what your brand stands for quickly and effec vely is essen al to gaining the a en on of potenal buyers. Whether it's one minute or 15 minutes, ge ng your most important points across is worth preparing for. In this session, Annie will: - Discuss the importance of doing your research - The six key components of a killer pitch deck - Share ps on crea ng a compelling argument to displace a compe tor
Oonagh Monahan is a consultant, mentor and trainer specialising in food business development and innova on. She has clients across the island of Ireland and throughout Europe, working with them at every stage from start-up through growth to export. With over 25 years’ experience in the food sector, Oonagh works with ar san producers, small and medium sized producers, to large mul na onals, and previously worked for the Kerry Group (Grove Turkeys) and Premier Foods (Manor Bakeries). To date Oonagh has mentored over 350 food & drink start-ups many of whom are now on supermarket shelves of the mul ple retailers in Ireland and the UK. Oonagh also works at the interface of the food industry and Academia, at the forefront of innova on, technology transfer and collabora on. Oonagh appreciates the value of networking and she facilitates female entrepreneurship networks and understands the par cular challenges that are faced by women in business. In 2020, Oonagh was one of the Blas na hÉireann Producers’ Champion Baker’s Dozen. She is the author of best-selling book “Money for Jam – the Essen al Guide to Star ng Your Own Food Business, 2nd Edn The Business of Food - This session is running twice, if you would like to register please just choose the me that suits you Monday 5th September @ 9.30am Tuesday 6th September @ 12.30 Prac cal advice and valuable insights built from Oonagh’s 25years experience in the food industry which led her to write her two best selling books, in the series – Money for Jam, the Essen al Guide to Star ng Your Own Small Food Business.
Register here
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The Backyard Online 5th—9th September Line Up of Speakers Day by Day Quick Glance Day by Day
9.30am
11am
12.30pm
Monday 5th September
The Business of Food with Oonagh Monahan
A-Z of Grocery in Ireland with Malachy O’Connor
Choosing the Right Channels with Annie Dunne
Tuesday 6th September
Perfec ng your pitch with Annie Dunne
What is PR with Vivienne Gleeson
The Business of Food with Oonagh Monahan
Wednesday 7th September
No need for big spend PR
Networking & Collabora on with Sharon Noonan
With Vivienne Gleeson Thursday 8th September
The Mindful Nego ator With Malachy O’Connor
Friday 9th September
Social Media Masterclass with Sharon Noonan
Doing well & keeping well with Brian McDermo Business Development With Brian McDermo
Follow on mentoring—a chance to develop one on one A endees of our Backyard sessions will have an opportunity to apply for a mentoring programme with this year’s speakers / mentors. Each mentor will be working with 10 of our finalist producers, working with them to deliver 3 x 1 hr one to one sessions to help develop in their area of interest. The mentoring programme is fully funded and supported by Taste4Success and applica on is available exclusive to finalist producers who have registered on The Backyard programme. Full details of eligibility and terms are available from the Blas team. We are so proud to have worked with the Blas team as provider of the online learning and mentoring system. At a me of immense turmoil, the online learning facility has enabled both the Blas team and its members, spread throughout every county in Ireland, to keep connected, to con nue learning and networking, to keep focused on new developments and successes. We take this opportunity to thank Ar e, Fallon and the team, and wish all contenders health, happiness & success in the 2022 Blas na hÉireann Irish Food Awards. Bridie Corrigan Ma hews, Network Director, Taste 4 Success Skillnet
Register here
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