Kildare's Big Business Show: Empowering Entrepreneurs and Igniting Innovation!
12th March 2025: Kildare County Council’s Local Enterprise Office hosted the inaugural Big Business Show at MERITS, Naas on Tuesday 4th March. The event attracted over 200 entrepreneurs and exhibitors, creating a vibrant atmosphere of networking, creative thinking and enthusiasm in support of small businesses. It was an absolute must for aspiring and existing entrepreneurs.
Attendees had the opportunity to engage with over 20 exhibiting business support agencies including Enterprise Ireland, Intertrade Ireland, KWETB, Guaranteed Irish and Skillnet Ireland.
Guests could also benefit from :
- One-to-one sessions with experts and mentors in the adviser zone.
- Immersive virtual reality experiences in the MERITS Content Lab.
- Free professional headshots.
- The opportunity to demo their first podcast.
- Multiple workshops, talks and discussions in the Masterclass Zone
Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform with special Responsibility for Public Procurement, DIgitilisation and eGovernment, Emer Higgins TD spoke at the event. She detailed Government Procurement Opportunities for SMEs and encouraged them to bid on their frameworks.
Also in attendance was Minister of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD who launched Kildare County Council’s Kildare Skills Strategy 2024-2030 in partnership with County Kildare Chamber. Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, launched Kildare’s Business Owner’s Guide: Supports for business, which aims to assist entrepreneurs in Kildare navigate the range of financial and non-financial supports available at the various stages of business development.
This publication can be accessed at https://www.localenterprise.ie/Kildare/Publications-Resources/Business-Downloads/
Other speakers included:
- Serial retail and marketing entrepreneur Jennie McGinn, who has worked with Kildare Village to Chupi, Lifestyle Sports, Dublin Independent Fashion Week and London College of Fashion.
- Eshna Gogia, of Republic of Work and Halo Business Angel Network (HBAN) who who was named in Ireland’s Top 100 in Irish Tech last year.
- Michael Corcoran of We Are Frankly! who previously worked as Head of Social Media at Ryanair.
Attendees shared their experiences:
“I had a fantastic time at the Big Business Show yesterday, gaining invaluable insights into financial supports from the LEO, and learning from inspiring speakers on marketing, social media, and virtual reality. To top it off, we even had the opportunity to get professional headshots taken—such a well-rounded and rewarding experience!” Vivian Wong McKendry, One More Thing
“Attending Kildare's Big Business Show was a fantastic experience. As someone deeply involved in helping businesses expand into new markets, I found the event to be a fantastic opportunity to connect with so many business support organizations, chat with industry experts, and meet fellow entrepreneurs. The sessions on marketing, investment, and procurement were really insightful, giving me plenty of practical takeaways to refine business strategies. Huge thanks to the LEO team for organizing such a valuable event—it was incredibly useful, and I’m excited to put these insights into action and build new partnerships.” Xiaoxiao Mullhall, Global EPS & SinoVentures
“Kildare’s Big Business Show was exceptional, I found some great networking opportunities, enjoyed inspiring sessions with leading speakers, and took advantage of exclusive access to key business support organisations. Kildare Local Enterprise Office ran a great event, creating an ideal platform for professional growth and connection. The addition of professional headshots further was very thoughtful. Over the years, LEO Kildare’s support has been invaluable to Swag.eu, and we highly recommend their services.” Robert Kennedy, Swag.eu
Jacqui McNabb, Head of Enterprise, Economic Development and Tourism, Kildare County Council declared “If you missed The Big Business Show, this is certain to be an annual event and expect 2026’s Big Business Show to be even bigger! More people than ever are ready to become their own boss and take their venture to the next level. If you are one of them, reach out to your Local Enterprise Office. The team are ready to support you on your entrepreneurial journey,”
Kildare LEO can be contacted at via localenterprise@kildarecoco.ie or 045 980 838.
