Welcome to the Roe Park Resort

In December 2011 Morrow Communications won the contract to deliver integrated communications support for the rebrand of the Roe Park Resort in Limavady. The contract includes delivering public relations, design and advertising services for the hotel resort in support of its rebranding and repositioning programme.

Institute of Directors Unveil New Premises In Belfast’s Academic Hub

The Institute of Directors (IoD) has relocated its Northern Ireland headquarters to the recently redeveloped Riddel Hall at Queen’s University Executive Centre, Stranmillis. Morrows supported the IoD as it held its official launch recently. The event was attended by its members from a broad spectrum of business sectors, MLAs, dignitaries and esteemed guest Simon Walker, Director General of IoD.

Speaking at the launch event which was sponsored by Bank of Ireland, IoD Director General Simon Walker praised the Riddel Hall facilities and outlined key issues and opportunities currently facing business leaders, including the importance of diversity at leadership level and the need for a reduction in corporation tax.

InterTrade Ireland All-Island Seedcorn Awards

The Morrow Communications events team managed a 20 strong event production crew including set builders, lighting and audio visual suppliers at the recent InterTradeIreland All-Ireland Seedcorn Awards.

InterTradeIreland’s Seedcorn Awards aim to recognise and promote the best early stage companies across the island of Ireland. Companies are selected following an intense competition designed to mirror a real life investment process.

180 guests attended along with John Perry (The Minister for Small Business) and BBC NI’s Donna Traynor, who hosted the awards. The competition brought together regional finalists from Munster, Connacht, Dublin and Northern Ireland to make a Dragon’s Den style investment pitch to a panel of judges on the day of the awards.

The winners from each region were announced at the awards along with the overall winners. The Best High Growth Company, ALR Innovations, won €100,000 with Zinc Software winning €50,000 for being the Best Emerging Company.

More information on these awards can be found at www.intertradeireland.com/seedcorn

Morrow's AV Team Secure Two New Contracts

Following a competitive tendering process, Morrows Audio Visual team have been appointed to the Enterprise Ireland framework agreement for media production. The framework exists to supply Enterprise Ireland with high quality corporate films. These will be used at a range of events and international presentations. Morrows is one of only four companies selected for the framework and is the only Northern Ireland company to have been admitted.

Morrows AV team are delighted to have won a tender for Queen’s University, School of Nursing and Midwifery for the Production of an educational DVD on Gestational Diabetes. The production will take place over the course of a year with filming in Belfast and Manchester. It is designed to inform women who have recently been diagnosed with the condition how to have a healthy pregnancy and birth.

Turkey Sales Set To Take Off For Moy Park This Christmas

As part of an ongoing relationship with Marks & Spencer, leading poultry processor Moy Park will supply all UK and Ireland M&S stores with four new lines of turkey products in the run up to Christmas.

Moy Park, which supplies major retailers throughout the UK and Ireland with fresh, locally sourced poultry and convenience foods, has developed the turkey range in conjunction with M&S.

“Christmas is a key time of year for the poultry sector and a peak time for turkey production.” explains Tony O’Neill, Moy Park’s business development director.

“We have worked hard to develop new products to suit the needs of the market and will produce a substantial number of turkeys for M&S alone this Christmas season” said Tony O’Neill.

Panto Scoops A ‘Giant’ Deal With Dale Farm

Dale Farm, Northern Ireland’s leading dairy company, is giving Belfast’s Grand Opera House a ‘giant’ boost this year by sponsoring its Christmas pantomime, ‘Jack and the Beanstalk.’

The locally-owned business, known for its fresh milk and cream, Dromona cheese and butter, Spelga yogurts and Dale Farm ice cream, has said it is ‘thrilled’ to support this fun, family tradition, which will see over 80,000 panto enthusiasts through the doors of the Grand Opera House over a seven week period.

Welcome On Board - Bryan Somers Travel

Morrow Communications is delighted to add Bryan Somers Travel to our client portfolio. We will deliver public relations and communications activity with a view to helping the business increase its profile and promote it as an experts in the area of golfing holidays.

Ulster Rugby 2012 Calendar

Retailer Asda is bringing some early Christmas cheer and supporting a worthwhile cause as official supermarket stockist of the Ulster Rugby 2012 Calendar in a bid to raise much needed funds for the Prince’s Trust.

Asda stores across Northern Ireland are stocking the brand new Ulster Rugby 2012 Calendar which features exclusive pictures of the team ‘in training’ including Ulster’s Irish International stars, Stephen Ferris, Simon Danielli and Rory Best. All profits from the calendar will go directly to the Prince’s Trust to help transform the lives of disadvantaged young people in Northern Ireland.

Michael McCallion, Asda NI Buying Manager said, “We are delighted to be helping support such a worthy cause- by supporting the Prince’s Trust we are ensuring that all proceeds from the calendar sales go directly to those that need it most across Northern Ireland. We are confident that the calendar will be a big hit with our customers with the Christmas present buying season approaching.”

Priced at £4.95, the calendar has so far proved to be a resounding success with over 134 calendars being sold in the majority of Asda Northern Ireland stores since the official calendar launch at the beginning of November. And with Christmas around the corner Asda predicts that this trend is likely to continue as more and more people look for a meaningful Christmas gift or stocking filler.

Getting to know… Nicola Adamson, Communications Consultant

What is your career background?
I studied a BSc Hons degree in Communication, Advertising and Marketing at the University of Ulster, Jordanstown. During my studies I completed a work placement in the Sports Centre at the University as a PR and Marketing executive. I enjoyed my placement so much that I continued to work there part-time during my final year of study and for another year on completion of my degree. After three months travelling in South East Asia I joined the Morrow Communications team in October 2007.

What was your first job and how much were you paid?
My first job was working as a part time checkout operative in Tesco during my last two years at school. From memory I think I got paid about £5/hr plus time and a half on Sunday – which was a great incentive to work some extra hours!

Have you ever had a job you hated?
I don’t think I’ve ever had a job I really didn’t like, although I did work as a waitress for a short stint in a coffee shop and I must admit having to take plates back to the chef with customer complaints wasn’t one of my favourite tasks!

What was your first success?
My first success is a tough one…as two occasions stand out from my childhood. The first was winning a silver medal for Speech & Drama at the Holywood Festival when I was 7. My Granny and Granda were with me and seeing how proud they were of me when I received my medal was very special! The second was ballet dancing on stage at the Grand Opera House when I was 10…all the butterflies back stage were definitely worth it and my Dad met me at the stage door with a bouquet of flowers.

What business figure(s) do you most admire?
I have to say the late, great and original TV chef Keith Floyd. From cooking skits in the early 80s he evolved into a brand, achieving cult status, producing TV series, DVDs and writing cookery books to global acclaim, while paving the way for the current generation of celebrity chefs.

Have you ever made a mistake and if so what did you learn from it?
Growing up I often heard the old adage, ‘the man that never made a mistake, never made anything!’ I have always taken heart from that phrase and also that as long as you do your best that’s all you can do. I always try my best in both my personal and work life and if I do make a mistake, which I’m sure I have in my 27 years, being open and honest is always best.

What is the most valuable piece of advice you have ever been given?
Treat others as you would like to be treated yourself!

What one item would you take with you to a desert island and why?
I think it would have to be a phone with a never-ending battery and unbroken network coverage. Truthfully I would offer my place on the island to someone else because I would miss my friends and family too much!

What has been your biggest financial extravagance?
It has to be my first car, a sliver Clio – I did have second thoughts about a shopping spree and a dream holiday as I handed over the money!

Do you have a business mantra?
Again I would have to say treat others as you want to be treated yourself…also making a good first impression is crucial in business.

What items do you always carry with you?
BlackBerry and a supply of makeup…just in case!

When will you retire?
Not for a very long time!

QUB film showcases student life in Belfast

The Morrow Communications AV team are proud to have produced a new film for Queen’s University Belfast highlighting the very best of student life in Belfast.

Check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rgou7pxSGCM&feature=youtu.be to learn about everything the university and the city has to offer from sights and entertainment to culture and arts.

Pride in client work at Morrows

Morrow Communications entered two awards in this year's CIPR Northern Ireland PRide Awards and won in both categories. Morrows took the Gold Award in the Corporate Social Responsibility category for its communications of the Asda 'Sporting Chance' initiative, aimed at encouraging activity in young people.



The team also picked up the Silver award for the Irwin's Bakery 'Great Veda Debate' campaign, which drove sales of the popular local loaf by asking the public to join the all important 'sliced or unsliced' discussion.

The awards bring Morrows' collection to a total of 18 Gold and 15 Silver within the past three years.

Supply deal has snowball effect for bakery

Snowballs are spreading festive cheer for one local business as Irwin's Bakery has secured a major supply deal through its cakes and biscuits division, Howell Handmade. The business has won a contract to supply its locally made ‘Mini Snowballs’ to Asda stores across the UK as part of the supermarket’s ‘Chosen by You’ own-brand range.

The first ‘own label’ supply contract for the Saintfield-based home bakery, will be worth over £150k per annum to the business and will run right through the key Christmas trading period, with a view to extending this to a longer basis.

Stefan Szymura, Account Manager with Irwin’s Bakery said the contract was, “a big win for Howell Handmade and a significant development in the overall Irwin’s business strategy".

Whilst Irwin’s products have a number of ‘own brand’ deals with key retail partners UK-wide, this is the first major supply contract of this kind for a Howell Handmade product and is testament to both the quality and appeal of traditional Northern Ireland baked goods. The small sponge coconut buns were chosen for the Asda range following a series of consumer taste tests, from which Asda said feedback was "extremely positive."

Irwin’s Bakery acquired Howell in 2006 and in doing so has successfully extended its reach within the confectionery bakery category.

Launch of CBI Deloitte Commissioners Network

We worked with the CBI and Deloitte this week to launch the CBI Deloitte Commissioners Network - a new network aimed at driving best practice within public service delivery through smarter commissioning.

The launch brought together senior representatives from the public, private and third sector - who will in turn will meet several times throughout the coming year to discuss and debate issues around the delivery of public services, and specifically the topic of commissioning - the structured process of deciding how and on whom public money should be spent.

Finance Minister Sammy Wilson officially launched the programme, and chaired an open and honest initial discussion which will hopefully set the tone for the network's meetings and consultations.

Watch this space...

Northgate Wins '2011 IT Supplier of the Year' Award at Prestigious UK IT Industry Event

Newtownabbey based Northgate Managed Services has cemented its reputation as one of the UK’s leading providers of ICT services by being named ‘IT Supplier of the Year’at the British Computer Society (BCS) and Computing UK Industry Awards 2011.

The award recognises Northgate Managed Services' dynamic growth and its strong financial performance which saw the company return a 21% increase in its revenue, successfully win more than 80 news clients in a range of sectors; invest significantly in staff training and development, strengthen industry partnerships, and create more than 100 new jobs across its UK operation.

Commenting on the award, Andy Ross, Chief Executive, Northgate Managed Services said, “We are delighted to have won the 2011IT Supplier of the Year Award. This is the second time in 3 years that we have won this award and reflects a huge amount of hard work over many years and is a fantastic endorsement of the services and IT solutions we provide to our clients."

'Generation Innovation' Goes Live

One hundred of Northern Ireland’s most innovative and entrepreneurial students have become the first members of the ‘Generation Innovation’ network to encourage them to make opportunities for themselves without emigrating.

The initiative, launched by NISP CONNECT with representatives of the local business community, hopes to stop the brain drain from Northern Ireland by building a physical and online network of Northern Ireland’s brightest students before, during and after their third-level studies. These young people represent the future of the critically important Knowledge Economy that you may have seen me write about in previous posts.

Membership benefits include invites to annual high-profile networking events and access to an online network letting members exchange ideas, post news on their development and seek internships and business relationships.

For more details on the initiative visit http://www.generationinnovation.co.uk/ or view the video below which perfectly captures the opportunity and lays down the challenge.

A baker's dozen for Irwin's

More good news for the local food sector this month as Portadown based Irwin’s Bakery has scooped a contract with Sainsbury’s in Northern Ireland to supply pancakes and soda farls for its new core range of ‘By Sainsbury’s’ own-label products.

The deal, worth over £250,000 p.a to Irwin’s, will see its locally-made products being sold in all 13 of Sainsbury’s Northern Ireland stores. This will strengthen Irwin’s already strong relationship with the retailer, which it currently supplies with around 4m products each year.

Michael Murphy, Commercial Director at Irwin’s Bakery comments, “We are delighted to have secured this deal with Sainsbury’s and are particularly proud to be producing traditional local products such as pancakes and soda farls for inclusion in their newly launched ‘By Sainsbury’s’ range. With almost 100 years experience in baking breads and hotplate products such as pancakes and soda farls, we have the expertise and knowledge that Sainsbury’s need from their supply partners to deliver first class own-brand products.”

For more information on Irwin's range of products visit http://www.irwinsbakery.co.uk/ or follow Irwin's on Facebook www.facebook.com/irwinsbakery

Local Businesses Shine at CIM Awards

Three of Morrows' clients had a presence at the Chartered Institute of Marketing Ireland Marketing Excellence Awards, held at Belfast's City Hall on November 3rd.

Northern Ireland Science Park was a named finalist in the Business to Business Service Marketing category; Moy Park was a finalist in the Best Sales Campaign and Overall Food & Drink categories and Irwin's Bakery picked up the top accolade in the Food & Drink category.

These awards are a testament to the level of innovation and quality these businesses demonstrate in marketing their brands – and how they use strategic communications to drive their businesses forward within their sectors.

Speaking about their win, Michael Murphy, Commercial Director of Irwin's Bakery said, “We’re extremely proud to have picked up this award, not least as Irwin’s were being judged against competition from across a very broad and thriving food sector.”

Knowledge - The Key to an Economic Transformation ?

How long have we been talking about developing a Knowledge Economy in Northern Ireland ? Do we know what a successful Knowledge Economy looks like ? Even if we have some idea, do we know just how important it could be to achieving an economic transformation in Northern Ireland ? Do we know how we measure up against other regions ?

Well... we have now found out the answers to these and many other important questions in the pursuit of a Knowledge Economy. Thursday 27th October saw the launch of the Northern Ireland Knowledge Economy Index - Baseline Report, published by the Northern Ireland Science Park and NISP CONNECT in partnership with Northern Bank. Representing a lot of detailed work it analyses exactly what we mean by a knowledge economy and defines the various metrics against which we need to measure our collective performance. It gives an honest assessment of where we are across key metrics, be they good or bad, and gives useful comparisons with other regions in the UK and further afield. While it shows progress in some areas, equally it highlights where we need to improve. More importantly it spells out the scale of the opportunity that faces us as an economic region, if we can collectively up our game and raise our ambitions. Up to 50,00 new jobs are on offer if we were to become a leading region in the UK for knowledge industries. Not to be sniffed at in the current climate.

There is no doubt that the potential is huge, not only to add thousands of jobs directly, but many more indirectly in various supply chain and support services opportunities. Experience elsewhere shows the exponential positive impact that knowledge economies can create for everyone and we must learn from the best regions in the world.

While the information contained in the Index will be very important in its own right, it is what we do with it that is most important. The Index will ultimately be used to set targets across all the main metrics for the next 5, 10, 15 and 20 years and rightly become the focus for all those involved in the knowledge sector. The time for talking is over and what we now need is a concerted effort from all interested parties - public and private sectors - to work collectively towards realising the huge potential that this Report defines.

We look forward to the debate, closely followed by the action !

Dundalk Institute of Technology

Morrows will be working with the Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) over the coming months to help raise its profile in Northern Ireland, with an overall aim of encouraging more NI students to consider the Institute as a viable and affordable higher education choice.

DkIT offers a wide range of Degree, Masters, PhD and vocational courses and specialises in the likes of Engineering, Creative Media, Renewables and Nursing.

Belfast Media Festival 2011

For the second year running, Morrows were delighted to manage the Belfast Media Festival, a prestigious event for the creative industries in Northern Ireland.

The creative industries are one of the fastest growing and most important sectors in the Northern Ireland economy and the aim of the Festival was to encourage debate and thinking on how the creative landscape will change over the next ten years. This included how the development of new technology will change the way content is produced, the skills that will be required and how the industry will meet the changing needs of the local audience.

Over 350 delegates representing broadcasting, music and the digital industries heard from a host of keynote speakers including Mark Thompson, Director General of the BBC, David Abraham, Chief Executive of Channel 4 Television and David Flynn, creator of BAFTA award winning programme “The Million Pound Drop.” A particular highlight and coup for the Festival was an “audience with” the actor and comedian Rob Brydon, who took time out of his busy schedule to speak about his experiences within the industry – and local talent was represented by well known faces such as Patrick Kielty, BBC NI’s William Crawley and Stephen Nolan.

In addition to the keynote presentations, delegates could attend a variety of seminars focusing on key topics such as “Mind Your Language!” - a focus on the importance of Irish language within broadcasting; “Independent Spirits” looking at how independent production companies can successfully compete in the world of British television and “Radio without End” a lively debate on the importance of radio within an industry now dominated by many digital platforms. Delegates could also visit a “Digital Street” showcasing the latest in broadcasting technology and exhibition featuring local creative companies.

Video highlights, including the interview with Rob Brydon will soon be available to view online at http://www.belfastmediafestival.co.uk/

DEL 'Made Not Born' Campaign Takes to the Road Again

The Minister for Employment and Learning, Dr Stephen Farry kicked off the latest Management and Leadership Skills programme by encouraging small and medium enterprises (SME’s) in NI to consider its Leadership and Management Development programmes and ‘Made Not Born’ events as a means of maximising their people assets. 

The ‘Made Not Born’ campaign is based on the proven concept that great leaders and managers are not born but made. It aims to highlight the benefits of deploying simple but effective management and leadership techniques to the success of SME businesses in Northern Ireland.

This year’s ‘Made Not Born’ programme developed and delivered by Morrow Communications began with a series of free 'Leadership Learning' events across Northern Ireland delivered by experts in the field of Management & Leadership skills. Each event provided expert advice and key Management and Leadership techniques that can be deployed in a business environment.

The schedule began on Tuesday 27 September in the Ramada Hotel, Shaw’s Bridge, Belfast and continued the following day (Wednesday 28 September) in the Glenavon Hotel, Cookstown when business networking expert Heather White delivered a session on ‘Smarter Networking for SMEs.’

The series resumes on 1st November (Tullyglass, Ballymena) and 2nd November (Everglades Hotel, Derry/Londonderry) with keynote speaker Andrew McMillan, who is credited with developing the much admired John Lewis sales and service culture. On 6th and 7th December we will have Green & Black’s Managing Director, Mark Palmer visit Armagh and Bangor. To register for an event or to find out more about the 'Made Not Born' campaign visit www.delni.gov.uk/madenotborn 





Flish - Dish of the Day at NISP CONNECT 25K Awards

Innovation is clearly alive and well in Northern Ireland if the latest NISP CONNECT 25K Awards are anything to go by. Billed as 'The Search for the Next Big Thing' heavyweights from the local research community battled it out to win both their category and overall awards at a gala dinner held alongside the historic Titanic Dock and Pumphouse on 29th September.



Flish (from Flat-Dish), a team from Queen’s University Belfast who have developed a low cost, low power antenna capable of picking up satellite signals automatically, which could make satellite dishes as we know them a thing of the past, eventually came out on top. They have walked away with a total prize fund of £13,000 as overall winners of the technology entrepreneur awards which are sponsored by the Bank of Ireland UK, QUB, University of Ulster and AFBI (Agri Food and Biosciences Institute) and supported by NI’s Health and Social Care Trusts.

Designed as a commercial experience the Awards aim to encourage researchers to act on their talents, ideas and energy to produce tomorrow’s leading commercial opportunities.

Congratulations must go to all 10 finalists, all of which had cracking ideas with huge commercial potential. Just maybe we had the pleasure of being witness to the genesis of some great innovations which could be truly life changing. Watch this space. You can read more about the winners here.

Dale Farm 'Creams the Competition' with Record Number of Awards

Dale Farm is celebrating its most successful award season ever - picking up 29 major accolades for Dromona cheese and butter. With international awards from Nantwich, the Great Taste Awards and Frome – the impressive haul has underlined this Northern Ireland company’s status as a world class dairy producer.


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 Sweeping the board at September's Frome Cheese Show in Somerset, Dale Farm was awarded 14 gold, silver and bronze medals – impressing judges, who included cheese connoisseurs and senior buyers from major supermarkets, outlets and industry bodies.

To find out more about Dale Farm, its products and parent company United Dairy Farmers visit http://www.dalefarm.co.uk/

Local loaf takes flight

NI based Irwin’s Bakery has secured a major deal with retail giant Asda to supply its ‘Irish Batch’ bread into 150 stores in England. The deal, which is worth around £200,000 per annum to the local bakery, will make the loaf (known as ‘Nutty Krust’ in Northern Ireland) available for the first time in England.

“Developing our products into key export markets across the UK and Ireland remains central to our business strategy. We are particularly pleased to have secured this deal with Asda, which will see the iconic Northern Irish batch loaf become widely available through its store network in England,” said Michael Murphy, Commercial Director with Irwin's.

Chris Moore of Irwin's and David Quigg of Asda are pictured celebrating this partnership. For more info visit http://www.irwinsbakery.com/

Redrock showcases innovation at National Ploughing Championships

Rescued NI machinery business Redrock is gearing up for the 80th National Ploughing Championships in Athy (20th-22nd September), where it will showcase its range of redeveloped trailers, mixers, tankers, feeders and slurry pumps.

The County Armagh business, which was saved from the administrators in 2010, has been reaping the benefits of a significant reinvestment and modernisation programme, smashing its first year annual sales target of £5m, doubling its employee base to 42 and growing sales across Irish, UK and European markets. Redrock will host a large stand at The National Ploughing Championships, the latest in a series of key trade shows across Europe that the business has attended.

Redrock Managing Director Frank Flynn comments, “The National Ploughing Championships will be an ideal opportunity for us to showcase the innovation that we have ploughed into our product range over the past 18 months.

“Our recent focus has been to fine tune our range of cattle feeding and slurry handling equipment, using our engineering expertise to ensure we are meeting the needs of today’s farming community.

“We completely redeveloped our trailer, mixer, slurry pump and blockcutter ranges and this week’s event will allow us to highlight the results. For instance, the new Redrock ‘all round’ silage block cutter will be on display. This is a new version of already proven range of silage blockcutters but it can also be used as an industrial heavy-duty bucket for picking up loose materials. This dual purpose means increased efficiencies for the farmer and is a prime example of how we’ve been successfully reshaping our product offering.”

The business’ sister company, steel fabrication specialists Steel Solutions, will share presence at the Redrock exhibition stand and will display an impressive sample construction to demonstrate its metal and roof expertise in farm buildings.

“We’re committed to continually reinvesting into our business and driving the Redrock brand forward in key markets including Ireland. That said, we value the opportunity to meet with farmers firsthand at such an important sector event as the National Ploughing Championships,” Frank concludes.

Cult US skincare range arrives in NI

Beauty therapist to the stars Peter Gilroy and style queen Fiona Hurley were among the first people to trial the NeoStrata skincare range, which has arrived in Northern Ireland for the first time.

The US range was designed by dermatologists in the USA in 1970s and has gained cult status ever since for its anti-aging benefits and effective results on treating dermatological skin conditions. The range is being stocked in selected pharmacies across Northern Ireland – for full information on the range and stockists visit http://www.neostrata.ie/

Electrical Training Trust Calls for New ‘Sparks’ License

The Electrical Training Trust (ETT) has called on delegates at the inaugural ‘Spark Change Electrical Business Conference’ to spark change in the industry by supporting the ‘license to practice’ concept which aims to improve quality standards of Northern Ireland’s electrical sector.

The first of its kind in Northern Ireland, the conference took place on 13th September 2011 at the Dunsilly Hotel, Antrim and provided a unique, free of charge opportunity for NI’s electricians to network and have their chance to be heard on various issues affecting the industry including retention funds, the challenges of labour relations and licensing.

At the conference attendees were briefed on the ‘license to practice’concept, this would provide an official list of Northern Ireland’s electricians who are registered as qualified, competent, legal and safe to work within the industry, similar in design of that used by the gas industry.

Speaking during the conference ETT Chief Executive, Derek Thompson, said: “Electrical contracting is going through a very difficult time with a lack of projects to tender, poor prices, sub-economic bidding, stifled cash flow and increased costs. The conference was developed in a bid to bring together Northern Ireland’s electrical sector for the first time to discuss the issues impinging on the progress of the industry.

“Among these issues discussed was that of the ‘license to practice’concept which is an industry-driven initiative developed to ensure high standards in the electricity sector are being applied consistently throughout Northern Ireland. Our research shows there is an overwhelming support from practitioners, employers and customer with over 90% in favour of the license and today’s conference was an opportunity to further consult the industry on the merits of concept."

Parenting NI Launches New Brand and Manifesto

Parents Advice Centre from today will be known as Parenting NI. The organisation called for a more coordinated approach within and across Government Departments regarding parenting policy, at an event to launch the Parenting NI manifesto. Pip Jaffa, Chief Executive Parenting NI commented,

“From the work of our organisation we are noticing trends which show that parenting in Northern Ireland is now tougher than ever. We are noticing that children are exhibiting anger and aggressive behaviour at a younger age, there are more issues arising from the negative effects of separation and divorce, we are talking with more parents about their own and their children’s emotional and mental health, and there is a rise in the contacts with parents about their child protection concerns. While emphasising the need to ensure that parents do receive appropriate support it is reassuring that parents feel able to ask for help. Parenting is a challenging role and most parents at some time need support.

"As the leading voice on parenting in Northern Ireland, we are seeing an increased requirement for our services. Being a parent is demanding. Added to this, the increased pressure of financial worries, today’s changing society and the media’s tendency to blame parents, mean parents are often under extreme pressure and need to have support to meet their needs.”

The Parenting NI manifesto calls for a series of policy changes in four areas that the organisation feels parents require the most assistance; namely, support, education, giving parents a voice and valuing parents These changes are being called for based on the indisputable fact that parents are a major influence on children’s lives.

Generation Innovation - Stemming the NI Brain Drain

A new initiative, designed specifically to help stem and eventually reverse the brain drain from Northern Ireland has been launched  by the Northern Ireland Science Park and other representatives from the local business community. Generation Innovation is a new initiative designed to build a physical and online network of Northern Ireland’s best young people, before, during and after their third level studies or initial career choice.

At a time when Northern Ireland has the opportunity to become one of the most entrepreneurial knowledge economies in Europe, key to this economic transformation is the availability and active engagement of new young talent who can be tomorrow’s entrepreneurs, business leaders and innovators. Currently, many of Northern Ireland’s brightest and best young people choose to leave NI to study or pursue careers elsewhere and according to research recently published by the Department of Employment and Learning, as many as 6 out of 10 who leave to study in Britain never return here to work. If that is not bad enough, many others only retain fleeting relationships with home and subsequently miss out on opportunities to pursue their careers or start a business here.

Generation Innovation is designed to tackle this issue head on and those behind it are now inviting the Principals in all relevant secondary and FE Colleges to nominate Lower Sixth form students who have high potential. They will then be among the first members of this exclusive network which will be officially launched in the autumn.  

Anyone with queries about the initiative can contact Meagan Blanton at the Northern Ireland Science Park on 028 9073 7806 or via email Meagan.Blanton@nispconnect.org

Boundary Commission - Parliamentary Constituencies Review

Morrows has just been appointed by the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland to support the public launch and subsequent consultation around the Sixth Periodical Review of Parliamentary Constituencies due to take place between September and December 2011. As well as managing the public consultation events across Northern Ireland,which will consider the Commission's Provisional Proposals Report, we will support the organisation's PR and media relations activities throughout the consultation period. For anyone interested in sharing their views on the provisional proposals for the new parliamentary constituencies visit... www.boundarycommission.org.uk to find out more.

NI Science Park to Expand to Meet Demand

The Northern Ireland Science Park has confirmed plans to expand its facilities by almost a third, providing additional space for up to 500 knowledge workers...a bit of good news amidst the economic gloom and continuing its amazing progress as a key driver of the NI Knowledge Economy.

This latest phase will see the second of three buildings known as ‘The Concourse’, representing a £6Million investment and a unique partnering of NISP, Belfast Harbour and DETI.



Frank Hewitt, Chairman, NISP; Enterprise Minister, Arlene Foster and
Roy Adair, CEO, Belfast Harbour with plans of the new building.



NISP, is already home to approximately 100 companies currently employing approximately 1500 people, with average salaries double the NI average. It is also planning to expand its reach to the Northwest of Northern Ireland and is in discussions with Ilex Regeneration re a regional model based in Fort George in Derry.

You can read more here. 

Tribute to Rosi Kirker

Rosi Kirker Millar
1964 – 2011

All consultancies regard their clients as special, but anyone who had the pleasure of working with Rosi Kirker would know that when it came to being ‘special’, she was in a league of her own.

I knew Rosi as a client (RTSL/Novosco), as a colleague (Sales Institute of Ireland), as a teammate (Malone Ladies Hockey Club) but mostly, as a friend. Time with Rosi was time well spent. Her smile, positivity and love of life were her trademarks, her enthusiasm was infectious and her sunny disposition brightened any day.
She was the ultimate ‘networker’, a sales supremo, and a consummate marketing professional.

Throughout her illness she refused to give up or give in, and thanks to her never-ending energy and determination she achieved so much for Bowel Cancer UK and the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Who else could organise a fundraising event in March which would set a world record for the greatest number of Santas to cycle from Belfast to Comber? This is just one of Rosi’s many legacies but it highlights how her selfless drive and positive outlook will benefit many in the future.

Martin and her boys have lost an amazing wife and mother and NI’s business community has lost a valued colleague. I, like many others, have lost a great friend but I feel privileged to have known Rosi Kirker and consider myself exceptionally lucky to have shared part of her life.


Claire Bonner

PR Powerbook

Kieran Donnelly, Morrow Communications Director, has been included in PR Week’s 2011 Power Book of the most influential PR people across the UK.

One of only five from Northern Ireland featured, this is the third year that Kieran has been named in the guide, which is known as the definitive ‘who’s who’ in the PR industry.

JCI Belfast – Morrows Insights

Junior Chamber International Belfast is a networking and personal development organisation for young business professionals and is part of a global organisation with over 250,000 members worldwide. Jacinta Parkhill, Senior Communications Consultant at Morrows is president of JCI Belfast and tells us what the organisation has been up to.

“More and more companies are realising the benefits of networking in generating new business and building contacts. JCI Belfast offers young professionals the opportunity to network, to build up contacts across the business sector and to develop new skills through our programme of personal development and training events.”

“So far this year we have hosted monthly members’ evenings with guest speakers presenting on topics from the NI Assembly to crafting a professional business image. Business consultants, Deloitte recently spoke at an event on pension planning. JCI Belfast also has an active social events programme and we support Barnardo’s NI as our charity of the year,” she concluded.

For more information on upcoming events and on joining JCI Belfast, visit http://www.jcibelfast.com/

Out 'n' About

The team at Morrows have been pitting their wits and pushing their fitness to the limits – all in the name of team spirit!

NI Hospice

This spring, Morrows managed to donate a whopping £300 worth of household items and clothing to the NI Hospice as part of its ongoing efforts to support the local charity. Staff brought in mountains of items which have been sold through the Hospice shops to raise money for adults and children around NI who need it most. Last summer, the team also helped out with some gardening at the Childrens’ Hospice in North Belfast.

Born to run!Morrows entered two teams in this year’s Belfast City Marathon. Sarah, Kelly, Nicola, Gareth, Anna, Karen, Kate and Lauren donned their running shoes and, along with additional team support managed to raise vital funds for two very important causes – Macmillan Cancer and Aaron House, a care home based in Belfast.

JCI Quiz Success – “From Holywood to Dollywood” Morrow Communications scooped top prize at the JCI Belfast charity pub quiz recently. The dream team of brainiacs included Lauren, Kieran, Anne, Karen, Kelly and Gareth. In a nail-biting finish Kieran led the team to victory with the closest answer to the tie-breaker question – ‘The Pacific Ocean covers what percentage of the earth’s surface?’ Answers on a postcard..!

Talking the Talk

We have recently been sharing our collective communications wisdom at a few high profile events.

Crisis Communications Seminar – Preparing for the Worst
We played a key role at the Agenda NI Crisis Communications seminar at Belfast’s Grand Opera House recently, which brought together key representatives from a wide range of sectors to examine and explore the importance of crisis management.

As one of the six key speakers at the event, Peter Morrow spoke about the various types of crisis an organisation should plan for and the associated impact, as well as outlining the role of planned, strategic communications in managing reputation and minimising damage.


Digital Futures Event
We also delivered a Workshop on Online Reputation Management at the recent Digital Future 2011 Event organised by Ion.

The event considered digital channel integration strategies and was attended by over 150 people from both the public and private sectors. Director Kieran Donnelly delivered a workshop on the importance of online reputation management and the importance of its integration into overall communication strategies.

The AVEs and the AVE Nots

For the first time PR Week has decided not to accept AVEs (Advertising Value Equivalents) as a method of measurement in its awards. The move reflects the growing industry consensus that AVEs are outdated and insufficient.

Executive director of comms measurement body AMEC Barry Leggetter welcomed the move: “The decision will help educate PR professionals to finally move away from AVEs.”

The Chow Mein Theory!

It won’t be a great shock to many to hear that a recent study proves that Irish consumers are losing faith in advertising. A new study by Carat Ireland and iReach shows that Irish consumers are losing considerable levels of trust in traditional advertising. Strongly established channels experienced double-digit drops in trust in the past year – radio dropped by 15%, newspapers dropped by 15%, magazines by 13% and television advertising by 17%.

In contrast, topping the list of the most trusted forms of communication is ‘recommendation from a trusted person’, further proving the importance of creating influence and advocates. It’s the old ‘Chow Mein Theory’. Most people go to their local Chinese take away and order the same thing every time – “I’ll have the Chow Mein”. It’s safe, you know you like it and what if you order something else and it’s not as nice? But, if you’re with a person you trust and they say, ‘you should really try the Kung Po Chicken, I think you’d like it’, you’re more likely to step out of your comfort zone and try something new. That’s the power of advocates.

The question is how to tap into that power and create brand advocates. In short, it’s a three step process: Likability, Communication and Reward. Establish why your customers like your brand, communicate with them and encourage them to communicate with others and lastly reward them for their loyalty and advocacy.

Getting to know… Kate Finn, Audio Visual Production & Design Manager

What is your career background? I studied BA Hons in Combined Studies in Visual Communications and Lens Based Fine Art at UU Art College in Belfast. Following my graduation I worked as an in house Graphic Designer for Dekko and then South Eastern Regional Colleges. I then worked as a Freelance Graphic Designer and Video Producer before joining Morrow Communications AV production team in January 2011.

What was your first job and how much were you paid? When I was at University I worked as a part-time sales Advisor at local furniture retail store, Dekko and I think I was paid about £4/hr.

Have you ever had a job you hated? I once worked in a call centre for half a day in Australia and it was horrendous, we basically had to work our way through the Yellow Pages and nobody understood my accent. It wasn’t for me and I called it a day. I decided that there was more to Australia than a call centre!

What was your first success? This one is a bit of a head scratcher. I guess success is always relative - I was fortunate to be involved in swimming when I was growing up. I had a number of successes and was lucky enough to compete for Ulster and Ireland, so I guess that would have been my first taste of success and personal achievement.

What business figure(s) do you most admire? Aaron Sorkin – the Godfather of fast moving American drama. Screenwriter, producer and playwright, his works include The West Wing, Sports Night, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and The Social Network.

Have you ever made a mistake and if so what did you learn from it? Mistakes are an important part of learning and growing and along the way you get better at dealing with them. I think it’s really important to communicate with all parties at all times and be honest, nobody is perfect so it’s best to own up as soon as you realise your mistake.

What is the most valuable piece of advice you have ever been given? Do one thing every day that scares you.

What one item would you take with you to a desert island and why? A phone (with everlasting battery)… It’s good to talk!

What has been your biggest financial extravagance? Probably getting married and honeymoon. It was well worth it though, I loved every minute!

Do you have a business mantra? Treat everyone equally!

What items do you always carry with you? Asthma Inhaler, Touche Eclat, little tube of Aloe Vera and my iPhone.

When will you retire? I’m far too young to be thinking about that just yet!

Kelly McKee joins CIPR Committee

Morrows Communications Consultant Kelly McKee was elected to the committee of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations for Northern Ireland in January this year.

CIPR NI has around 250 members from every sector of the PR industry – ranging from students and junior professionals to the most senior practitioners – and is the advocate and voice of the public relations profession in Northern Ireland.

Representing Morrow’s on the committee, Kelly is working with the New & Social Media sub-committee as well as assisting in the organisation of key events such as the recent Coca-Cola CIPR NI Media Awards and the much anticipated PRide Awards.

New to Morrow's World

The first half of 2011 has been both busy and successful on the new business front with a number of new client partnerships formed.


Pharmed
We will be working with Dublin based Pharmed to launch the NeoStrata brand of skincare products into the Northern Ireland marketplace.

Redrock
We are proud to be working in partnership with Redrock Machinery Ltd providing PR, marcomms and ‘Video for Web’ to the successful agricultural machinery business. Based in Armagh, Redrock manufacture and supply a wide range of farming machinery to the farming sector on a national and international basis.

Moy Park
Morrow Communications has been appointed as Moy Park’s communications agency for Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, England and Europe. Moy Park, owned by global food company, Marfrig is the leading provider of fresh, locally farmed and locally produced chicken in the UK and is recognised as one of the largest producers of organic, free range and corn fed poultry in Europe.

Northern Ireland Ombudsman
Morrows has been appointed to support the NI Ombudsman Tom Frawley on his communications needs. We will deliver communications advice and support around the varied remit of the Ombudsman as the oversight body for most of Northern Ireland's public sector bodies. As well as acting as the press office for the Ombudsman Office, we are also supproting the Ombudsman's outreach and education programme undertaken to keep its stakeholders informed about new developments.

Parents Advice Centre
We will be working with the Parents Advice Centre to deliver a fully integrated campaign to promote the Parents Helpline. The campaign will include radio, outdoor and press advertising as well as extensive PR and re- branding activity.

Tellus Border project
Morrow Communications has been contracted to deliver communications support for the Tellus Border project – a substantial geophysical and geochemical survey of the Republic of Ireland’s six border counties. Continuing the successful work carried out under the Tellus project, the NI wide mapping project led by the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland, the Tellus Border project will run until December 2013, delivering an intense geological mapping of the area. Morrow’s role will be to effectively communicate the purpose, logistics, relevance and outcomes of the project, delivering a robust public engagement and media relations campaign.

Queens University Belfast
Following a tender process at the beginning of the year Morrow Communications AV team where delighted to be appointed for the provision of video production for the Marketing and Creative Services Unit at Queens University Belfast. A member of the Russell Group of the UK's 20 leading research-intensive universities, Queen's is recognised as one of the very best universities in the UK and Ireland, a leader in innovation and education, Queen's aims to inspire its students to realise their full potential. The partnership has got off to a great start in the production of a number of films promoting a variety of services including the impact of the cutting edge research carried out at the university and the state-of the art facilities available to the students. With plans for future films in the making we are very excited about the potential for some great productions in the near future.

INCORE (International Conflict Research Institute)Morrow Communications AV team where delighted to be awarded the contract to produce a DVD to document the ‘Journeys Out’ project. The three year project was delivered between February 2009 and July 2011. Two groups of community leaders were selected to undertake a range of activities to support their engagement in issues related to dealing with the past in Northern Ireland and the Border Counties. Journeys Out was delivered by, INCORE (International Conflict Research Institute), based at the University of Ulster, in partnership with the Peace and Reconciliation Group , Derry/Londonderry, Intercomm Ireland based in Belfast, and the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation, Co. Wicklow.

NIFDA
Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association (NIFDA), is an organisation committed to helping NI food and beverage companies compete successfully in their marketplace and to represent and promote their interests. This year Morrow Communications were delighted to be awarded the contract to produce a series of short films for their annual awards event as well as co-ordinating audio- visual content on the evening of the event.

Armagh City & District Council
The PEACE III Southern Cluster Partnership celebrated the success of its Small Grants Priority funding programme at a special event held at the Armagh City Hotel with more than 50 community groups and voluntary organisations from Armagh, Banbridge, Craigavon and Newry & Mourne District Councils. Morrow Communications events team produced the event on behalf of Armagh City & District Council, managing all elements of the event to create a celebratory atmosphere for all guests.

Sustainable Communities Conference
The Sustainable Communities Conference was hosted by a range of statutory and voluntary agencies including Belfast City council, Belfast Healthy Cities, The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, DHSSPS, The Met Office, The Public Health Agency and University of Ulster. The purpose of the conference was to bring together professionals and experts in the field of climate change and sustainability to explore and analyse the impact of climate change on Northern Ireland as well as raise awareness and increase understanding of the short and long term effects on a regional and local scale. Morrow Communications events team was appointed by Belfast City Council to support the conference working group in event planning, logistics and implementation on the day.

Electrical Training Trust
Morrow Communications events team was recently appointed to produce the Electrical Training Trust’s inaugural conference due to take place in September 2011. This is the first conference to take place in Northern Ireland specifically aimed at the electrical industry, and we are delighted to provide advice and practical support to the Trust to produce a first class conference.

InterTradeIreland Venture Capital Conference 2011 - Building a first class venture backed business

Morrow Communications events team successfully delivered InterTradeIreland’s tenth annual Venture Capital Conference which took place in the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Dublin in April 2011.

Each year, this flagship conference brings together young, start up companies with Business Angels, Venture Capitalists and Private Investors from across the island of Ireland to network, learn from each other and gain experience from those who have “been there, done that”.

With a packed agenda with 30 speakers over the course of the day and a full house capacity of over 270 delegates in attendance, the team considered every detail to ensure a slick production on the day. In the six months leading up to the conference, we co-ordinated and planned the complete event requirements including administration, technical, logistics and hospitality. Due to the complexity of the programme and the nature of the venue it was crucial that we adopted a ‘no stone left unturned’ approach which certainly paid off.

Journey towards Healing Conference

Morrow Communications delivered integrated communications activity for NIAMH (Northern Ireland Association for Mental Health), which included event management, PR and production of a DVD for the international ‘Journey towards Healing’ Conference which took place in Belfast.

The groundbreaking conference, ‘Trauma and Spirituality: An International Dialogue’ brought together health professionals and faith representatives to discuss how a more holistic approach to trauma recovery could be developed. The conference hosted over 200 delegates and speakers from across the world including keynote speakers from the United States and South Africa.

The events team at Morrow Communications managed the five day event, across everything from venue management to conference bookings, staging and delegate relations. Morrow’s also managed all PR around the event including launching the conference, managing media on the day and post conference media relations.

Morrow’s AV team produced a DVD of the conference which included an overview of the event and the two keynote addresses. The DVD was distributed to all delegates and interested parties throughout the world who could not make it to Belfast for the conference.

Morrows puts NI on the Map in Washington

Through our work with the NI Bureau this year, Morrows produced a short film which premiered to an audience of 400 at the Washington Chamber of Commerce on St Patrick’s Day, showcasing some of the outstanding work carried out by NI’s fast emerging digital industry.

Highlighting the breadth of skills and experience inherent within the creative industries sector in Northern Ireland, the film celebrated recent investment successes in film and TV, web applications, animation and music, confirming NI’s global position as a key business location for creative industry projects.

Department for Employment and Learning – Made Not Born

With 10 Roadshows, three Masterclasses and more than 1,500 SME engagements to its name, the Department for Employment and Learning’s (DEL) leadership and management campaign ‘Made Not Born’ has certainly proved itself as a very popular source of inspiration and support in what are extremely tough times.

Morrow Communications has been working with DEL for more than two years now to help promote the benefits of management and leadership development under the campaign banner‘Made Not Born’. Delivered through an integrated communications strategy involving brand development and application, events, online communications, video production, direct marketing and media relations the ‘Made Not Born’ campaign promotes the key message that great leaders and managers are not born, but rather made.

To help illustrate the benefits of Management and Leadership development to the SME sector, Morrows worked with the Department to help identify Europe’s leading management experts, as well as local champions to speak at the various events held throughout Northern Ireland. Each provided real life, real time examples of just how impactful these techniques can be within a business environment.

Mervyn Langtry, Head of the Department for Employment and Learning‘s Management Development Branch, said: “This year’s ‘Made Not Born’ campaign has been a hugely successful one. The overall level of stakeholder engagement has increased, and to date more than 1,500 SMEs have made contact with my team.” This has resulted in more companies engaging in Management and Leadership development and accessing the support programmes available through DELNI.

To see what some of our guest speakers had to say visit the Made Not Born YouTube site at the following link http://www.youtube.com/user/MadeNotBornNI

Two Wheels: Two Weeks

DRD Travelwise NI is once again celebrating another successful ‘Two Wheels: Two Weeks’ initiative which saw cycling enthusiasts from across Northern Ireland ‘saddle up’ for two weeks of cycling celebrations from 18th to 26th June.

The ‘Two Wheels: Two Weeks’ initiative is developed and promoted by DRD Travelwise NI and is celebrated as part of National Bike Week, which takes place across the UK and Ireland. Designed to encourage the public to get on their bikes to enjoy the numerous health, financial and environmental benefits associated with cycling, the initiative also aims to encourage the public to incorporate more sustainable modes of transport into their daily lives whether it’s cycling to work, school, down to the shop or even just to get some exercise.

During the initiative Travelwise NI collaborated with local councils, employers, schools and cycling organisations to promote a wide variety of cycling events including; Schools’ Bike Day, After work Spinathon, Bike to Work Day and Pedal in the Park events in parks throughout Belfast.

Northgate Managed Services secure £5.8m education contract with Kent based Isle of Sheppey Academy

Newtownabbey based Northgate Managed Services (Northgate) continues to grow its presence in the Education sector across the UK with the award of a £5.8m contract to provide a state-of-the-art ICT managed service for the Kent based, Isle of Sheppey Academy.

The five year contract will involve Northgate designing, delivering and managing a tailored ICT solution that is both robust and flexible, and that has the ability to respond to the changing needs of the Academy, as well as being able to keep a pace with technology developments.

Andy Ross, Chief Executive, Northgate Managed Services, commented: “We are delighted to be working with Kent Local Education Partnership 1 and the Academy on these inspiring new learning environments. We are currently providing IT services to every school in Northern Ireland, and we will use this experience to help the Academy to take advantage of the latest computer-based teaching and to create learning rich environments for its students.”