Reflecting its continued expansion and development into an All-Ireland ‘must-attend’ annual event, the National Manufacturing and Supply Chain Conference and Exhibition has switched to a larger and more conveniently placed venue, moving from the Aviva Stadium in Dublin’s city centre to the Citywest Hotel, Ireland's premier conference venue, located on the outskirts of the capital. Designed with the objective of connecting key stakeholders across the full spectrum of Irish manufacturing, including the food, pharmaceutical, medical, chemical, life sciences and electronics manufacturing sectors, the third National Manufacturing and Supply Chain Conference and Exhibition will be held on Tuesday, January 26, 2016. The Conference is held in conjunction with an Exhibition of the latest processing and supply chain technology available to Irish industry. National Forum The conference and exhibition will provide a forum for manufacturers, both small and large, from across Ireland - north and south - to gather to discuss pressing issues facing Irish industry and to challenge political decision makers to deliver a business environment suitable for competing globally. The one-day event is expected to attract over 2,000 delegates with 100 exhibitors offering over 2,000 products and services. Now in its third year, the event will be of interest to senior management, established practicing engineers and researchers together with those at a much earlier stage in their careers. To date, delegates have registered from leading companies within the food, pharmaceutical, medical, chemical, electronics, engineering and general production and processing sectors. ‘Creating an innovative manufacturing and supply chain eco-system’ The theme of the 2016 event is ‘creating an innovative manufacturing and supply chain eco-system’ and an impressive line-up of speakers from manufacturing, academia and government agencies will explore the key problems, challenges and opportunities facing Irish industry. A list of 75 speakers is currently being finalised along with the various free workshops and 20 supporting associations. The speakers at the conference have been carefully selected from senior management within Irish industry and academia, who have a successful track record of delivering quantifiable results in sustainable manufacturing and throughout the supply chain, and who can offer delegates a clear pathway to enhancing competitiveness and innovation. For example, Colm J Murphy, senior human resources manager at Hollister ULC, will examine ‘How multinational subsidiaries can continue to compete globally through strategic positioning, talent management and employee engagement’. Hollister Ballina is a true success story. Established 40 years ago, it has more than doubled in size in the last ten years to become Hollister’s largest single site. Murphy will outline how HR has used employer branding, recruitment, talent management, and employee engagement to actively contribute to this strategic success. Cathal O’Reilly of Johnson & Johnson will be sharing important insights and considerations within the global health care sector, and how these can encourage greater collaboration and partnerships amongst industry, academia and government support. Other speakers at the event include: Arthur Stone, CEO of OEEsystems; Richard Bruton, TD, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation; Dr Richard Keegan, a specialist in the areas of lean, world class business and benchmarking with Enterprise Ireland; and Liam Cassidy, managing director of LCL Consult Ltd. Representatives from Pfizer, Lake Region Medical and Mondelez International will also be speaking at the event. The event will address issues facing key decision makers throughout Ireland’s manufacturing industry and domestic and international supply chain. Manufacturing competitiveness has been identified as one of the key research priorities for future policy in Ireland. There is an emphasis on the key players in Ireland to collaborate with government agencies and academia to improve our competitiveness by increasing investment in R&D. Lean manufacturing, increased automation, supply chain optimisation, up-skilling and re-training are all paramount to achieving a sustainable and innovative manufacturing sector in Ireland. The City West Hotel The Citywest Hotel complex with its easy access and free car parking is strategically placed to host All-Ireland events of this nature. The Citywest Hotel not only incorporates Ireland's largest convention, exhibition and events centre but is conveniently located for ease of access to all delegates and visitors travelling nationally or internationally. Located on the N7, just off the M50, the venue is a 25 minute drive from both Dublin City Centre and Dublin International Airport. The complex also has the advantage of having a LUAS (light rail network) stop adjacent to the gates of Citywest Hotel. This network provides the perfect transport infrastructure to deliver delegates and guests from the heart of Dublin City to the hotel. Networking Opportunity The event will provide an ideal forum for meeting Government agencies and supporting associations, and gaining free advice from experts. It will also provide networking zones to connect buyers and suppliers. The layout of the conference and exhibition is intended to maximise the opportunity for colleagues in the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, medical, chemical, electronics and general production and processing industries, as well as the transport and logistics sector to network and make new contacts. Delegates attending the conference will be offered the opportunity to:

• gain industry insights to help their business plan ahead;
• share good practice and learn from each other’s experience;
• connect with senior business leaders to find new business opportunities;
• meet with key technology providers in the dedicated exhibition area.

Manufacturing firms source over €15 billion of materials and services from Irish-based suppliers annually. Although Ireland is home to a number of large scale global players almost 95 per cent of manufacturing firms employ less than 50 people. Indeed, this diversity is what makes the National Manufacturing and Supply Chain Conference and Exhibition such a distinctive event. Exhibitors Suppliers from all key industrial sectors will be exhibiting at the event. Sectors covered include: raw materials and ingredients, process engineering, control and automation, packaging machinery and materials, materials handling, supply chain and logistics, information technology, energy management, water management; lean consultancy and financial and legal. For those interested in exhibiting, sponsorship or speaking at the event, please contact Colin Murphy, managing director of Premier Publishing and Events, at colin@prempub.com or on Tel 353 1 6120880. For further information visit www.manufacturingevent.com