Join us in Athlone to explore the immense potential of food incubators to stimulate local food economies! For the first time, we bring together the many food incubation hubs in Ireland and the agencies that support them for an inspiring event.

Event Schedule:

10.30am Registration, Refreshments and Networking

11.00am About Food Incubators Transforming Regions project, Erasmus +, Roscommon LEADER Partnership and Momentum

11.10am Welcome address – Professor Ciarán Ó Catháin, President, Athlone Institute of Technology

11.20am Minister Denis Naughten, Minister for Communications, Climate, Action and Environment - launch of Food Incubators Transforming Regions Toolkit

11.35am A focus on knowledge sharing with 6 different types of incubator promoters highlighting their experiences:

• Newmarket Kitchen, Bray

Shane Bonner is the founder of Newmarket Kitchen. Newmarket Kitchen expects collective member’s revenue to near €5 million by the end of 2016. They employ four directly and are catalyst to 40+ jobs.

• Cork County Council – strategic investors in a series of food incubators.

Padraig O'Sullivan manages a property portfolio of 57 industrial units of which 17 are food units. They recently opened Cork Incubators Kitchens.

• The Food Hub, Drumshanbo

The Food Hub opened in 2006 and is widely cited as a best practice example of a community led food production enterprise and education hub. Fergal McPartland is responsible for the growth of the facility to 100% occupancy and is about to embark on an ambitious new development phase.

• Ferbane Food Campus

Ferbane Food Campus opened in 2013 as a state-of-the-art time-share kitchen rental and training facility, situated in the heart of the Midlands. It is at full occupancy.

• School of Food, Kilkenny

The Kilkenny School of Food has developed an incubation kitchen for hire to start up food businesses, in particular those businesses which come through the Supervalu Food Academy.

• Launch of An Chistin, a new food hub in Castlerea, Co. Roscommon

Community champion and food entrepreneur Benny O’ Connell is realising a long held vision to develop a community enterprise food training kitchen and incubator units in Castlerea. With the support of Roscommon County Council and the Food Incubators Regional Alliance, that vision will be realised in the very near future.

12.45 – 1.15pm Open debate and showcasing opportunity for all incubators

30km Lunch prepared and served by the students of AIT hospitality courses

2pm Keynote speaker - Pat Rigney, The Shed Distillery : How a rural Food Hub is vital to my business and why it attracted my investment.

2.20pm Mary Morrisey, Senior Manager, Food and Beverage Division, Bord Bia - Mary has a specific remit for small business and entrepreneurship.

2.30pm 4 different workshop tracks that will all come together at the end for a facilitated wrap up.

• Access to finance – including development agencies, social finance opportunities and crowd funding specialists – hosted by Roscommon Local Enterprise Office
  
  
• Education – how training is a core offering – hosted by GRETB
  
  
• Distribution – add value to your incubator – shared distribution models for your tenants - hosted by Roscommon County Council
  
  
• Nurturing new foodpreneurs – the role of incubators – hosted by Momentum

Conference close 4 pm

SHOWCASING - All attendees at the event will have the opportunity to showcase their services on an information stand.

This is a FREE Multiplier event as part of the Food Incubators Transforming Regions Erasmus + project www.foodincubators.com