Have you checked out Omagh Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook. We’d really love to get local businesses involved so please feel free to drop by.
Here’s the link and don’t forget to like us.

Omagh Chamber Facebook

The Adventure Team had several groups out ‘City Centre Treasure Hunting’ in Belfast last Christmas and it was a great way to engage in some team building (with a difference) as well as a good wind down before the Christmas break.  It is also a fun way to get people out and about in the City Centre.

We would love to promote these again in Omagh in the run up to Christmas and are keen to have chamber members involved. By involved, we mean that we would like to be able to direct our treasure hunt participants to local stores etc where photographs would be taken to answer clues which can then be uploaded to our various social media platforms which reach over 7000 followers, enabling promotions etc to be highlighted through us. In return, all we ask in return are some spot prizes (small token gifts or vouchers) from the businesses involved that we can give to participants as part of the treasure hunt experience.

We are keen to hear your thoughts and equally keen to meet with you if you have any additional ideas or indeed any concerns. See below for more information on the treasure hunt format and we have also attached a flyer and some photos from some previous hunts to give you a flavour of the experience for  participants and to see how businesses could get involved.

What is a Treasure Hunt?

During your Treasure Hunt participants will find a series of hidden items and locations via a series of clues, challenges and tasks.

Each Team competes against each other and the clock; scores are tallied at the end by viewing the digital photographs on a big screen.  Bonus points are awarded according to the “creativity” of the solution as well as on the safe return of “valuable” items.

Each Team is provided with a team pack including Top Secret Tools that will enable them to solve the puzzles, find new clues.  They will get to interact with the public as well as local businesses.

Highlights of the City Centre Treasure Hunt programme:

·         Teams compete against each other to find answers to clues or complete tasks throughout the city centre
·         Photographic evidence is used to evidence answers (and provide a great memento of the day)
·         Creative thinking
·         Presentation of all photos to the teams at the end of the hunt
·         Time and time again we are told that it was “the best craic we’ve had in a long time!”
·         Cost effective team building experience (only £20 per person)

Stephen Brown
The Adventure Team | CEAL
8 Meadowbank Road | Carrickfergus | BT38 8YF

Tel: 0845 5213145
Mob: 07513868476
Email: info@theadventureteam.co.uk
Web: www.theadventureteam.co.uk

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TeamBuildingAdventure
Twitter: www.twitter.com/AdventureTeam
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/theadventureteam
Flickr: www.flickr.com/theadventureteam

Make sure to take note our new phone number – 0845 5213145

Young Professionals Networking Event – 5th December 2011 – Bar Rue

As a new initiative to encourage networking, PwC and Omagh Chamber of Commerce will host an informal and interactive event on 5th December to help young professionals in the Omagh region enhance their networking skills and create new contacts.

The event will commence with a 6.00pm drinks reception and it promises to be both enjoyable and informative, with Dan Long Associates providing their expertise on enhancing networking techniques.  I would be grateful if you would circulate this to anyone in your business who would be interested or would benefit from attending. 

The event is open to all young professionals in the region, not just Chamber members.  Please note, there is no charge for attending but places are limited and attendees must register using the instructions on the enclosed flyer.

I look forward to meeting young professionals from your business on 5th December – a great opportunity to swap business cards!

Regards – Elaine

Power NI in partnership with Omagh Chamber of Commerce hosted a “Face to Face” business lunch on Thursday 17th November 2011 at 12.30pm in the Silverbirch Hotel with over 40 local business representatives attending.

Alan Egner, Business Sales & Marketing Manager from Power NI, gave a presentation to guests on the energy and cost cutting services offered by Power NI. He added that “the event offered an excellent opportunity for Power NI to network with local businesses face to face and promote Power NI (the new name for NIE Energy) to our many existing and potential new customers.”

“Power NI supply electricity to around 30,000 local small businesses. Energy prices have risen recently and with winter looming we are keen to offer Omagh Chamber of Commerce members free expert advice on how to cut costs and save money.

Power NI where joined by a leading local lighting supplier Market LED who explained how you can take advantage of energy saving LED lighting, which is the future of lighting in homes and businesses. Guests also had the chance to win an energy saving monitor and get a free energy saving lamps. Guests at the lunch were presented with information packs from Power NI, outlining the practical ways the local energy provider can help customers save energy in their businesses.

Chris Kelly, President, Omagh Chamber of Commerce says “Given the increases in energy costs we welcome the fact that the Power NI “Face to Face” team hosted this event in Omagh and to the local business community. In these difficult times it is always useful to hear of ways in which to reduce costs and learn of energy saving ideas”

Chris Kelly concluded by thanking Power NI and Market LED for two very informative presentations and hoped that all who attended went away with some energy saving ideas.

If you would like to know more, or for information on how to join Omagh Chamber please contact: Elaine Fyffe at Omagh Chamber of Commerce & Industry (OCCI), Omagh Enterprise Centre, Great Northern Road, Omagh, Co. Tyrone, BT78 5LU. Tel: 028 82 249 494 or 077 34389484 Email: admin@omaghchamber.com Web: www.omaghchamber.com.

This can represent a significant cost saving considering postage and labour costs. There’s no minimum donation and we’ll give you a shout out on our Facebook. Visit the Facebook [here] or go directly to the the website [here] Cancer Research Omagh

Contact Don on Tel: 0777 173 2527

Marketing Masterclass To Help Omagh Businesses Beat The Recession

Forty-seven local small businesses keen to find out how to beat the recession attended an evening seminar on “Effective Marketing” co-hosted by Business in the Community and DARD Rural Enterprise on Thursday 20 October at Omagh Enterprise Company.

Sponsored by ESB Independent Energy and delivered in partnership with Omagh Enterprise Company, Omagh Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Small Businesses and the Innotech Centre at South West College, the event was designed to combat the recession and help boost small business growth with tips on how improve marketing impact and reach more customers.

Delegates were presented with a wealth of practical ideas and advice by Richard Collett of Big Pond Thinking and Ciaran Murphy of log on-ni on how to build brand and profile, develop online and e-marketing capability and create positive PR to help improve sales.

Wesley Atchison of the Tyrone Constitution also presented an informative guide to what makes a good local business news story and the benefits to small businesses of securing coverage in the local press. “The speakers were excellent, easy to listen to and very informative, commented Abigail Wylie of Tyrone Home and Office Supplies, one of the small business participants at the event. “I picked up some very useful information and tips and now feel more confident about using some of the marketing ideas I heard about.”

“Effective marketing is pivotal in reaching more customers and generating higher levels of sales,” explains Heather Major, Business in the Community. “This marketing seminar was one in a series being delivered across Northern Ireland as part of our Connections best practice initiatives to help businesses improve communication with existing and potential new customers, get to grips with e-marketing and increase sales.”

“We are delighted to play our part via the Connections programme, helping to nurture economic growth within the small business community,” explains Susan Kinane, Managing Director of ESB Electric Ireland. “The Northern Ireland economy has great potential and we believe that the business community must pull together to provide every competitive advantage for the SME sector.”

Business in the Community is a membership organisation for successful companies committed to responsible business practice in the environment, workplace, community, and economy. We have a core membership of 800+ companies throughout the UK, including 75% of the FTSE 100.  More than 240 of these companies are members in Northern Ireland.

We work with companies to inspire, engage, support, and challenge them to continually improve their impact on society.

The President of Business in the Community is HRH The Prince of Wales and the Chair of the Northern Ireland Board is Paul Rooney, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers. Mark Price is the national Chair of Business in the Community.

For more information, e-mail heather.major@bitcni.org.uk or call (028) 9046 0606.

For more information on Business in the Community, visit our website www.bitcni.org.uk

Working together to help Omagh small business beat the recession (L-R) Ciaran Murphy, log on-ni; Elaine Fyffe, Omagh Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Noelle McAloon, Fermanagh District Council “Survive and Thrive” programme; Heather Major, Business in the Community; Patrick McCarney, ESB Electric Ireland and Anne Kelly, Innotech Centre at South West College.

Omagh small business owners listening to Richard Collett, Big Pond Thinking Marketing share tips and advice on low-cost marketing activities to help beat the recession.

Sharing tips and advice on low-cost effective marketing with Omagh small businesses (L-R) Ciaran Murphy, log on-ni; Wesley Atchison, Tyrone Constitution; and Richard Collett, Big Pond Thinking; along with Heather Major, Business in the Community; Noelle McAloon, Fermanagh District Council “Survive and Thrive” programme and Patrick McCarney, ESB Electric Ireland.

Alan Egner, Business Sales & Marketing Manager from Power NI, sees this event as an excellent opportunity for Power NI to network with local businesses face to face and promote Power NI (the new name for NIE Energy) to their many existing and potential new customers.

Energy prices have risen recently and with winter looming Power NI are keen to offer Omagh Chamber of Commerce members free expert advice on how to cut costs and save money. They will be joined by a leading local lighting supplier to explain how you can take advantage of energy saving LED lighting, which is the future of lighting in homes and businesses. The short presentation and lighting demonstration will be followed by a question and answer session. Guests will also have the chance to win an energy saving monitor and get a free energy saving lamp.

You will also be presented with information packs from Power NI, outlining the practical ways the local energy provider can help customers save energy in their businesses.

This event is also a great opportunity to network with other local business people in the Omagh area. This event is complimentary to Chamber members and if you would like to promote this event to a business colleague please do.

If you would like to attend please book your place by contacting me on the details below. Omagh Chamber

An impressive gathering of over 200 members of the Omagh and District business community gathered in Kelly’s Inn, Garvaghey, on Friday evening last to celebrate the Annual Chamber of Commerce Dinner and the Omagh Chamber of Commerce and Ulster Herald’s Omagh Business Awards 2011.

With Jim Fitzpatrick, Economics and Business Editor with the BBC, as Master of Ceremonies for the night, the glittering occasion featured video presentation of the short-listed nominees before the winner in each category was announced. In the ultimate accolade of a night of business honours, Marcus Isherwood of Creative Media, the Omagh and Belfast based design agency was named as Omagh Business Person of the Year.

The formal speeches of the evening were delivered by Omagh Chamber’s President, Chris Kelly and Alex Attwood, Minister of the Environment before the formal part of the evening concluded with the announcement and presentation of the Omagh Business Awards by the sponsors of the various categories.

Chris Kelly, President of Omagh of Commerce, hailed the evening as an ‘outstanding success’, illustrating business strength and creativity that exists throughout the local area. Mr Kelly said, “I am delighted that the Omagh Business Awards were an outstanding success. Despite the difficult economic times the event was sold out and we had a capacity attendance”.

“The Business Awards celebrate the wealth and diversity of the business talent and the entrepreneurial spirit that exists within Omagh and the surrounding district. They are a recognition of the exceptional talent of the business men and women of Omagh. The Business Awards are also a badge of the confidence and pride that we have in our town and district. They send a clear message to the wider community in Northern Ireland and beyond that Omagh is an exciting place to do business”. “The Awards demonstrate that we in Omagh are more than capable of creating dynamic, innovative and successful world-class businesses.The Awards are all about celebrating that success and each and every one of businesses who took part should be proud of what they have achieved. They are an inspiring testament to the innovation and creativity of the people of Omagh.”

Dominic McClements, Ulster Herald General Manager stated, “The Ulster Herald is delighted to be joint organiser of the Business Awards this year along with Omagh Chamber of Commerce. The gala night last Friday was a huge success for everyone concerned with the local business community being acknowledged for its dedication and entrepreneurialism.

“The Ulster Herald plays a pivotal role in the local community and backing initiatives such as the awards is crucial and we look forward to the event growing in strength over the coming years.”

And the winners are

Retailer of the Year Award – Sponsored by Omagh District Council – House of Kidz

Excellence in Customer Service Award – Sponsored by Grafton Recruitment – Pat Kirk Motors

Excellence in Business Practice Award – Sponsored by Abac, All Business Advice Centre – Hi-Tec Hair Salon

Best Start Up Business Award – Sponsored by Omagh Enterprise – Heavenly Tasty Organics

Excellence in Marketing Award – Sponsored by Power NI – Todds Leap

Growth through Export Award – Sponsored by Invest NI – Waste Systems Ltd

Omagh Chamber of Commerce/Ulster Herald Business Person of the Year Award – Marcus Isherwood, Creative Media

Transition Omagh is one of just six community organisations from across Northern Ireland who have been selected to compete in The BIG Energy Saving Challenge, an exciting new initiative from NIE Energy which is giving £100,000 to communities to encourage energy saving. The Challenge team toured the country earlier this year in search of community groups who are switched onto energy saving and NIE Energy is delighted to announce that Transition Omagh is one of the six successful participants.

Transition Omagh is a group of residents who are dedicated in increasing the resilience of local amenities in the current downturn in the economic climate. They are committed to using themselves as an example to other communities on being energy efficient and saving energy and money and tackling climate change issues. They wish to greatly enhance the lives of their group as well as their health and create a community self-help initiative. The group has committed to working with NIE Energy over the next year to introduce energy saving measures into their wider communities, educate residents and save them money.

Project Coordinator Neil Coleman said, “This competition is the first of its kind in Northern Ireland and we are very excited. We recently delivered the starter pack to Transition Omagh full of energy saving devices and information as well as £7,500 of funding for their homes. For the next 12 months, we will assist and mentor the group through their energy saving journey. At the end of the year long challenge, they will each receive another £7,500 for communities, with the most successful energy saving group winning a fantastic total of £20,000!”

You can follow Transition Omagh’s progress in the BIG Energy Saving Challenge on www.nieenergy.co.uk.

Omagh Chamber members attending the launch of Omagh Business Awards from L-R: Joe Byrne MLA, Gabriel Fox (Bank of Ireland), Lorraine Griffin (Past President), Chris Kelly (President, Omagh Chamber of Commerce),Dominic McClements (General Manager, Ulster Herald) & Gerard O’Hanlon (Stredia)

Awards to celebrate business talent and success in Omagh district

Tuesday 14th June 2011 saw the official launch of the all new Omagh Business Awards. Hosted by the Ulster Herald and Omagh Chamber of Commerce, the awards aim to celebrate the success, talent and all that’s good about business in Omagh district. The BBC’s NI business and economics editor, Jim Fitzpatrick was on hand to help launch the event. The recipients of the seven award categories are set to be announced at a prestigious gala dinner in Kelly’s Inn on Friday 7th October 2011.

On offer is the Retailer of the Year award, up for grabs among retailers of all sizes displaying ambition, energy, skill and vision to scale the heights of business success. In the Excellence in Customer Service award, the judges are looking for customer focused businesses who are committed to the highest levels of service to each an every customer. The Business Practice award seeks out businesses, regardless of size, leading in terms of customer focus, innovation and business development. Businesses who have come into existence in the past two years can compete for the Best Start up business award, while gongs are also on offer for those demonstrating Excellence through Marketing and Growth through Exports. The Ulster Herald in association with the Omagh Chamber of Commerce, will recognise a total commitment to the enhancement of business life in the entire Omagh district with the highly sought after Business Person of the Year award.

Speaking on the night, the new president of Omagh Chamber of Commerce, Chris Kelly said, “The Omagh Business Awards are a recognition of the entrepreneur’s and businesses in Omagh who have made things happen. “These are firms that have excelled in, customer service, marketing, export, business practice and innovation. “They have all met their challenges head on and continue to play their part in creating a vibrant enterprise economy here in Omagh.”

Dominic McClements, Ulster Herald General Manager, said “The Ulster Herald is delighted to be organising these awards in partnership with Omagh Chamber of Commerce and we look forward to an excellent response from the general business community. “It is only right that a forum is in place for local companies to gain recognition for achievement in their area of expertise.” Any business or individual are invited to nominate themselves for any of the seven categories on offer. The awards are free to enter and open to any business in Omagh district. Entry forms are available online from the Ulster Herald and Omagh Chamber of Commerce websites [Click here for entry form] or by contacting Elaine Fyffe on 8224 9494/07734389484 or admin@omaghchamber.com.

The closing date for nominations is 10am on Friday July 29 2011. Self and third party nominations are welcome for all award categories.

Retailer of the Year Award
kindly sponsored by

This award celebrates Retailers, from all over the district, who are really going places. Applications are invited from retailers of all sizes who can show they have ambition, energy, skill and vision to really scale the heights. Applicants will be assessed on the following criteria:

• Meeting/Exceeding Customer Expectations
• General Retail Standards
• Store Services
• Customer Care
• Who is your customer base and what makes your business special
• Performance of the current business
• Future Plans for the business, and how these will be achieved

Excellence in Customer Service Award
kindly sponsored by

The judges will be looking for a customer focused business committed to offering the highest levels of service to each and every customer. This category will be judged on the following criteria:

• First Impressions
• Customer Care
• General interaction with the Customer
• Meeting/Exceeding Customer Expectations
• Telephone Manner
• Staff Training

Excellence in Business Practice Award
kindly sponsored by

This award is about customer focus, innovation and business development, not just about size or sales. Applications are invited from businesses that can demonstrate excellence in one or more of the following areas: – Customer Service, Business Development or Managerial Processes. Applicants will be assessed on the following:

• Management and system procedures recently implemented that have measurably enhanced the operation and competitiveness of your organisation
• Have you identified a customer need and/or delivered excellent customer service that is demonstrated by increased customer loyalty and retention
• Business Growth experience within business and how this has a major impact on your business
• The development of a product and/or service that has had a major impact on the growth of your organisation and has measurably enhanced the product/service offered
• Demonstrate an innovative approach to ongoing business development

Best Start Up Business Award
kindly sponsored by

This award is open to all businesses that have started within the last 2 years. The recipient will have displayed a strategic approach to business, successful implementation of a business strategy and will have good prospects for the future. Applications will be assessed on the following criteria:

• Company profile detailing products, staff, company history, customers and current market conditions
• Key business objectives since opening and steps taken to achieve this
• Business growth since starting e.g. sales, staff, market share, products
• Business competitive edge over other industry competitors
• Evidence that company will have good prospects for the next twelve months- Business Plan/Strategy/Projections

Excellence in Marketing Award
kindly sponsored by

This award explores the creative world of marketing and the recipient will have demonstrated flair, inventiveness and improvisation through the usual marketing techniques and online tools. This category will be judged on the following criteria:

• Demonstrate how marketing has assisted in the growth of your company
• Clearly show the use of digital marketing and use of social media
• Demonstrate how marketing has changed the positioning of the company
• Provide a description of how success was measured
• A comprehensive list of all the tools and techniques used

Growth through Export Award

This award offers applicants the opportunity to receive recognition for the growth in their business through export during the last two years. Judges will consider growth in export sales to countries outside Northern Ireland and Great Britain. They will also be looking at the applicants’ strategic plans to sustain this success. Applicants will be assessed on the following criteria:

• Company profile detailing products, staff, company history, customers and current market conditions
• Export sales growth over the past two years in terms of sales outside Northern Ireland and Great Britain, export markets entered, market share and how this has been achieved
• Strategies in place to maintain this export growth and further export growth
• Percentage of business that is export

Ulster Herald & Omagh Chamber of Commerce Business Person of the Year Award

The recipient of this award will have been nominated for their total commitment to the enhancement of business life within the District. Nominations can be made for either an individual or a private business.

• The judges will be looking for evidence of some of the following merits:
• Evidence of commitment over and above normal expectations
• Investment in the future of Omagh District
• Benefits to the business environment
• Benefits for residents and visitors to Omagh District
• Commitment to a vision for the District of Omagh
• Job creation
• Inward Investment
• Exporting

Shauna Rooney (Tyrone Office Solutions), Bernie Mc Namee (U.S.E.L) & Elaine Fyffe (Membership officer, Omagh Chamber of Commerce) at the launch of Omagh Business Awards

Launching the Omagh Business Awards (L-R) are Chris Kelly (President, Omagh Chamber of Commerce), Dominic McClements (General Manager, Ulster Herald), Jim Fitzpatrick (BBC Business & Economics Editor)& Elaine Fyffe (Membership officer, Omagh Chamber of Commerce)