Delivered in partnership with Phoenix Natural Gas, the first event takes place on Monday 26 September, when the guest speaker will be former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Conservative Government Chief Whip, Julian Smith CBE MP.

The interactive session, which will be facilitated by NI Chamber’s Head of Public Affairs, Stuart Anderson, will provide an update on what the current political landscape at Stormont and Westminster means for firms operating in Northern Ireland. It is an exclusive opportunity for NI Chamber members to get a helpful, business focused synopsis which will enable them to understand the direct implications for their own organisations.

Announcing the new series, Ann McGregor, Chief Executive, NI Chamber said:“The public affairs landscape is becoming increasingly complex, which has significant implications for businesses. Understanding precisely what’s happening at local and international level is really important for firms of all sizes and recently, we’ve experienced a big increase in demand for our services in this area.

“That’s reflective of the impact of soaring cost pressures, inflation, interest rate rises, labour and supply-chain issues. In that context and in the continuing absence of a local Executive, this new series is set to be really important over the coming months.”

Michael McKinstry, Chief Executive, Phoenix Natural Gas added: “The decarbonisation of our economy is of central importance to us at Phoenix, and the successful delivery of this ambition, like many key future economic growth opportunities, is dependent on successful collaboration across the political and business spheres.

“That’s why we are pleased to be a partner to the NI Chamber in the provision of this new Public Affairs Forum and we look forward to seeing the constructive outcomes from the engagement it facilitates between the business community and political policy and decision makers.”

The Public Affairs Forum is a private event, exclusively for NI Chamber members and is free for them to attend. The first event takes place on Monday 26 September from 9.00am – 11.00am at The Merchant Hotel, Belfast.

To register please visit the NI Chamber website.

Caption: Ann McGregor (Chief Executive, NI Chamber), Michael McKinstry (Chief Executive, Phoenix Natural Gas) and Stuart Anderson (Head of Public Affairs, NI Chamber)

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Illuminate will brighten up the dark winter nights with a trail of live projection shows across the city’s most iconic buildings, turning them into spectacular pieces of art.

Illuminate will run over two weekends, 17^th to the 20^th and 24^th to the 27^th of February, and visitors can expect a breath-taking display of music, drama and art installations telling the incredible stories of a legendary place, according to Odhran Dunne from Visit Derry.

Odhran said: “Illuminate is a new festival that’s going to be an atmospheric spectacular featuring state-of-the-art projections which tell the unique story of Derry along a 1.5km route.  Adults and children will be transfixed by the live illumination experiences as the story unfolds on their walk around the 400-year-old walls. It’s an experience like no other this February and not to be missed.”

The magical trail of live projection shows will transform familiar buildings and fortifications into huge night-time audio-visual animations that play for a few minutes as visitors walk past.

“Attendees will be treated to captivating displays created by local lighting and visual production company, Visual Spectrum”, said Odhran. “Plus, a full programme of entertainment, performances, music and drama that will re-imagine public spaces across the city, showcasing our diverse arts and cultural offering.”

The trail charts five eras in the city’s history from early settlement on a wooded island in the River Foyle right up to the vibrant city of today, said Odhran.

“People will relive, in epic fashion, some of the dramatic scenes from the Siege of Derry 1689, learn of the city’s more recent history and how the city has been reimagined.  There are six key locations to look out for, including the wonderful 400-year-old walls, the original Walled city gates, the iconic Guildhall and St. Columb’s Cathedral.”

Music gigs

The Illuminate programme also includes a series of energetic music gigs in intimate spaces, in partnership with Music Capital, showcasing established and emerging artists to bring audiences a truly memorable experience.

Odhran said: “Headline music performances include Neil Cowley, who returns following his stint as the Musician in Residence for Derry’s UK City of Culture, Irish contemporary folk music band, Kila and Donegal sisters, The Henry Girls.”

Ryan Vail, Visual Spectrum, said: “The festival will see the biggest projection show illuminating the Story of Derry to ever come to the City. Using the newest technologies such as lidar, Visual Spectrum will transform the most iconic buildings in the city. The various sites will animate the city’s history in a way that’s never been done before. Viewers will experience a range of different styles of projection and projection mapping at this festival.”

Hospitality

A trip to Derry~Londonderry wouldn’t be complete without sampling the delicious food and drink, warm hospitality, exciting things to do and places to explore.

Odhran added: “The City has more than its fair share of fantastic restaurants and cafes, craic filled bars and hotels, a bustling street food scene, and hidden gems, like the Derry Craft Village to explore. We have award-winning craft beers brewed at Walled City Brewery, Redgate Ciders and Northbound Brewery and some of the best local food and drink producers around.

“The Siege Museum and Museum of Free Derry tell visitors about our fascinating history as do the sociable walking and foodie tours. For active visitors there are pursuits like an exhilarating Foyle Venture Cruise and Far + Wild foodie cycle tour. Or get the most from your stay with a Visit Derry Pass that gives access to ten attractions and activities across the city”, concluded Odhran.

Illuminate is a free, evening event, wheelchair and pram friendly; this fully accessible route is the perfect activity for all the family. There is a schedule of ticketed concerts in the Guildhall, St Augustine’s Church and other venues.  Hotel accommodation starts from £45per person sharing, so turn your February trip into a weekend escape.

For more information on Illuminate, click on www.visitderry.com/illuminate or call Visit Derry on + 44 (0) 28 7137 7577.

The post Derry to dazzle this February with Illuminate festival of music and light first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

It aims to help its retailers drive footfall and sales with great offers across a range of wines in their wine festival event.

The promotion, which will run from the September, 10 – 30, has become well-established in Nisa’s events calendar and will be supported with a bespoke marketing campaign including themed POS to help create in-store theatre.

The campaign will also be supported by social media posts, a Facebook Live competition and a dedicated Wine Festival webpage featuring a wine selector, tasting notes, recipe pairings and a competition to win prizes such as a case of wine.

Included on promotion during the Wine Festival is a wide range of the I Heart 75cl wines at £4.99 and the I Heart Prosecco at £6.99, The Straw Hat 75cl wines at 2 for £7.50, Hardys Stamp wines at £5.49 each and many more.

The promotion is available to all Nisa retailers in England, Ireland and Wales (though as independent retailers it is at their discretion whether or not they opt to run the promotion in their store).

Their latest wine festival (held in April this year) delivered £5.2m in sales, with the three-week promotion continuing to be one of their most successful regular events.

Nisa commented to NR that, “The Wine Festival will allow consumers to benefit from competitive pricing and great deals on a wide range of wines to suit every taste, in addition to tasting notes and recipe pairing suggestions on the www.NisaLocally.co.uk website.

The promotion will also support our retailers in driving footfall, impulse sales and therefore basket-spend.”

Following on from the success of previous events, there are plans to launch a Craft Ale Festival promotion in October, with further events in the pipeline for 2019 (dates to be confirmed).

Norrie Donaldson, Trading Controller for Wines at Nisa, commented:

“This Wine Festival follows on from successful Cider, Gin and Wine Festival promotions throughout the year, which have been a huge success with Nisa retailers and their customers alike.

“The supporting online activity is aimed at making the promotion more interactive with consumers.

We feel the competitive pricing and wide range of wines available as part of the promotion provides something for every taste and budget.

All this whilst supporting our retailers in driving footfall, impulse sales and therefore basket spend.”

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