The organisers of the All-Ireland Business Summit at Croke Park today say the event attracted an attendance of over 1,000 delegates.

The exhibitors included Virgin Media Business, who had set up a ‘Connector Zone’ where MC Ivan Yates hosted discussions with entrepreneurs. On stage with Yates were Deirdre McGlone, formerly of Harvey’s Point Hotel in Donegal, and Brian Hefferon, MD of Nesta Self Storage.

The Newstalk and TV3 presenter asked his guests: “If creating shareholder value means creating customer value, what can you do to makes their lives better? Very often someone else will already be doing that, so what can you do to make it different?”

“Customer surveys show its location, people and price in that order,” said Hefferon. “We invest a lot in training and empowering our people.”

McGlone commented: “People make the place. Our staff make guests feel welcome and at home. It’s all about the céad míle fáilte.”

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Yates advised his audience: “I don’t know if when you die there is a heaven or a hell, but never, ever, ever sign a personal guarantee. In business you always have to be your own best accountant and solicitor; when the going gets tough, those guys will head for the hills.”

The rueful broadcaster concluded by sharing some advice from the CIA on people and networking skills. “People will forget what you said but they will always remember how you made them feel,” he stated.

Photo: Ivan Yates (right) with Brian Hefferon and Deirdre McGlone