Over 100 Irish craft and design businesses are meeting buyers from Ireland and abroad this weekend as part of the Local Enterprise Showcase at the 2023 Showcase creative expo, taking place at the RDS in Dublin from Sunday 22 January to Tuesday 24 January.

The initiative, which is being put on by Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs), is a special area at the Showcase event to house Ireland's newest design talent.

"To be exposed to this many high-quality buyers in one place is an incredible opportunity for any business starting out. If things go well at this event, a business could fill their book for the year and may well establish a partnership that could extend longer than that and help them grow," said Oisin Geoghegan of the LEOs.

"While that won’t happen for every business, just to be here, see other clients, get new ideas and develop their skills in marketing and sales will stand by them going forward.”

Rosemary Steen, CEO of the DCCI, said: "Showcase offers designers and makers the opportunity to not only meet and do business with buyers from Ireland, the UK, USA, mainland Europe and Asia, but also the chance to come together to celebrate the creativity, the impact and the importance of the heritage of the Irish craft and design sector globally."

In Association with

Showcase, organised by the Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) with support from Enterprise Ireland and LEOs, returned in person for the first time since the pandemic last year with 300 exhibitors.

Local Enterprise Showcase is one of several LEO initiatives to foster entrepreneurship and help small businesses grow, alongside Local Enterprise Week, National Women’s Enterprise Day, the National Enterprise Awards, the Student Enterprise programme and the Local Enterprise Village as part of the National Ploughing Championships.

Photo: Fabric designer Caroline Duffy. (Pic: Orla Murray/Coalesce)