BUSINESS TRADERS' FORUM n THE Antrim Road Business Association is hosting a business forum tonight at 7.30pm at the Lansdowne Hotel in Belfast.
Political representatives from all parties will be in attendance along with guest speakers, Cliftonville FC chairman Gerard Lawlor and Core Systems managing director Patricia O'Hagan. The event gives business owners a unique opportunity to meet and engage with local political leaders about decisions being taken at Stormont and local government. Chairman Paul Carlin said: "We have always believed that engaging with one another and political leaders is paramount in achieving progress in our society. "Small businesses are on the frontline of trying to fight this recession and bring us back to economic recovery. So it is crucial for small businesses to work together to make their voices heard."
The Antrim Road Traders' Association, founded two years ago, has more than 30 members who employ over 200 people in the North Belfast area.
FPM BUDGET BREAKFAST
* PROFESSOR Neil Gibson, director of the Northern Ireland Centre for Economic Policy at the Ulster Business School at the University of Ulster, will provide an economic overview of the budget in a Northern Ireland context and examine lessons to be learned from other economies at the Irish News/FPM post-Budget Breakfast being hosted at the Quays Omniplex, Newry on Thursday morning.
Breakfast is served from 7.30am, with presentations beginning at 8.10am sharp. To book a free space log on to www.fpmca.com/ postbudgetbreakfast or contact Paula Kearney at 028 (048 RoI) 30261010 or p.kearney@fpmca.com.
TOWN CENTRE SUMMIT
* THE Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association will be holding a Town Centre Summit on Thursday at 10am in the MAC, Belfast. Guest speakers include DoE Minister Mark H Durkan, DSD Minister Nelson McCausland and DRD Minister Danny Kennedy. To apply to attend, email lisa.mcmaster@niirta.com or phone 90220004.
BIG BUSINESS CONVERSATION n WITH youth unemployment continuing to be one of the biggest issues facing Northern Ireland today, business leaders from private sector organisations are invited to join in Employ3 - a Big Business Conversation about youth unemployment to look at how this crisis can be tackled. Organised by Business in the Community, in partnership with the CBI and supported by George Best Belfast City Airport and The Irish News, those attending will hear from young people about their employability journey and be inspired to make a difference.
Employ3 seeks to encourage businesses to create 3,000 work opportunities for young people in three years. The event in the Belfast Harbour Office on Thursday April 3 (9.30-11.30am) will culminate with a unified challenge along with advice and support to help organisations be more open to creating opportunities for young people. To book a free place email clare.mercer@bitcni.org.uk, call (028) 9046 0606 or click on www.bitcni.org.uk.
WOMEN'S CONFERENCE
* ULSTER Bank has underlined its commitment to female entrepreneurship by supporting Northern Ireland's first International
Business Women's Conference (IBWC 2014). The event, organised by Women in Business NI (WIBNI), will welcome business representatives from across the globe to Belfast for a three-day conference programme (May 12-15).
Under the theme of 'Creating a New Economy', the conference will explore the issues facing business people across the globe, based around the belief that a sustainable and vibrant economy can be achieved when men and women work together to maximise opportunity and growth.
The event is also supported by Invest NI, Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister, Belfast City Council, Northern Ireland
Tourist Board and Visit Belfast.
Guest speakers include Carla Busazi, editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post UK & Huff Post Lifestyle; Helena Morrissey CBE, founder of the Thirty Per Cent Club and CEO of Newton Investment Management; and Una Fox, vice-president of the Walt Disney Company Corporate Technology group.
Full information can be found at www.ibwc2014.com
* QUAY SPEAKER: Professor Neil Gibson, left, attended The Irish News/FPM post-Budget Breakfast at The Quays Omniplex in Newry last year. Professor Gibson will be back at the same venue on Thursday to discuss this year's Budget