Cork City Business to feature at National Ploughing Championships 2025
A small business from Cork City will get the chance to exhibit to almost 300,000 people at the National Ploughing Championships in Screggan, Co. Offaly next week as part of the Local Enterprise Village.
Wave & Cave is supported by Local Enterprise Office Cork City and is a sustainable Irish clothing label based in the city, creating organic cotton apparel for children and adults www.waveandcave.com
The Local Enterprise Village, an initiative of the Local Enterprise Offices, will house 30 small businesses from across the country and will be located at the heart of this year’s National Ploughing Championships in Offaly from the 16th to 18th September.
This year the Local Enterprise Offices are partnering with Google to enhance the offering within the Local Enterprise Village. Google will have their own area within the Local Enterprise Village where they will be hosting talks and demonstrations for small businesses and entrepreneurs who are looking to improve their business by utilizing digital tools and AI.
The Local Enterprise Village was launched by Niamh Smyth, T.D., Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation at an event in Google.
Niamh Smyth, T.D., Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation, said; “This partnership between the Local Enterprise Offices and Google for the Ploughing Championships is an extremely positive development for the Local Enterprise Village at this year’s event. It will give owners of small businesses, both exhibiting and visiting the Ploughing, the chance to tap into Google’s expertise in the areas of digitisation and AI in how they can significantly impact their business.
I’m looking forward to visiting the Local Enterprise Village in September at the Ploughing and meeting with the array of businesses that will be there and seeing first-hand how they can benefit from this partnership with Google.”
With some of the biggest companies and organisations in Ireland taking up residence at the National Ploughing Championships every year, the Local Enterprise Village continues to be a popular destination on the site for those looking to pick up something unique to bring home from some of the best small businesses in Ireland.
The Local Enterprise Village will showcase the very best of Irish entrepreneurship and will house businesses across all sectors from natural skincare and organic soy candles to sustainable fashion and eco-friendly 3D printed sensory toys.
Dr. Niall O’Keeffe, Head of Enterprise at Cork City Council “This is a great opportunity for a small business in Ireland. The chance to bring their ideas and products to almost 300,000 potential customers is a showcase like no other. The Local Enterprise Village has become one of those areas everyone wants to drop into to find their local business and see what they can pick up.
The addition of Google to this year’s Village will enhance the offering not just for the businesses there, but also for any businesses or entrepreneurs who drop in. They can avail of Google’s expertise in digital tools and AI to help small business to maximise their outputs.
There is a huge variety of businesses exhibiting this year highlighting the depth of sectors that the Local Enterprise Offices support from manufacturing and food and beverage, to software solutions and fashion. Whatever you are interested in there is something for everyone at the Local Enterprise Village.”
Laura-Jane Redmond, Owner of Wave & Cave: “It is an honour to represent LEO Cork City at the National Ploughing Championships. I’m really excited to have the opportunity to showcase Wave & Cave clothing to a national audience and share what our brand it all about.”
Anna May McHugh, Managing Director of the National Ploughing Association, said; “The Local Enterprise Village is such a valuable part of the Ploughing, and we are privileged to be part of the journey these small Irish Businesses are on in developing in the marketplace.
Anything the NPA can do to showcase the small business sector is massively important to us and we are really looking forward to welcoming Google this year as part of the Local Enterprise Village offering digital and AI advice, it’s an exciting opportunity to give small businesses and entrepreneurs the tools to succeed.”
Cera Ward, Managing Director, Google Ireland, said: “Small businesses are at the heart of our economy, driving innovation, growth and creating jobs in communities across Ireland. This is especially true in rural areas, where these businesses are vital to local prosperity. At Google, we’ve always believed in the power of digital to help businesses thrive, and we're proud to partner with the LEOs as part of the Local Enterprise Village initiative.
From AI to smarter search tools, digital technology is transforming how small businesses grow, connect with customers, and compete on a global stage. /…
We know that time is a business owner's most valuable asset, and we're excited to show how the right AI strategy can boost productivity and give them more time back. We look forward to meeting with business owners in Screggan and demonstrating how AI and digital can turn ambition into real growth."
This year, our focus is on how digital and AI tools are revolutionizing business growth. We'll be on-site to demonstrate how smarter search tools and powerful AI can help businesses reach new customers, streamline operations, and compete effectively on a global scale. We know that time is a business owner's most valuable asset, and we're excited to show how the right digital strategy can boost productivity and give them more time back. We look forward to meeting with business owners and demonstrating how to turn ambition into real growth.