The Gazette 1987

SEPTEMBER 1987

GAZETTE

Department, Central Bank of Ireland on inter alia the role of the Central Bank, security of foreign capital, currency exchange issues and money markets. Anchorman for this session was John Donnelly, Managing Partner of Deloitte Haskins & Sells who gave an overview of the realities — good and bad — of running a business in Ireland. This last session was important as a necessary counter to what might have been otherwise a cloying succession of honeycomb offerings. A central feature of the final day was again a series of Case Histories, two from companies operating successfully from an Irish base — Bailey's Irish Cream running a highly successful market in the U.S.; Thermo-King in the Middle East and the Minnesota

Trade Office, seeking to promote joint ventures with its counterparts abroad, Coras Trachtala and the I.D.A. in our own case. (A suggestion that Baileys might present a complimentary sample of their product at lunch led to the presentation of sample bottles to all participants.) Commissioner David Speer of the Minnesota De- partment of Trade and Economic Development and his Executive Director Michael Olsen (who moved to the Minnesota Trade Office after 25 years as an Inter- national lawyer) both presented papers. Other significant contributors on the final day were Robert Chalker, Executive Director of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Ireland, Sean Condon, former Head of C.T.T., now of Condon International Marketing who gave

the luncheon address and was also very supportive of the venture; Franklin Jesse, described as "Minnesota's leading international lawyer" who gave a full-scale run- down on the merits and demerits of joint ventures abroad and Noel Sweeney, former Head of Mar- keting, Bord Failte, now running Marketing Decisions, who gave necessary coverage to a vital and otherwise neglected area of our economic scene, tourism. Social highlights of the Conference were a reception in the Law Society on the first day, a banquet at Trinity College Dublin with traditional Irish entertainment provided by "Just Friends" and, for the spouses programme, visits to Malahide Castle and Glendalough and a talk on "Conducting a Family Dig"'by Michael Byrne, Solicitor, of the Irish Family History Society. So did it work? Undoubtedly with earlier marketing there would have been a larger attendance by both Societies. However the Minnesota Trade Office has estab- lished contacts with our State Agencies and expressed them- selves well pleased with the Con- ference. Many other participants expressed themselves as highly impressed with the quality of the presentations and indicated that they would be spreading the word on their return, mostly to Minnesota but also to Florida, Washington and Connecticut. Apart from these at least five participants have already stated that they have learned enough to determine at least to pursue enquiries further. One, a manufac- turer of reverse osmosis filtration systems for the dairy industry, who was looking to the continent as a base for his operation has now declared himself a lot more interested in Ireland as a result of the conference and has already engaged as his adviser another participant and speaker, Frank Jesse, who, as he says, he would not otherwise have met. A second, interested in the financing of toll bridges and private roads made early contact with one of Ireland's leading figures in this field and had a second follow-up meeting with him. A third, holding a substantial market share in neighbouring states in the vegetable canning business has been briefed by the

Her Excellency Mergeret M. Heckler, U.S. Ambassador, w i th Mr. Brien O'Connor, Solicitor end euthor of " D o i n g Business in Ireland", and (back r ow left to right): Mr. Frank Harris, Executive Director of Minnesota Continuing Legal Education, and Professor Laurence G. Sweeney, Director of Training, Law Society.

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