Having a business in rural Ireland is no longer an obstacle to trading with Asia - in fact, it can be a distinct advantage.
That was the resounding message at a roundtable of female entrepreneurial leaders held at Glen Keen Estate in Co Mayo as part of the Asia Matters summit.
Asia Matters is Ireland’s only Asia think-tank and was established as a member knowledge hub for Asia business partnerships.
This year, it held its Asia Business Week in locations across the west of Ireland, with more than 80 expert speakers discussing everything from cultural and creative opportunities to the blue economy.
The female entrepreneur panel included CEO of Glen Keen Estate and Asia Matters advisory board member Catherine O’Grady Powers, who in 2020 was a winner of the Irish Farmers Journal/Irish Country Living Women in Agriculture awards for the diversification of her traditional family sheep farm to an innovative agri-tourism business.
Other speakers
Other speakers included commercial director with Portwest Orla Good; head of operations at Westport Estate Biddy Hughes; founder and CEO of Payslip Fidelma McGuirk; co-founder and chief marketing officer of Truckscience Sorcha O’Grady; and president of Network Ireland Noreen McKenzie, all of whom shared their experience and insights into doing business in Asia.
Sorcha O’Grady of Truckscience, which produces software for the commercial vehicle industry, explained that “connection isn’t really a problem in the west anymore”, especially with the rise of “virtual conversations” through video conference platforms since COVID.
However, she emphasised that nothing beats a “physical connection” and that attending trade shows is still a vital part of doing business in Asia, with many senior decision makers often in attendance.
Pictured at the Asia Matters female leaders event, from left to right are: Fidelma McGuirk, Founder & CEO PAYSLIP, Catherine O' Grady Powers, CEO Glen Keen Estate & Visitor Attraction, Sorcha O' Grady, Co Founder & Chief Marketing Officer, Truckscience, Noreen McKenzie, President Network Ireland, Biddy Hughes, Head of Operations, Westport Estate, Orla Good, Commercial Director, Portwest, Keira Keogh, VP Bord of Directors JCI International, Kate Heneghan, Mid West Radio & Harpist,
Meanwhile, Orla Good explained how 80% of all Portwest workwear and protective garments are now produced in the company’s own factories in Bangladesh and Myanmar.
When it comes to making sales to the region, she said that Portwest has prioritised hiring local talent, as they can “build those connections” that are so vital to doing business in the early days.
Attracting tourists
Biddy Hughes of Westport Estate spoke of the work being undertaken to attract Asian tourists “north of Galway” to Co Mayo and hinted at plans to develop “an attraction of note” to rival the likes of the Cliffs of Moher, with €20m funding secured from Fáilte Ireland for the project, which is now in the design stage.
Other topics included the importance of respecting cultural differences in the various Asian markets, accessing supports from bodies such as Enterprise Ireland to understand red tape in different countries and the importance of building trust with your customer.
Leenane to Beijing
Speaking with the Irish Farmers Journal after the event, Catherine O’Grady Powers explained that attending the World Bridge Tourism event in Shanghai in 2017 first opened her eyes to the potential there.
“Three-quarters of the world’s customers are based in Asia, half the world’s wealth is generated in Asia,” says Catherine, explaining that she subsequently participated on a trade mission to mainland China and was involved in hosting main players from the Chinese tourism industry in Mayo in partnership with other tourism attractions such as Westport Estate, supported by Fáilte Ireland, Mayo County Council and the local enterprise board.
Post-COVID, 75% of visitors to Glen Keen Estate are from the US, but Catherine has seen “a lot of interest from high-end luxury groups from mainland China” and feels “very positive” about that market returning.
She says there is an appetite for “tactile, authentic, immersive attractions and activities”, such as the traditional music and dance demonstrations they provide in their own visitor centre.
We’re used to having iced water on our tables, whereas in China they like warm water on arrival
“They especially liked learning the steps to a sean nós dance, being able to do that in a group setting and then learning the technique of playing the bodhrán,” says Catherine, who also credits Fáilte Ireland’s China Ready programme for helping to understand cultural differences and visitor needs, down to the finest detail.
“We’re used to having iced water on our tables, whereas in China they like warm water on arrival, so cultural differences like that made them feel at home and welcome,” says Catherine, adding that this helped to “start the relationship-building process on a very positive level”.
Export opportunities
As well as attracting tourists from Asia, Catherine and her team are also entering the export market in 2023 with their new product, Glen Keen Estate whiskey.
She explains that the idea actually came from a member of a visiting trade delegation from Asia, who felt there was “a massive opportunity for Glen Keen to export quality Irish products to Asia”.
Given the history of small pot distilling in the area, Glen Keen partnered with a major distiller on the project, which is cut using water from the estate.
Having sent sample bottles to the Hainan Trade Show last May, they are due to launch in China in February 2023; initially through a platform called WeChat (which is a Chinese version of social media, but with a payment and ecommerce channel) and their own website, before going on to target customers in high-end whiskey bars and duty-free outlets.
Catherine explains that they have an expert on their team with experience of delivering luxury products to China, but they have also availed of other supports, such as training from Fáilte Ireland on the WeChat platform, along with supports from Bord Bia and Enterprise Ireland.
Big seller
However, their rural location is also a big seller.
“We can invite our customers to visit us here. It’s a real place backed by real people and real history,” says Catherine.
“Our brand is purity, tradition and trust and we’re located in an EU-designated special area of conservation for environmental purity and that’s a very strong message for our brand and when you look at the level of products available for export in Ireland, there’s a huge potential there for a growing market in Asia.”
Asia Matters
Catherine credits the support from Asia Matters on Glen Keen’s journey and in particular the decision to host their summit in the west of Ireland, including on their family farm.
With virtual attendees from across the world, she hopes the message went out loud and clear that a rural location is no obstacle to doing global business.
“The entrepreneurs and the people taking part in the panel really highlighted that you can enjoy the wonderful lifestyle here and everything the west of Ireland has to offer while still having a positive global impact,” she says.
“Mayo is a great place to live, work and do business and for me that’s really what I took out of this event here. There are zero barriers for running a business from the west.
“We are very proud to wave the Mayo flag here and to showcase the value and support of Mayo County Council, Mayo Local Enterprise Office, South West Development Company, ATU Innovation Hubs, Bord Bia, Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland for supporting business like ours in our domestic, national and international business initiatives.”
Visit www.asiamatters.eu.
Having a business in rural Ireland is no longer an obstacle to trading with Asia - in fact, it can be a distinct advantage.
That was the resounding message at a roundtable of female entrepreneurial leaders held at Glen Keen Estate in Co Mayo as part of the Asia Matters summit.
Asia Matters is Ireland’s only Asia think-tank and was established as a member knowledge hub for Asia business partnerships.
This year, it held its Asia Business Week in locations across the west of Ireland, with more than 80 expert speakers discussing everything from cultural and creative opportunities to the blue economy.
The female entrepreneur panel included CEO of Glen Keen Estate and Asia Matters advisory board member Catherine O’Grady Powers, who in 2020 was a winner of the Irish Farmers Journal/Irish Country Living Women in Agriculture awards for the diversification of her traditional family sheep farm to an innovative agri-tourism business.
Other speakers
Other speakers included commercial director with Portwest Orla Good; head of operations at Westport Estate Biddy Hughes; founder and CEO of Payslip Fidelma McGuirk; co-founder and chief marketing officer of Truckscience Sorcha O’Grady; and president of Network Ireland Noreen McKenzie, all of whom shared their experience and insights into doing business in Asia.
Sorcha O’Grady of Truckscience, which produces software for the commercial vehicle industry, explained that “connection isn’t really a problem in the west anymore”, especially with the rise of “virtual conversations” through video conference platforms since COVID.
However, she emphasised that nothing beats a “physical connection” and that attending trade shows is still a vital part of doing business in Asia, with many senior decision makers often in attendance.
Pictured at the Asia Matters female leaders event, from left to right are: Fidelma McGuirk, Founder & CEO PAYSLIP, Catherine O' Grady Powers, CEO Glen Keen Estate & Visitor Attraction, Sorcha O' Grady, Co Founder & Chief Marketing Officer, Truckscience, Noreen McKenzie, President Network Ireland, Biddy Hughes, Head of Operations, Westport Estate, Orla Good, Commercial Director, Portwest, Keira Keogh, VP Bord of Directors JCI International, Kate Heneghan, Mid West Radio & Harpist,
Meanwhile, Orla Good explained how 80% of all Portwest workwear and protective garments are now produced in the company’s own factories in Bangladesh and Myanmar.
When it comes to making sales to the region, she said that Portwest has prioritised hiring local talent, as they can “build those connections” that are so vital to doing business in the early days.
Attracting tourists
Biddy Hughes of Westport Estate spoke of the work being undertaken to attract Asian tourists “north of Galway” to Co Mayo and hinted at plans to develop “an attraction of note” to rival the likes of the Cliffs of Moher, with €20m funding secured from Fáilte Ireland for the project, which is now in the design stage.
Other topics included the importance of respecting cultural differences in the various Asian markets, accessing supports from bodies such as Enterprise Ireland to understand red tape in different countries and the importance of building trust with your customer.
Leenane to Beijing
Speaking with the Irish Farmers Journal after the event, Catherine O’Grady Powers explained that attending the World Bridge Tourism event in Shanghai in 2017 first opened her eyes to the potential there.
“Three-quarters of the world’s customers are based in Asia, half the world’s wealth is generated in Asia,” says Catherine, explaining that she subsequently participated on a trade mission to mainland China and was involved in hosting main players from the Chinese tourism industry in Mayo in partnership with other tourism attractions such as Westport Estate, supported by Fáilte Ireland, Mayo County Council and the local enterprise board.
Post-COVID, 75% of visitors to Glen Keen Estate are from the US, but Catherine has seen “a lot of interest from high-end luxury groups from mainland China” and feels “very positive” about that market returning.
She says there is an appetite for “tactile, authentic, immersive attractions and activities”, such as the traditional music and dance demonstrations they provide in their own visitor centre.
We’re used to having iced water on our tables, whereas in China they like warm water on arrival
“They especially liked learning the steps to a sean nós dance, being able to do that in a group setting and then learning the technique of playing the bodhrán,” says Catherine, who also credits Fáilte Ireland’s China Ready programme for helping to understand cultural differences and visitor needs, down to the finest detail.
“We’re used to having iced water on our tables, whereas in China they like warm water on arrival, so cultural differences like that made them feel at home and welcome,” says Catherine, adding that this helped to “start the relationship-building process on a very positive level”.
Export opportunities
As well as attracting tourists from Asia, Catherine and her team are also entering the export market in 2023 with their new product, Glen Keen Estate whiskey.
She explains that the idea actually came from a member of a visiting trade delegation from Asia, who felt there was “a massive opportunity for Glen Keen to export quality Irish products to Asia”.
Given the history of small pot distilling in the area, Glen Keen partnered with a major distiller on the project, which is cut using water from the estate.
Having sent sample bottles to the Hainan Trade Show last May, they are due to launch in China in February 2023; initially through a platform called WeChat (which is a Chinese version of social media, but with a payment and ecommerce channel) and their own website, before going on to target customers in high-end whiskey bars and duty-free outlets.
Catherine explains that they have an expert on their team with experience of delivering luxury products to China, but they have also availed of other supports, such as training from Fáilte Ireland on the WeChat platform, along with supports from Bord Bia and Enterprise Ireland.
Big seller
However, their rural location is also a big seller.
“We can invite our customers to visit us here. It’s a real place backed by real people and real history,” says Catherine.
“Our brand is purity, tradition and trust and we’re located in an EU-designated special area of conservation for environmental purity and that’s a very strong message for our brand and when you look at the level of products available for export in Ireland, there’s a huge potential there for a growing market in Asia.”
Asia Matters
Catherine credits the support from Asia Matters on Glen Keen’s journey and in particular the decision to host their summit in the west of Ireland, including on their family farm.
With virtual attendees from across the world, she hopes the message went out loud and clear that a rural location is no obstacle to doing global business.
“The entrepreneurs and the people taking part in the panel really highlighted that you can enjoy the wonderful lifestyle here and everything the west of Ireland has to offer while still having a positive global impact,” she says.
“Mayo is a great place to live, work and do business and for me that’s really what I took out of this event here. There are zero barriers for running a business from the west.
“We are very proud to wave the Mayo flag here and to showcase the value and support of Mayo County Council, Mayo Local Enterprise Office, South West Development Company, ATU Innovation Hubs, Bord Bia, Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland for supporting business like ours in our domestic, national and international business initiatives.”
Visit www.asiamatters.eu.
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: