Limerick has fast risen as a business city with vast and tall modern rivers cape buildings and hotels but it’s also a place where small to medium enterprises (SMEs) are flourishing too.

As part of ‘Design Week’ Design Shannon Skillnet is hosting seminars for Limerick businesses, interested in exploring how design might be more fully exploited to bring added value to their firms.

We are offering seminars including ‘Building Your Own Brand’ aimed at managers of SMEs in the mid-west region. We do one on one workshops for individual SMEs, which can be anything from one person upwards,” said Laura Maye, who’s behind the whole event.

The Network Manager for Design Shannon Skillnet added that any small to medium enterprise in Limerick or in the mid-west area should get in contact with her now during Design Week to reap the benefits of getting first hand knowledge from other SMEs regarding design and their business.

“Lotus Automation Ireland have come on board for a seminar in the Clarion Suites and they will be talking us through the process of how they successfully rebranded themselves,” said Laura.

Lotus Automation Ireland is just one example of how a small to medium enterprise Start-up Company have now managed to successfully go global. Design has been a major key for the firm in its step up in the business world.

It's great to have an Irish SME that did this successfully and are here in Limerick to show other SMEs the process and answer their questions. My role has been to find these types of success stories and get them on board,” Laura said.

The purpose of Design Week is twofold, according to Laura.

“Firstly, it aims to provide the managers/owners of small to medium sized businesses with access to leading national branding experts and an environment in which to focus on the place of design within their overall business.”

“Secondly, it serves to give a snapshot of the 2-year Design Shannon Skillnet programme, which provides access to over €30,000 worth of design expertise free to each member firm.”