An Irish Diary

This week in business: Ibec housing report and BofE rates

Inspirefest, Datalex AGM, EU and US services data

Ibec will launch its “Better Lives, Better Business” campaign. Focusing on four general areas – housing, planning, infrastructure and sustainability – the launch includes the publication of its Better Housing: Actions to Increase Affordable Supply report. Photograph: Frank Miller

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Mark Hilliard
Mon Jun 18 2018 - 11:37

MONDAY

Meetings: Datalex agm (EastPoint, Dublin); Art Business Summit (Adare Manor Hotel, Adare, Co Limerick); Ibec Better Lives, Better Business Campaign Launch (Ibec, Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2); Junior Entrepreneur Programme All Ireland Showcase (RDS, Dublin 4).

It is the issue that will not go away, much to the chagrin of politicians everywhere. Every corner of the private sector has something to say about Ireland’s hot and cold relationship with the housing business and, on Monday, Ibec will launch its “Better Lives, Better Business” campaign.

Inspirefest’s line-up of 50 speakers includes Surbhi Sarna, the 32 year old whose start-up nVision Medical has been sold to Boston Scientific for $275 million (€232 million).

Although focusing on four general areas – housing, planning, infrastructure and sustainability – the launch includes the publication of its Better Housing: Actions to Increase Affordable Supply report, promising "detailed recommendations that the business community believes addresses the root causes of the housing crisis".

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The report has been compiled in association with Property Industry Ireland and, according to Ibec chief executive Danny McCoy, will be the first step in a broader campaign to examine Irish society.

“Ibec looks forward to shaping and influencing the serious conversation and policy decisions required to transform Ireland as a 21st-century economy and society,” he said ahead of the event.

“For prosperity and quality to go hand in hand, we need to build an Ireland that effectively manages economic growth and demographic change efficiently.” As we have learned in recent years, the problems are self-evident, and the solutions are hard-won. Ibec’s take will, no doubt, be eagerly awaited.

TUESDAY

Results: Ferguson; FedEx.

Indicators: Euro zone construction output (April); US housing starts (May).

WEDNESDAY

Results: Berkeley Group.

Indicators: UK industrial trends orders (June); German PPI (May); US mortgage applications and rates (June).

Meetings: Dublin Chamber Leaders Series breakfast briefing with JP Scally, managing director of Lidl (Dublin Chamber, Clare Street, Dublin 2)

THURSDAY

Results: Barnes & Noble.

Indicators: Euro zone consumer confidence flash (June); UK public sector net borrowing (May); US house price index (April).

Meetings: BoE interest rate decision; Ibec Keep Well Summit on employee wellbeing (Croke Park, Dublin 3); Inspirefest on technology, science and design (Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin); European Conference on Social Media (Limerick IT); Irish Sales Champion Awards (Guinness Storehouse, Dublin); ESRI event Exploring Developments in the Irish Housing and Mortgage Market (ESRI, Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin 2).

Self-described, in part, as a “collision of technology and arts”, it is hard not to be drawn to the variety of speakers at Inspirefest, an event with the promise to deliver exactly what it says when it returns for its fourth year this week (starting Thursday).

The line-up of 50 speakers from 20 countries is diversity at its finest – from Surbhi Sarna, the 32 year old whose start-up nVision Medical has been sold to Boston Scientific for $275 million (€232 million), to Liza Donnelly, cartoonist at the New Yorker magazine and a leading MeToo advocate.

Beat-boxer Reeps One will team up with Nokia Bell Labs’ Experiments in Arts and Technology (EAT) group to perform a world-first duet with his beat-boxing artificial intelligence (AI) twin.

“Since the very first Inspirefest, we’ve learned so much about what our attendees want and the type of speakers they enjoy seeing, so we think we’ve managed to round up some of the most brilliant minds from around the world to talk about the key themes we’re looking to address at this year’s event,” said Inspirefest founder Ann O’Dea.

Over 3,000 people are expected to be inspired at this year’s two-day event.

FRIDAY

Indicators: Irish wholesale prices (May); euro zone services, composite and manufacturing PMI flash (June); German services, composite and manufacturing PMI flash (June); US services, composite and manufacturing PMI flash (June).

Meetings: Marketing Alliance Ireland conference (Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel, Killiney).

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