Goals Beyond The Pitch with Northeast Ohio Mayors Delegation

Get ready for an afternoon of great conversation, good food and plenty of opportunities to connect at Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, as we welcome the Northeast Ohio Mayors Delegation to Derry for Goals Beyond The Pitch.

We’ll get things underway with lunch at 12pm, followed by a welcome from US Consul General to NI, Chris Rendo. We’ll then move into two engaging panels, bringing together honest conversations and insights on what it really takes to do business across the Atlantic.

First up is The Route to North America, where we’ll explore the big question: is the US the right market for your business?

Moira Loughran, Head of Exports at Invest Northern Ireland, will be joined by Tim Dillon of OS Doors, Jim Nash of Wild Atlantic Distillery, and William McColgan of McColgan Foods for an honest conversation about what it really takes to enter the North American market, the challenges businesses can expect along the way, and how economic development partners can help make the journey a little easier. Clare McGee, CEO of AwakenHub/AwakenAngels, will guide the conversation.

Next, we’ll move into Making the Move: Resources, Relationships & Support, looking at that all-important stage when a business has identified an opportunity in North America but isn’t quite ready to take the leap.

Ed Johnston, Partner at Clark Hill, will be joined by Cormac Diamond of Bloc Blinds, Vicki Finlay of Menopal, Claire Nixon of Adepta Partners, and William McColgan of McColgan Foods. Together, they’ll share their experiences, practical advice and insights on navigating this stage, with Mark Owens moderating the conversation.

Once the official programme comes to a close at 2:30pm, we’ll keep the conversations going with some time for proper networking.

It’s a great opportunity to meet key stakeholders and US contacts, continue conversations from the panels and make new connections that could lead to future partnerships. Whether you’re actively considering the North American market or simply curious about what’s involved, come along, grab a bite and get involved in the conversation.