Limerick to tap into benefit of sports to economy
Last Saturday’s Munster v Leinster Magners League game at Thomond Park which drew a capacity 26,000 crowd, was worth in excess €10 million to the city’s economy.
Nominated a European City of Sport 2011, the leisure economy in the city is now working on how to tap into this prestige designation.
Hundreds of students at Limerick Institute of Technology yesterday pitched in their ideas at a day-long forum on how the city can win more sports business, through the Marketlink enterprise programme set up at the college.
LIT president Dr Maria Hinfelaar outlined emerging trends for marketing Ireland, the midwest region and Limerick, through its links with sport of all kinds.
“LIT has recently completed its new Strategic Plan.
“This vision document will act as a roadmap guiding the Institutes direction to the year 2020,” she said.
“One of the goals of our strategic plan 2020 will be to encourage learners to consider entrepreneurship as a career option.
“Active leadership in enterprise development and knowledge transfer is now one of our goals incorporated into our strategic vision for the next decade.”
She said LIT students will be offered innovative ways to engage with enterprise through the LIT Enterprise Ladder which will roll out a range of business support and development programmes, from the MarketLink programme, to training for prospective franchisees and franchisers (the FAST programme).
GAA representative Enda McGuane spoke of getting their message across and the ongoing challenge in developing communications channels, given the vast array of media in use in Ireland today.
“Social media and the internet are essential tools which are utilised at every level from province to county to club,” he said.
Mark O’Connell of Focus Consulting said from a regional perspective sport had shown itself to be a vital sector to focus on from a number of aspects.
