ONE MORE THING:ENGLISHMAN DAVID Smith has had a busy start to his time as the new boss of Diageo Ireland. He took over the role on September 1st and was immediately thrust into the final stages of preparations for Arthur's Day, which will have its third annual outing next Thursday.
Diageo has expanded the scope this year, taking it to 1,000 pubs across the State and marketing it in 50 countries.
Smith bills it as a music festival rather than simply a booze-up, in recognition of the bands hired to play in the various venues. Acts this year include Stereophonics and Paolo Nutini.
“It’s a music festival that takes place in 1,000 pubs,” he told me this week from the newly refurbished Arthur’s Bar in the Storehouse, in what was his first outing with the Irish media. “It’s the music that gets people out.
“It’s also about making pubs busier,” he said, adding that an additional 580,000 people went to the pub on Arthur’s Day last year.
“If everyone spent €20 each, which would be a modest amount, that would be an €11.5 million direct impact.”
Over time, Smith thinks it could do for Dublin what the Fringe Festival has done for Edinburgh or the Grand Prix has done for Monaco. That might be stretching it but there probably is room to develop an autumn festival around the day. Arthur’s Day has also generated a fund of €2.5 million for social entrepreneurship, with 20 companies backed to date. “We’ll donate €5 for every person that attends an event and checks in with our Facebook page. We hope to get 100,000 checking in.”
There are currently about 250 construction workers on site at the brewery fitting out a venue to host the main concert, which will be attended by 1,800 guests.
Smith says trading remains “quite tough”. Guinness has been gaining share but in a declining market as the recession bites.
“We just have to keep investing in the brands and innovation. At some point it [the economy] will lift. I think Diageo Ireland can grow its top line again.”
Smith said “preliminary talks” have taken place with Dublin City Council about possibly seeking planning permission to expand the brewing capacity at the company’s St James’s Gate site.
“We’re having a conversation and it would be premature to go beyond that.”
Its plan of a few years back to build a super brewery in Kildare and close facilities in Kilkenny and Dundalk is “on hold for the moment. We’re working through the options.”
On a positive note, the Storehouse visitor facility continues to thrive. Smith said it had “record numbers” in July and August and the company has spent €2 million refurbishing one of the floors.
“Tourism seems to be picking up, which is a good sign.”
