This Week: Inspirefest festival, C&C AGM, ECB policy meeting

Science-tech and arts festival brings broad range of speakers to Dublin

Conductor and composer Eimear Noone is among the speakers at Inspirefest. Photograph: Carlos Gauna.
Conductor and composer Eimear Noone is among the speakers at Inspirefest. Photograph: Carlos Gauna.

Monday

Indicators: Irish manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) (Jun); euro-zone manufacturing PMI (Jun), unemployment (May); UK manufacturing PMI (Jun); German manufacturing PMI (Jun); US manufacturing PMI (Jun), manufacturing employment (Jun).

Tuesday

Indicators: Irish unemployment (Jun); UK construction PMI (Jun); euro-zone producer price index (PPI) (Jun).

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Results: Imagination Technologies Group.

Meetings: Checkout Best in Fresh Awards for retail food (Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin).

Wednesday

Indicators: Irish services PMI (Jun), industrial production (May); euro-zone composite and services PMI (Jun), retail sales (May); UK car sales (Jun), services PMI (Jun); German composite and services PMI (Jun); US mortgage applications (Jun), economic optimism (Jul), factory orders (May).

Meetings: ECB non-monetary policy meeting.

Thursday

Indicators: Irish consumer confidence (Jun); euro-zone retail PMI (Jun); German factory orders (May), construction PMI (Jun); US exports and imports (May), inflation (Jun), jobless claims (Jul), composite and services PMI (Jun).

Meetings: C&C Group AGM (Radisson Blu, Blackrock, Co Dublin); Inspirefest 2017 (Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin 2).

C&C's AGM on Thursday is likely to be distracted by the recent surprise resignation of its chief financial officer Kenny Neison. The Bulmers and Magners cider producer informed the stock market of the unanticipated move late last month, saying only that Neison was leaving due to "personal reasons".

He left immediately.

The search for his replacement is ongoing although no imminent announcement is expected.

Scottish-born Neison spent about nine years at C&C, moving from operations director to the chief financial role. He has worked closely with chief executive Stephen Glancey for a number of years, a relationship that preceded C&C at Scottish & Newcastle.

Thursday’s AGM is expected otherwise to be fairly routine and, in keeping with precedent, the issuing of a trading update is expected on the day.

In May, the company reported a net loss for the year to February, affected by a €129 million write down to the value of its US business and a weaker sterling.

The group reported a net loss of €72.9 million for the financial year compared with a profit of €47.4 million for previous 12 months.

InspirefestWith a diverse range of topics extending from blockchain to artificial intelligence and robotics to professional development, the 2017 Inspirefest takes place in Dublin from Thursday.

As noted by former taoiseach Enda Kenny at last year’s event: “We don’t get inspired by surrounding ourselves with people who are the same as us.”

It is with this wisdom in mind that the annual event offers up a broad range of speakers, or as founder Ann O’Dea has put it, “the richness of backgrounds and diversity leading to rich conversations”.

This year Inspirefest will hear from Dr France A Córdova, director of the US National Science Foundation; Omar Abbosh, chief strategy officer at Accenture; Amor Sexton, senior innovation manager at Citi; and Dr Michelle Cullen, managing director at Accenture Ireland.

Then there are game designers Brenda and John Romero; Keri Kukral, founder of Raw Science TV; and Thomas Jelley, director of the Sodexo Institute for Quality of Life.

The event is attended by "leaders, professionals, scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, investors, coders, academics, students [and] decision-makers" from a host of corporate names including Deutsche Bank, Accenture, Nokia, EY, Facebook, HP and Pfizer among many others.

Curiously among such company, the conference’s code of conduct warns of its intention to ensure a “harassment free” event. “Participants asked to stop any harassing behaviour are expected to comply immediately.”

Friday

Indicators: UK house price index (Jun), construction output (May), manufacturing and industrial production (May); German industrial production (May); US unemployment (Jun).

Meetings: General Data Protection Regulations – the Impact on Recruitment and HR Processes event (Stephen's Green Hibernian Club, Dublin); the Sales Institute Brexit Update (Merrion Hotel, Dublin); Cork Chamber of Commerce Get Your Business Brexit Ready event (Clayton Hotel, Cork).