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County Carlow recognises the best in online business with Digital Awards

The County Carlow Digital Awards provide Carlow businesses with the opportunity to showcase their achievements in creating digital offerings and promoting their business online

Jim Woods, business adviser, Eileen McCabe, Content Plan, and Brian O’Donoghue, Cathaoirleach, Carlow County Council: the County Carlow Digital Awards recognise the achievements of Carlow businesses in creating their digital offerings and online promotions

County Carlow’s Digital Awards, formerly the Web Awards, will acknowledge and recognise the achievements of Carlow businesses in creating their digital offering and promoting their business online. They will provide Carlow businesses with a great opportunity to showcase these digital offerings.

The awards are being organised by Carlow County Council’s Local Enterprise Office in association with SETU Carlow, the Business Post and Content Plan. The awards are open to businesses with fewer than ten full-time employees based in Co Carlow who are recipients of Trading Online Vouchers.

In total there will be six category winners, who will each receive a trophy and a cash prize of €500. Digital offerings will be judged on design, ease of use, copywriting, interactivity, use of technology, impact and benefit, innovation and content. The award categories are ‘Digital in Export’, ‘Digital in Professional Services’, ‘Digital in Consumer Services’, ‘Digital in Manufacturing’, ‘Digital in Tourism’ and ‘The People’s Choice Award’.

All shortlisted entries will participate in a public vote held on the Carlow LEO Facebook page to decide the People’s Choice Award. In addition, the overall winner will receive a prize of €1,000. This award goes to the website judged to be the best overall digital company. All winning businesses will also be featured in the Business Post.

Entries are open until February 28, 2023. Judging for the County Carlow Digital Awards will take place early in March with an awards ceremony scheduled for March 23, 2023. Finalists will receive two free tickets to this ceremony which will be held in Ballykealey House.

Brian O’Donoghue, Cathaoirleach of Carlow County Council, said: “Carlow County Council’s commitment to supporting our local businesses plays a crucial role in ensuring a strong local economy. It is fantastic to see that so many Carlow enterprises have increased their business through availing of a Trading Online Voucher from our Local Enterprise Office.”

Jim Woods, business adviser with the Local Enterprise Office, said: “We are delighted to acknowledge the Carlow businesses which have created and maintained their digital offerings in furtherance of their business objectives. More than 350 Carlow businesses have now availed of over €700,000 through our Trading Online Voucher scheme to improve their digital offering and promote their business.”

Muirghin Brophy, communications officer with SETU Carlow, noted: “As a technological university we are acutely aware of the importance of businesses utilising all possible routes to market and the significant part that having a digital presence plays in any business’s marketing strategy.”

Eileen McCabe, co-founder at Content Plan, said: “As a business that provides marketing and digital services expertise to other businesses, Content Plan is delighted to see the efforts and achievements of small businesses being recognised by these awards. Every day billions of people across the globe decide on where to spend their money based on businesses’ digital offerings. If a business is not effectively using its digital offering to engage with its audience, it is missing a real opportunity.”

This award goes to the website which is judged to be the overall best digital company.

For further information, contact LEO Carlow at 059-929783, enterprise@carlowcoco.ie; or Jim Woods at 087-3815930, jwoods@carlowcoco.ie