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Monday
Indicators: Irish manufacturing PMI (Mar); euro zone manufacturing PMI (Mar), PPI (Feb), unemployment (Feb); UK manufacturing PMI (Mar); German manufacturing PMI (Mar); US manufacturing PMI (Mar), construction spending (Feb), consumer credit change (Feb), vehicle sales (Mar).
Meetings: Engineers Ireland breakfast briefing on achieving almost zero energy building standards by 2020 (22 Clyde Road, Ballsbridge).
Tuesday
Results: Global Payments
Indicators: Irish unemployment (Mar); euro zone retail sales (Feb); UK construction PMI (Mar); US exports and imports (Feb), economic optimism (Apr), factory orders (Feb).
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Meetings: E-commerce Expo Ireland: educating businesses about online selling (Croke Park Conference Centre, Dublin 3); The Irish IT Info Exchange, examining IT challenges (O'Callaghan Mont Clare Hotel, Merrion Street Lower, Dublin 2).
Wednesday
Results: Chase Corp, Europa Oil and Gas, Rite Aid.
Indicators: Irish services PMI (Mar); euro zone services PMI (Mar); UK services PMI (Mar); German services PMI (Mar); US mortgage applications (Mar), services PMI (Mar), non-manufacturing PMI (Mar).
Meetings: ECB non-monetary policy meeting; Dundalk Chamber cross-Border tourism conference (Four Seasons Hotel, Carlingford, Co Louth); Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) two-day Energy Show (RDS, Dublin); Aspira Lunch and Learn series features lecture from Lisa Fallon, analyst of Cork City FC (Clayton Hotel Silver Springs, Cork).
Brexit the focus for border tourism conference
Two years ago the Dundalk Chamber of Commerce annual tourism conference had the theme of “battle grounds”, and while that one was purely historical in nature, it could be said the 2017 event has a similar air.
Today's battleground is Brexit, which may have implications for efforts to market the Carlingford Lough area as a single tourism destination, given it is bisected by the Border, with the northern shores in Co Down and the southern in Co Louth.
"We are trying to sell a single product and yet we have two different jurisdictions," explains Paddy Malone, spokesman for the Chamber. "We don't think they are giving it enough attention. We feel there is lip service."
In that case, the picturesque Carlingford Lough is an early metaphor for Brexit’s ability to straddle both sides of the Border community and its economy, and Wednesday’s cross-Border tourism conference will be among the first industry gatherings to debate it, post article 50-triggering.
While there are positives, Brexit will of course cast its pall over proceedings, and other related concerns include the effects of a weakened sterling and the potential for future visitors to require visas.
“You can’t sell half a lough; you have to sell Carlingford Lough as a unit,” Malone explains, setting out the essential problems raised by the Border question.
Speakers on Wednesday will include John Teeling of the Great Northern Distillery, John McGrane of the British Irish Chamber of Commerce and Daragh Anglim of Fáilte Ireland.
SEAI Energy Show set for Dublin
Just when you thought it was safe to whisper carbon reform, Donald Trump signs an executive order tearing down the clean energy policies of his predecessor.
It is a high-profile setback to a green agenda that has never been more important. The EU has a 20 per cent energy savings target through use of renewables (wind, solar, wave and biomass) that it must reach by 2020.
Despite Trump's actions, Tom Halpin, head of communications at the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), says: "The movement is bigger than one country." And, as he explains, carbon reduction is as much about economic opportunity as it is about change.
This week, thousands of visitors will peruse 160 exhibitions at the two-day SEAI Energy Show in Dublin, showcasing the latest energy-efficient and renewable energy products from Ireland and abroad.
Mr Halpin notes there are already signs of internal dissent in the US to Trump’s proposals, with many state and cities patently aware of what’s on offer.
“Countries have an opportunity to not only meet their [carbon reduction] targets but to actually avail of the economic opportunities of becoming manufacturers, service providers and innovators.”
Thursday
Results: SAIC Motor Corp.
Indicators: Irish consumer confidence (Mar); Euro zone retail PMI (Mar); German factory orders (Feb), construction PMI (Mar); US jobless claims (Mar).
Meetings: All Ireland Business Summit (Croke Park Business Centre, Dublin 3); The UCD Cantillon Research Centre for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Design talk on strategies for effectively managing SME innovation (UCD, Dublin).
Friday
Indicators: UK house price index (Mar), construction output (Feb), manufacturing production (Feb), industrial production (Feb); German industrial production (Feb), US unemployment rate (Mar).