Network Ireland officially launched its National Conference and Businesswoman of the Year Awards in Killarney on Tuesday.

The prestigious two-day event will take place at the end of September. It is the first time the flagship event will be brought to Kerry.

The conference will take place during the day. Hundreds of women-led businesses and businesswomen will be in attendance to discuss the barriers facing them in Ireland.

This marks a significant milestone for the Network Kerry branch which was first established in 2023 and has gone from strength to strength ever since.

There are 83 members in the Kerry branch; these include employees, employers and businesswomen.

The theme for this year’s conference is ‘Breaking Barriers’ and will be hosted by Áine Kerr.

The event will feature a line-up of speakers, including Alison Dunn, Amazon’s Country Manager for Ireland, and Stephen Stack, Manager of AIB Tralee.

A keynote address from mentalist, brain hacker and master communicator Keith Barry will discuss the power of non-verbal communication.

The conference will also include panel discussions on artificial intelligence, as well as networking opportunities for attendees.

The Businesswoman of the Year awards will take place following the conference.

104 finalists from across Ireland will descend onto Kerry to compete for national titles across eight award categories.

Categories include Emerging Businesswoman of the Year, Stem Professional of the Year, Employee Rising Star of the year.

Amy O’Sullivan, President of Network Ireland, described the two-day event as an important opportunity to highlight some of the lesser-discussed barriers still facing women in business.

She said: “Network Ireland is the voice of women in business in Ireland, and at our national conference this year we are using our collective voice to discuss and to breakdown the many barriers that are still facing women in business.”

Network Ireland’s chosen charity partner is Recovery Haven Kerry who provide free cancer support services to the people of Kerry.

The network’s first ever charity four-ball golf event will take place on September 25 and all proceeds will go directly in support of Recovery Havan Kerry.

Kerry County Council, Amazon, Astellas, and Enterprise Ireland are proudly supporting the Conference and the Awards.