The Hardware Show 2024 took place in Dublin’s RDS Simmonscourt on the 18th and 19th of February. Sponsored by Intact, the event was a huge success.
From the set-up days on Friday and Saturday to the close of the show on Monday there was a constant hum of activity and business getting done. Exhibitors and visitors met face to face in large numbers with an air of excitement and anticipation.
The show was officially opened by Neale Richmond TD, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with special responsibility for Business, Employment and Retail, and Hardware Association Ireland President, Paul Candon on Sunday when the category winners for the Innovation Awards were announced. Exhibitors’ stands were at a new level and it was very evident that many had spent much time and effort thinking about what they were going to showcase and the best way to present it. The level of engagement at most stands was such that several had to be re-visited.
Thank you to everyone who supported the President’s Ball, a highlight event of The Hardware Show 2024. Set amidst the elegant surroundings of the Clayton Hotel Burlington Road, this exclusive gathering took place on the Sunday evening.
The President’s Ball, kindly supported this year by Dulux, Irish Cement, Saint Gobain and Unilin Insulation, is a prestigious affair, affording an unforgettable night filled with glamour, networking, and camaraderie among industry peers. It offered a perfect opportunity to unwind and connect with fellow professionals, leaders, and enthusiasts in the hardware sector. At the event over 340 key figures in the hardware sector had the opportunity to socialise and to network. MC for the evening RTEs Shay Byrne opened the evening with a humourous reflection on his previous life as a painter and decorator.
In the main points of his Presidential address, President Paul Candon said, “As we celebrate our resilience, we must also acknowledge the challenges that lie ahead. We are in danger of sleepwalking into a level of Government imposed costs that will greatly hurt the business community and put a serious risk into our
housing growth agenda.
Three main challenges stand out prominently:
- Firstly, we’re facing a slowing market, not due to lack of demand, but due to high prices and a shortage of trade professionals. This presents a significant challenge, but also an opportunity if we address the issues.
- Secondly, the rapidly increasing cost of doing business in Ireland with the growth in wages (living wage), pension auto enrolment, increases in sick pay, additional bank holiday, extended parental leave, right to request remote work, gender reporting extended and enhanced reporting of non-taxable expenses all putting significant pressure on our industry. Thie wave of cost increases cannot be borne by us without significant supports from Government.
- Thirdly, the war for talent is raging in our sector both directly in the form of recruitment and retention, but also in the context of a shortage of trades professionals which continues to slow down activity. The shortage of trades professionals is directly affecting building projects, and again this needs to be addressed urgently.
Late last year we conducted a major Strategic Report to reevaluate the sector and listen to you, our members. The report confirmed what we are experiencing. It highlighted that recruiting and retaining staff and maintaining and increasing profits in a time of increasing costs is as a major challenge.
Positively, the report revealed high levels of optimism for the future among our members with 70% saying the market would increase substantially over the next few years. Despite the challenges, I remain optimistic about the future of our industry.
In my role as President, I will continue to strengthen our membership and further grow our Brand and Representation. We will continue to be the voice of the sector, advocating for our members and ensuring that your concerns are heard and addressed.
Collectively, we are stronger together and it’s important we leverage the collective approach and focus on all members, big or small to ensure that we address the issues and challenges we face, and embrace the opportunities presented to us, together.
Together, we will overcome any challenge that comes our way and continue to thrive as a sector. Let’s seize the opportunities before us and build a brighter future for the hardware industry in Ireland”.
The evening continued with music from Stella Jazz and dancing into the night in the company of the band Who`s Eddie.
