Laois to host first Irish national conference about remote working
Ireland’s first national remote working conference is set to take place in Laois this year, including cash awards and a festival in Portlaoise town.
The conference will bring together remote workers, leaders in government, business innovators,and employers to explore the future of work, with its growing emphasis on cutting out the long commute from rural Ireland to cities.
Hosted by social enterprise Grow Remote, the Grow Remote Summit will take place this June in Portlaoise.
The Grow Remote Summit will explore how to harness the potential of remote work so that more high quality job opportunities are available, visible and accessible to people living in towns and villages across Laois and beyond.
It will bring together individuals, employers, communities and policy-makers for a unique gathering, with a remote work conference, a remote-first exhibition and an innovation competition with a €10,000 prize.
In the evening the Grow Remote Summit will transform into an offline festival trail across the town of Portlaoise, with music, art, culture and entertainment, including Lisdoonvarna matchmaking on tour.
Tracy Keogh is Grow Remote Co-Founder.
“We chose Portlaoise as the venue for Ireland’s biggest remote working conference because of the fantastic support and warm welcome we have received from the local community and the enormous potential yet to be realised there.
"We’re flying in the world’s foremost experts and leaders in remote work, and we will be hosting a dynamic festival to foster connections and showcase what the town has to offer.
“Its location in the heart of Ireland makes Portlaoise the ideal place to connect the country, to generate new and innovative ideas about the future of remote work and to address some of the challenges experienced by business, employees, individuals and local communities as we continue to transition to this new way of working."
Ahead of the Covid pandemic and remote working, an estimated over 11,000 commuters were leaving Laois every day for work, with 40 percent of those stating they would return to work in Laois for a better quality of life.
The Grow Remote Summit is open to everyone and early bird tickets along with more information can be found at growremote.ie/summit2023.