Here is an overview of some of the key events organised by Mary FitzGerald Public Relations and her PR/Event Management team in the last year.

January

• Horses for Courses-Horseracing Course, UCD

This was the seventh year running this very successful 10 week adult education course in UCD. The course attracted over 150 students who received lectures on everything from bookmaking to racehorse ownership to handicapping. Key people within the racing industry who lectured on the course included flat trainer John Oxx, jockeys, Ruby Walsh, Johnny Murtagh and David Casey, Cian O'Tiernigh, owner of Brave Inca, Paddy Power, Paddy Power Bookmakers and Brian Kavanagh, Chief Executive, Horse Racing Ireland. The highlight of the course was the annual day trip to the world famous Coolmore Stud in Fethard, Co Tipperary to view the world renowned stallions such as Saddlers Wells, Dane Hill Dancer and the notorious Rock of Gibraltar!

• Trend Micro-Cork

Japanese company Trend Micro, manufacturers and distributors of anti-virus software who are listed on the NASDAQ and whose Irish operation is based in Cork, employed the services of Mary FitzGerald Public Relations to organise a nationwide giveaway promotion of their anti-virus software discs. Over 50,000 anti-virus software discs were given away through a special promotion with Computers in Business magazine, part of the Sunday Business Post Newspaper. The promotion was very successful and the company's Ireland and UK Marketing Director Tony Larks said "it was the most successful promotion the company had run to date on a worldwide basis". Mary FitzGerald Public Relations was also responsible on an going basis for generating publicity for Trend Micro's quarterly results which got high profile publicity in the Irish financial, business, news, computers and technology press.

KCLR Radio

• Mary FitzGerald who is a native of Kilkenny was the guest interviewee on Martin Bridgeman's popular programme. The interview covered Mary's early years in Kilkenny including her career as a Primary School teacher, a teacher of profoundly deaf children, a successful television presenter with RTE television as well as her current role as a PR consultant.

February

• Location, Location, Location-Property investor's course-University of Limerick

This was the second year running this course in the University of Limerick and the focus of the course was overseas investment property and the key steps required in building a successful property portfolio. The course had over sixteen lecturers including best selling property author, Maureen Moran, of 'Make Your Property Work'. The course was very well attended with over 170 students registered for the 8 weeks.

• Sunday Business Post Property Expo- Main Hall, RDS, Dublin

This was the third Sunday Business Post Property Expo held in Dublin and run in conjunction with iQuest and Mary FitzGerald Public Relations. It was held this year in the Main Hall, RDS and was the biggest and most successful one yet. There was a very focused marketing and PR campaign which included prominent 48 sheets and six sheets on billboard and bus shelters around Dublin, a nationwide radio and television advertising campaign, a press campaign in the Sunday Business Post. The highlight of the PR/Marketing campaign was the apartment giveaway in Bansko, Bulgaria on RTE's Late Late show worth €250,000.

The show had over 100 exhibitors selling overseas property in the UK, Europe, USA and as well as Dubai, South Africa and Cape Verde. It attracted 10,000 visitors and in excess of a billion's worth of property was sold over the three day event.

• La crème Pink Day

Following on from the very successful launch of la crème's inaugural Breast Cancer campaign sponsorship in October 2005, Mary FitzGerald Public Relations generated extensive PR coverage particularly in the news and Recruitment press for la crème's Pink Day which took place on Valentine's Day, 14^th February. The staff in all la crèmes offices nationwide dressed in Pink outfits for the day and both made a special donation that day to the Breast Cancer campaign. The day was so successful that it was repeated in October this year to tie in with la crèmes on going sponsorship of Action Breast Cancer.

March

• Sunday Business Post Property Expo, Silver Springs Hotel and Convention Centre, Cork

This was the second Sunday Business Post Property Expo again run in conjunction with iQuest and Mary FitzGerald Public Relations held in Cork which was officially opened by Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment, Michael Martin, TD. The show was a sell-out once again and attracted excellent attendance and substantial amounts of overseas property was sold.

April

• Fairyhouse Racecourse-Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National

The Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National was once again held on Easter Monday, 17^th April at Fairyhouse Racecourse. The Irish Grand National Race was won this year by Point Barrow trained by Pat Hughes and ridden by Philip Carberry. Great competition was also evident in the best dressed lady stakes sponsored by Marks and Spencer and Powers Whiskey (Irish Distillers) where the winner was Nicola Coonan wearing a beautiful cream wool suit and matching accessories. Again it was a great sporting and social occasion and Mary FitzGerald Public Relations were successful in getting the event wide scale media coverage, particularly in the national and provincial social and press pages as well as a major feature on RTE's Nationwide television programme.

May

• Shanghai Vision Asset Management

Mark Carroll, Managing Director of Shanghai Vision, a company selling overseas property in Shanghai, China expanded the service it was offering its clients and as a result the company had a name change, Shanghai Vision Asset Management. To reflect this new identity, Mary FitzGerald Public Relations organised a number of high profile features on the company including extensive coverage in the property and business press and on radio.

• MoMuse Summer Shopping Soiree Dublin.

MoMuse who specialises in sourcing and selling unique French and Italian designer jewellery and accessories held a summer shopping evening in Mitchell's Wine Merchants, Kildare Street. Mary FitzGerald Public Relations notified the press about it and the evening got particular mention by well known Irish Times columnist Roisin Ingle on the Orla Barry show on Newstalk among others.

July

• Newstalk 106 FM the Right Hook-George Hook, "Meet the Spin Doctors"

Mary FitzGerald made her radio debut on NewsTalk 106 FM, Right Hook programme as one of the regular panellists on the "Meet the Spin Doctors" slot on Monday evenings. Topics covered included a discussion of the media coverage of U2's defection of its business interests to Holland, the Morris Tribunal report as well as media coverage of the Rose of Tralee and All Ireland football and hurling finals. It was great to meet the larger than life George Hook who has his finger on the pulse and is not shy about giving his own strong opinions on every topic, be it of a serious or light-hearted nature. On one occasion he declared he was a "fan of rolled up skirts" when a discussion on the length of school girls skirts in-sued in the context of the cost of uniforms and books in a "back to school topic"! All very highbrow and very George Hook!

September

• Property Ladder-Portobello College

The successful Property Ladder course which was run in 2005 in UCD was moved to Portobello College. Topics covered included getting your foot on the property ladder, tax and legal implications of buying property abroad and getting involved in commercial and residential property syndicates. The course once again proved to be very popular and had 16 lecturers and 170 students on board.

• Launch of M and R Property consultants

Successful property author Maureen Moran from Cork and her business partner Robert O'Sullivan set-up their own Property Consultancy, "M & R Property" specialising in the UK market. Mary FitzGerald Public Relations successfully announced the launch of this new business to the business and property press.

• La crème Breast Cancer Campaign

Miss Ireland, Sarah Morrissey was the face of la crème Breast Cancer campaign for 2006. la crème and the Premier group announced they were supporting a national and local radio campaign informing people to telephone the freephone Breast Cancer helpline if they had any queries in relation to breast cancer or were recently diagnosed with the disease. The event was launched by Mary FitzGerald Public Relations and the campaign was successful supported by staff, candidates and clients of the Premier Group nationwide.

October

• Sunday Business Post Hey Big Spender Expo, RDS, Dublin

This show organised by the Sunday Business Post in conjunction with iQuest and Mary FitzGerald Public Relations was aimed at all SSIA holders who were looking for ideas to consider in terms of spending or saving their valuable SSIA fund. The show had a considerable number of overseas property exhibitors as well as exhibitors selling cars, boats, fine art, and antiques. A very imaginative marketing campaign was devised and a successful PR campaign was launched which included television coverage on RTE's Late Late Show, TV3- Ireland AM, The Gerry Ryan Show and the George Hook programme on Newstalk etc.

November

• New office

Due to an expanding business Mary FitzGerald Public Relations and her team moved into new offices in the heart of Dublin's Business and Georgian centre to Fitzwilliam Hall, Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin 2.

• Mo-Muse Jewellery Evening

Mary FitzGerald Public Relations assisted Managing Director of MoMuse Jewellery, Margaret O'Rourke to highlight this shopping evening in Mitchell's Wine Merchants with emphasis on it being a good evening to source Christmas presents. The evening was very well attended and MoMuse jewellery was featured on Ireland AM as suitable gifts for Christmas presents.

December

Last but not least!

• Events which Mary FitzGerald would like to acknowledge and which were very significant in their own right included the following:
• Account Director, Jackie Roberts (with the assistance of her husband Gerald!) gave birth in February to a bouncing baby boy, Charles, Michael FitzGerald, better known to all as "Charlie" and to date he is living up to his name and like all "Charlies" before him, is making his mark on this world!
• Honorary member of the firm and Operations Director for the Sunday Business Post Property Expo and HBS Expo, Hilary Hughes got married in a "star studded" wedding in Italy to long-standing partner, Duan Stokes.
• Congratulations to everyone on these very happy occasions!

Moving forward

• Coming up in the New Year, Mary FitzGerald Public Relations will be once again responsible for some very high profile events including the Property Ladder courses in February and September as well as the hugely successful Sunday Business Post Property Expos in the RDS in Dublin in February and in Cork in March.
• The firm will also continue to look after the PR and Event Management needs of a large number of regular clients including the launch of the Premier Recruitment Group's new Dublin office and the launch of a new overseas Property company as well as the major launch of a new Property Web-site.
• A New Service to be offered in 2007 will focus on Media Training to include radio and television interview skills, presentation and speech making skills on a one to one or group basis.
• Full details of these and other events will be available on the web-site, www.maryfitzgeraldpr.ie

Finally

I would like to sincerely thank all my clients for their loyal support and continued business. I wish you and your family a very Happy Christmas and a successful New Year.

Mary FitzGerald

Managing Director

Mary FitzGerald Public Relations