At the start of July the next stage of our Enterprise Ireland Ploughing Innovation Arena chronicle for 2026 brought us to the rolling green pastures of Kildalton Agricultural and Horticultural College, just outside Piltown, Kilkenny. Kildalton has been a centre of Irish agricultural education since 1971, and you could feel that legacy the moment we arrived for our Innovation Arena information day.
Vice principal James Ryan opened the day with a welcome that traced the college’s historic origins and laid out its vision for the future – the perfect grounding for what was about to be a jam-packed session. From there, a group of Enterprise Ireland’s own experts joined forces with external industry advisors to cover a huge range of ground: everything from protecting your intellectual property to nailing your social media messaging and maximising every marketing opportunity going. And all of this in preparation for what’s regarded as Europe’s largest outdoor event! We were deep in hashtag territory — talking national media coverage, political and stakeholder engagement, and content creation that actually cuts through.
We were deep in stand set-up and breakdown territory too — logistics of travel, stand support, WiFi, electrical supply, and yes, the critical importance of comfortable footwear, as we prepared for the very real possibility of up to 250,000 visitors passing through the venue over three days! And finally, James Moloney wrapped things up with the news everyone was waiting for: of the 40 who’d made it this far, just 3 will be contacted to pitch for the title of Innovation Arena Champion. Who they are, though?
We’d have to hold our ground for another week or two…..
And two weeks later: “We are delighted to let you know that you have been shortlisted to pitch for this year’s Innovation Arena Champion Award at the Innovation Arena on Tuesday 15th September! Following the judging of all applications, your entry was identified as one of the strongest submissions received, and you have been selected as one of the top three finalists in this category. This is a fantastic achievement and reflects the quality, innovation, and potential impact of your project. As a shortlisted finalist, you will be invited to present your innovation as a 3-minute pitch to our judging panel at the Innovation Arena on Tuesday 15th September, where the overall winner of the Innovation Arena Champion Award will be selected.”
So the day doesn’t stop when the furrow ends… we were going to have to plough on again! And we need your support! So please visit us at Stand 32 in the Innovation Arena (Block 3, Row 10, Booth 180) , we would love to see you!
