Small meeting area in central Dublin

Max001

Hi Guys

I'm leading an early stage commercial / social web start-up and because I'm disabled (walking) and on a very low income, I need to scrounge around for the best deals on everything.

I'm looking for a small meeting area, where my co-founders and I (3) can meet weekly for a few hours. We're at the product design stage and need to do lots of diagrams on A2 bits of paper etc, so I don't think we're really suitable for hotel lobbies, which I've used in the past. A private space without distractions would be ideal.

I've Googled all the co-working spaces I can find, but they all charge prohibitive amounts for a half day block of time, which is too long in any case.

If anyone reading this has some space we could use on an ad hoc basis, I'd be happy to trade my HR / recruiting skills. 20+ yrs in multinationals and VC backed international start-ups.

Thanks for reading guys.

Cheers
Max

terryhobdell

Is Rathmines suitable? try Leinster Cricket Club they have Rooms available parking is fine.

Duckett

Bank of Ireland have an Enterprise Lounge at the bottom of Grafton Street. See following link for details -

http://www.allaboutbusiness.ie/enterprise-programme/enterprise-lounge

Max001

terryhobdell wrote: »

Is Rathmines suitable? try Leinster Cricket Club they have Rooms available parking is fine.

Got in touch. Was told my request would have to go before 'the committee'.

(bites tongue)

Max001

Duckett wrote: »

Bank of Ireland have an Enterprise Lounge at the bottom of Grafton Street. See following link for details -

http://www.allaboutbusiness.ie/enterprise-programme/enterprise-lounge

Thanks. Will go check this place out tomorrow.

Max001

Does anyone else find it bizarre that there's no low cost meeting space for start-ups or others in the centre of Dublin?

Lots of co-working spaces etc etc willing to take a few hundred off you per month for an office or desk, but nothing else.
And every one of the co-working spaces etc offering much the same packages for almost exactly the same price.

The word cartel springs to mind, but don't quote me on that

Graham

Max001 wrote: »

Does anyone else find it bizarre that there's no low cost meeting space for start-ups or others in the centre of Dublin?

Not really that surprising, I can't think of any low cost property in central dublin for such a venture to operate from.

Duckett

Have you considered the Digital Hub - read this recent interview with the CEO

https://www.siliconrepublic.com/start-ups/2015/06/05/digital-hub-ceo-we-have-the-answer-to-dublins-start-up-space-problem-video?utm_source=Tech%20Trends%20ezine

The Corinthian

Max001 wrote: »

Does anyone else find it bizarre that there's no low cost meeting space for start-ups or others in the centre of Dublin?

Well not really. There are numerous hotel lobbies in Dublin that would be half empty most of the time and I've had no problem having even AGM's in them, and I suspect most would be like me.

Those, like yourself, who had a problem with 'distractions', are probably not numerous enough to warrant competition for cheaper meeting spaces.

You may also simply have been unlucky or picked the wrong places.

pedronomix

And none of you or your friends have a home/flat etc with broadband? ;-)

Max001

Duckett wrote: »

Have you considered the Digital Hub - read this recent interview with the CEO

https://www.siliconrepublic.com/start-ups/2015/06/05/digital-hub-ceo-we-have-the-answer-to-dublins-start-up-space-problem-video?utm_source=Tech%20Trends%20ezine

Yep. Had a look at their website and couldn't see anything relevant, but just dropped them an email. Cheers!

Max001

Graham wrote: »

Not really that surprising, I can't think of any low cost property in central dublin for such a venture to operate from.

Yet none of the incubators, accelerators, co-working spaces, colleges, public sector or DCC buildings that probably all have some space to spare, offer this?
I'd bet my bottom dollar that I'm far from the only person looking for casual meeting areas.

Max001

pedronomix wrote: »

And none of you or your friends have a home/flat etc with broadband? ;-)

The whole point of an external meeting area is to get away from the home environment and concentrate solely on the project in hand.

Max001

The Corinthian wrote: »

Well not really. There are numerous hotel lobbies in Dublin that would be half empty most of the time and I've had no problem having even AGM's in them, and I suspect most would be like me.

Those, like yourself, who had a problem with 'distractions', are probably not numerous enough to warrant competition for cheaper meeting spaces.

You may also simply have been unlucky or picked the wrong places.

I've used hotel lobbies for casual meetings but they're not ideal if you're tossing about sheets of A2 paper and trying to get through a design session.
(as I think I mentioned)

pedronomix

4 very non-entrepreneurial responses there..... AND NO MAMMY there to change nappies... outrageous!

Max001

pedronomix wrote: »

4 very non-entrepreneurial responses there..... AND NO MAMMY there to change nappies... outrageous!

Sarcasm is all you have to offer? Really?

pedronomix

You are right, I apologise for the sarcasm.

collegeme

How about one of the central community centres? Community centres hire rooms from as little as €15 per hour.
Or the library might have meeting rooms for little or free.

The Corinthian

Max001 wrote: »

I've used hotel lobbies for casual meetings but they're not ideal if you're tossing about sheets of A2 paper and trying to get through a design session.
(as I think I mentioned)

Paper... how quaintly 20th-centuryesque.

Seriously though, while I've not done so for a very, very long time, you can generally rent use of a meeting room in most hotels, and it used to cost very little (20 Euro or so).

Alternatively, I used to use this place as an office address (again, a long, long time ago) and you could rent their meeting room for very little, or could get it for free if you were using one of their other services.