Dundalk IT Business and Management student set for 2025 Louth Business Awards final

19-year-old Bobbie Gamble from Dundalk, a Business with Management student at DkIT has been named as one of the finalists in the Young Entrepreneur of the Year category in the upcoming 2025 Louth Business Awards, organised by Dundalk Chamber and sponsored by Dundalk Chamber Skillnet.  Bobbie has been recognised for his success with 17 Vending & Events (known as 17 Events), the company he founded just two years ago.

17 Events delivers high-end event solutions at accessible prices. The company aims to elevate a wide variety of events, providing entertainment such as DJs and 360 photo booths, supplying treats like popcorn carts and slushie machines, and adding that extra touch of glamour with additions like red carpets and flower walls. The events are run by Bobbie himself, ably supported by a great part-time team that help him on an event-by-event basis.

17 Events is among 4 finalists competing for the title of Young Entrepreneur of the Year at the Louth Business Awards. Bobbie is in good company with two DkIT graduates Sarah Barker from SLB Digital Solutions and Adam Murray from Biddo's Street Food also in the final. Popular local coffee truck Lá Eile, led by Laura Jane Hearty is also in the running for the award.

Speaking about the experience, Bobbie said: “The process has been very exciting, when I initially applied, I had no expectation of being shortlisted as a finalist. There are so many young people with fantastic ideas, so I was honoured to be chosen.”

Studying full-time while running a business is no easy task, but Bobbie is taking it in his stride. “Most of my work happens on weekends and evenings, which allows me to attend college, complete assignments and still prepare for upcoming events,” he explained.

Balancing study and entrepreneurship have also sharpened his transferable skills. “Communication, trust, planning and accountancy are four invaluable skills I’ve developed since starting this venture,” Bobbie recalled. “When you’re starting from scratch you have to be savvy and learn everything yourself — for example, I designed and built my own website.”

Support from DkIT has been another key ingredient. “Lecturing staff are always contactable and willing to help,” Bobbie said, adding that his classmates provide an ideal test audience for trying out new event ideas.

Bobbie has always been really interested in events and working with people, and even enjoys DJing in his spare time, not that there is too much of that going around at the moment between running a business and full-time study. He has been a budding entrepreneur since the age of 13, when he admits he was “often too small to see over the DJ Booth.”  He then registered his company at the age of 17. The name originated as 17 Vending, reflecting the company’s focus on vending machines, with 'and events' added this January when Bobbie and the team shifted toward high-end event services.

“One of the biggest challenges was gaining trust and credibility, sometimes people assume that because you’re young, you don’t have enough experience,” said Bobbie, reflecting on building a business at such a young age. However, his early DJing career has given him exposure to a large variety of events and Bobbie was confident that his age would only stand to be a factor in his entrepreneurial success.

Following the success of the KT Travel Holiday Show at the Gateway Hotel in March, Bobbie has hit the ground running on the events side of his business. His company is now launching a new event series, beginning with a Student Race Day at Dundalk Stadium on 5 November. Uniquely, every service — from photography and marketing to event planning — will be delivered exclusively by local students. By sourcing the venue, bar, catering and even event merchandise locally, the initiative is expected to deliver a healthy boost to the regional economy.

Looking to the future, Bobbie envisions that 17 Events will continue providing, high-end, quality products. He has a desire to make each event bigger than the previous year, while also trying to break into new markets such as corporate days. 

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His advice for anyone looking to start their own business is to be realistic and take any opportunities to enhance your experience: “If you’re expecting to make profit on day one, forget about it! I’ve spent the last seven years building up experience, which now allows me to run my events at a professional level. You will make mistakes, but those mistakes will only help you do better in the future.”

The competition is tough in the upcoming awards but Bobbie feels it would be invaluable for enhancing the visibility of his company- “It would mean that the last 7 years of hard work and late nights, plus begging my parents to stay out late has all been worth it,” he laughed. 

Regardless of the outcome at the Louth Business Awards, Bobbie Gamble has already built a thriving business — and at just 19, he’s only getting started.