SD Create, Catalyst, 17 Bedford Street, Belfast (2025)

23/09/2025

SD Create 🤝

As ‘back to school’ season sets in, we’re proud to announce that we have been appointed as the PR partner for The Open University in Northern Ireland.

For over 50 years, The Open University has provided access to flexible, high-quality learning to local people from all walks of life; helping people to up skill, change careers and follow lifelong passions.

We’re excited to work alongside the OU team to shine a light on the incredible impact makes to the lives of people here in Northern Ireland every day.

Get ready to hear some seriously inspiring student stories. 🎓

18/09/2025

📣 We’ve some serious tea! 🫖

After months of plotting, planning, long walks and longer voice notes, we’re proud to announce the launch of On Point Communications Coaching – an exciting new coaching service developed by and .

An award-winning broadcaster, Lynette’s is a voice that audiences know and trust. She’s equally at home hosting one-on-one interviews as large corporate events, awards ceremonies and major sporting events with audiences of up to 80,000 people.

Over the last 20 years, Sinead’s worked with some of Ireland’s biggest brands, advising and empowering them to communicate with clarity, composure and impact.

Together, they bring decades of experience in PR, communications, media and broadcasting to help businesses and individuals to tell their stories clearly: on stage, on air, on screen, or in the boardroom.

We’ll offer a range of tailored services from one-to-one and group coaching and workshops, right through to Keynote clinics and communications audits to help get your communications ‘on point’.

If you’re interested in finding out more, drop us a DM.

🔗 Read the official announcement and more about our coaching services via the link in the bio, or on stories.

29/07/2025

Just when you think Coldplay Kiss Cam Gate might be running out of steam, the formerly unknown data company, Astronomer stoke the flames with a reaction video featuring Gwyneth Paltrow.

It’s been widely lauded as a ‘masterclass in crisis communications’. But is it?

I was asked on the Talkback programme on this afternoon to chat with William Crawley about just that, alongside fellow marketing and comms consultant, Tina Calder.

ICYMI, and are looking for some tips on what to do if you find your phone blowing up / yourself navigating a very public crisis, I’ve written an article on the website and over on LinkedIn too (will link in stories).

If you missed the Gywneth Paltrow video (where have you been), it’s linked in the article. Would love to know your thoughts - is this the crisis comms masterclass it’s been lauded as? Or how would you respond?

02/06/2025

May Mayhem, part two 🤞

🥃 Dram-atic news – in May we marked the highly anticipated official opening of with two bursts of PR. Last week Harbourview’s exclusive new 1608 whiskey flight made a big splash, headlines locally and nationally.

The flight offers connoisseurs the chance to taste a curated selection of Bushmills’ rarest and finest whiskeys for £1,608 - a quirky nod to the year received its license to distil. Having worked with Bushmills on content projects to support two of the bottles that feature in the flight - the 46 YO Secrets of the River Bush, and 36 YO Hill St Edition - this was a particularly special launch. If you get the chance to sample these whiskeys, you are very, very lucky.

But if that’s out of your budget, there are a range of tasting flights starting from just £15, plus a great range of whiskey events and experiences, fab food, and stylish rooms if you’re looking for a summer getaway.

🤐 Secret Squirrels – we worked with a number of local content creators to build buzz for Victoria Square’s Secret Soirée event.

🍹Summer Cocktails – we’re working with Jose Cuervo tequila for a range of collaborations and cocktail events this summer highlting core Cuervo serves including the Paloma & Margarita (firm faves here in SD towers) - keep your eyes on the feed for future pop ups, giveaways and more.

👀 First Look at the future Strand – We’re proud to support the incredible .belfast team on media outreach for the £6.5m transformation of this true Belfast icon. There’s no better buzz than seeing the coverage roll in – locally and nationally – for a project you truly believe in. ❤️

🏢 Finally, we moved into to our first city centre office. We’re very excited to have a new base at the brand spanking new Bedford Street space, signalling the start of an exciting new chapter as we approach three years in business this summer. 🎂

01/06/2025

We ‘May’ have a touch of whiplash 🤪 What a ride this last month has been.

Here’s a round up of our May highlights (part one):

Merchant foodie heaven – we helped Belfast’s iconic Merchant Hotel unveil a series of exceptional five-star food and drink experiences from a fabulous cocktail tasting menu and champagne dinner in , Aperitivo Time in to a gorgeous Tableside Negroni in the . Tonnes more happening throughout the summer so keep your eyes peeled and hit up the feeds tagged above.

🍑 Peachy collabs – to celebrate the launch of the fab new Sunburst peach & mango flavour, we brought besties and WCC stans & together for a fun piece of content centred around girly summer staycations. We also supported launch with our custom WCC Cooler vending machine, which caused quite a stir.

❤️ Getting to the heart of the story – we helped get the word out about the installation of a life-saving defibrillator outside the hotel entrance on Church Lane as the Bullitt team warmed up to run two teams in the Belfast Marathon in aid of .

🏆 CLASS news for .belfast – we landed some cracker coverage to mark Rattlebag being named Northern Ireland bar of the year at the awards. If you haven’t been in recently, take this as your sign - it’s genuinely one of our fave spots. 🍸

28/05/2025

👀 Have you seen the plans for .belfast’s stunning new look?

We’re proud to support the incredible Strand team on media outreach for the £6.5m transformation of this true Belfast icon. There’s no better buzz than seeing the coverage roll in – locally and nationally – for a project you truly believe in. ❤️

The new images give a relished glimpse of what’s in store for this highly anticipated landmark redevelopment.

As it looks to the future, The Strand is staying true to its past, restoring original art deco architectural features that were lost over the decades while embracing modern, accessible design fit for audiences of today, and tomorrow.

One of our favourite parts? For the first time, the Strand’s name will stand atop its roof, using the original font that previously graced the side of the picturehouse in 1935. That’s how you do it. 👏

Keep an eye on the .belfast feed for more news on the redevelopment, as they build towards a summer 2026 reopening.

Full story linked in stories.

12/05/2025

👀 Sneak peek of , which officially opens to the public on Monday 19 May.

Described as Ireland’s first destination ‘whiskey hotel,’ The Harbourview Hotel in Carnlough will serve a collection of over 300 whiskeys, alongside classic whiskey cocktails and a collection of exclusive whiskey tasting flights.

The much-loved North Coast hotel, formerly known as The Londonderry Arms, was acquired by a consortium headed by hotelier Adrian McLaughlin, master Irish whiskey distiller, Darryl McNally and entrepreneur Carl Harrison in summer 2024.

Over the last 12 months, the trio – who also own Outwalker and Limavady Whiskey – have completed an extensive yet sensitive restoration £1.6m of the historic hotel, located on the Causeway Coastal route.

Following soft openings of its bars and restaurants in recent weeks, the team are now gearing up to welcome their first overnight guests.

A diverse programme of events and tasting experiences are planned, with world-famous heritage brands including Midleton and The Macallan sitting alongside Copeland, Bushmills, Ardbeg, Shortcross, plus The Harbourview’s own Outwalker and Limavady whiskeys. The programme, which features monthly events scheduled through to February 2026 also includes boat trips to Islay for guided tours of the Bruichladdich and Ardbeg distilleries.

More news coming soon. 👀

30/03/2025

When will I learn? 🤔

Another year, another CPD deadline, with points once again logged on the eve of the deadline, despite the lion’s share of the work having been completed months ago. 🙈

Anyhow, the important thing is, I did make time for learning and professional development over the last year, which is essential, not just to retain my Chartered PR Practitioner status with , but also for my own personal and professional development: if you’re not learning in this game, you’re losing.

Learning this year centred updating my knowledge around SEO, digital PR tactics and the rise of AI tools in marketing but also on pushing myself out of my comfort zone.

Over the last few months, I’ve been exploring how I can put inspiration from industry icons like into action and begin sharing my own knowledge and experiences. ’s Personal Social Strategy course has been pushing me out of my comfort zone: helping me to ‘climb cringe mountain’ and get over the ick factor that comes with stepping onto the other side of the camera.

2025 marks 20 years since I graduated and two decades in the wonderful / crazy worlds of journalism, PR and marketing - it feels like now may just be the right time to get uncomfortable and put myself out there.

💬 If there are any content topics / things you’d like to hear me reflect on, drop a comment below, or slide into my DMs.

📸 One of a few new profile pics I’ve had taken recently by .greenan. Will I ever be truly comfortable on the other side of the camera? Probably not, but I’m committing to putting myself out there a bit more this year.

Big thanks to my friends for letting us shoot in their gorgeous Good Room - brilliant spot if you need an intimate offsite meeting or event space.

12/02/2025

The ’s new menu has been causing quite a stir, hitting the headlines not just locally but right across UK and Ireland today. 🍸

As part of the new menu, an exquisite Rare & Refined Collection, crafted with three icons of the whiskey world - Midleton, Macallan, and Michter’s - will be the most expensive cocktails ever served at ’s world-famous cocktail bar.

Starting from £785 and going right up to £1,000, these once-in-a-lifetime cocktails honour three exceptional whiskeys, designed to enhance, and not overshadow, their rich and complex flavours.

The Collection is part of a new Cocktail Menu, created by The Merchant’s exceptional team, led by The Merchant Bar’s general manager, Aaron Dugan and Cocktail Bar manager, Emily Doherty.

If the Rare and Refined Collection sits outside your budget, fear not; the new menu features a further 21 delectable drinks, priced from a markedly more affordable £14.95. Each cocktail is named after its distinct flavour profile, helping you to match your choice to your preferred flavour profiles. Swipe to see some of our top picks:

1. ’s & with the three rare , & whiskeys featured in the new Rare and Refined Collection, available at The Merchant Cocktail Bar.

2- 5: Apple, Banana, Beetroot & Grapefruit are four of our top picks from the 21 other exquisite drinks on the new Merchant Cocktail Menu.

We can’t wait to hear which ones you try! 🍸

15/10/2024

A ‘hole’ lotta love for ’s news this morning. 🥯

See what we did there? *gets coat…

Huge congrats to Steven, Kirsty & all of the Bodega team as they make preparations to open their first standalone bakery and deli on Royal Avenue.

The new store will open later this month and will offer freshly baked bagels, coffee and bakes (including the EPIC Boulder Cookies) daily from 8am to 3pm, with plans to extend opening hours in the longer term. Customers will have the option to grab and go, or sit in, with an extensive seating area.

It was our pleasure to help get this news out there today. Keep your eye on the feed for more updates.

26/04/2024

Get set for One Night Wonder

For one night only, next Friday 3 May, Victoria Square is getting the party started with a host of big brand deals and offers, plus a jam-packed programme of live events and entertainment to kick-start summer in style.

Cool FM’s and will be on hand, with a host of big brand
experiences, interactive fun and exclusive offers from some of the centre’s top fashion and beauty
brands.

Kicking off at 5pm and running through to 9pm, there will be live beauty demos, showcasing the top
brands must-have beauty buys and the latest trends. A DJ will bring the party atmosphere, plus
there’ll be spot giveaways and interactive games, including live beauty bingo with the one and only

And, will be on hand with a pop-up Paloma bar, celebrating the trending summer
cocktail, the ‘Paloma’ - a refreshing mix of tequila and grapefruit soda. 💗

23/03/2024

Clients news 🤩 We are SO excited to welcome to our client roster.

Stylish Belfast interiors boutique, Maven is the go-to destination for beautiful and functional design-led furniture and homewares.

Founded by sisters, Catherine and Patricia McGinnis in 2013, Maven is located in the stunning landmark former Bank of Ireland building at 364 Lisburn Road, Belfast, not far from our SD Create office at , which *fun side fact* they worked from once upon a time.

Working with brands we love is what drives us, and anyone that knows will know she is a bona fide interiors nut.

Excited to be spending even more time in this beautiful store, which features an eclectic collection of contemporary homewares & furniture, sourced from some of Europe’s leading interiors brands.

Expect to see more interiors content here, and in the media soon, as we work with the Maven team to highlight their incredible collection of furniture, homeware and lifestyle brands including and , alongside smaller independent makers such as and . 🖤

SD Create

23/09/2025

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