This week on the roundup: conference announcements, Masterclasses, spotlights, gratitude, discount codes, Guimarães summits, licensing queries, exclusive events, mottos, going Net Zero, golf series, early access, lasting impressions, journies, treasury professionals, IRS cuts, archives, buying trust, and more!

But first, here are the IPBN Highlights of the Week:

We announced the 5th edition of our annual Tourism Conference. Join us on Thursday, 22 October at Well Vale do Lobo for a conference that seeeks to bring together business leaders, innovators, and industry experts to explore the trends and challenges shaping the sector. The programme will look at local tourism experiences, the hotel of the future, AI, and sustainability across tourism, sports, and leisure, with plenty of opportunities for discussion and networking. The conference is made possible with the support of Vale do Lobo Golf & Beach Resort, our premium partner, alongside our event sponsors DDM Projects, thanks to chair Gerry Fagan, and Redwell Store Portugal.

Register here and find out more about the programme and our guest speakers!

We shared the recording of the two Masterclasses we organised last Thursday and Friday in partnership with IPBN Member WitFlow: "Your Agency is Busy. But is it Growing?" What if winning more clients is actually making your agency less profitable? Next, we shared IPBN member Karl Davidson's Masterclass about "Building Financial Confidence: From Mindset to Lasting Wealth," which explored the mindset, habits, and practical actions that can shape our financial future, from improving cash flow and reducing debt to building assets, investing, and creating additional income streams.

Check here for access to both two recordings.

We welcomed our new member, Glanua, to the IPBN! As we continue to grow our turnkey water and wastewater delivery across Ireland, the UK, Central Europe, and now the US, being part of networks like the IPBN opens up valuable connections and opportunities. Looking forward to what lies ahead. And Glanua is opening their new office in Lisbon later this month—congratulations are in order!

We shared our latest IPBN Spotlight, where we meet the people behind the wines and discover the story, skills, and ideas shaping Elitevinhos. Founded in 2017 by Filipe Perdiz, Helena Godinho, Christian Vermet, and Mary Wilkinson, Elitevinhos brings together four different perspectives, united by a shared connection to the vineyards of Reguengos de Monsaraz and a passion for creating wines with character and a strong sense of place. Read the full Spotlight here. 

And thank you again to Elitevinhos for the wine tasting last night at the Lisbon MMM meetup at 42 Lisboa in Beato. Pictures and short videos of the event to be shared next week, so stay tuned.

Special announcement from IPBN member Global Citizen Solutions: We have 2 tickets at 50% for IPBN members for the inaugural Wealth & Migration Summit, taking place 5 - 6 of November 2026, in Lisbon. It will come on a first-come, first-served basis. Members should email arnold.delville@ireland-portugal.com and be ready with membership details to claim the discount code.  

Finally, here is a special announcement for our members in the North — The B Together 26: B Corp Summit Portugal will take place on October 21st in Guimarães. This annual meeting of the B Corp movement in Portugal will, for the first time, be open to the public, bringing together certified B Corp companies, organizations, institutions, leaders, partners, and individuals interested in contributing to a more sustainable, responsible, and collaborative economy. The central theme of the discussions is The Power of Collective Action to Transform the Economy.

You will find all the details here where you can register.

And now...

IPBN Executive Partner Konceptness asked, "Can a PIP waive licensing? From October 1, 2026, in certain situations, yes. This is one of the most relevant changes introduced in the Legal Regime for Urbanization and Building (RJUE) by Decree-Law No. 108/2026. When a more complete Request for Prior Information is submitted, under the terms of paragraph 2 of article 14 of the RJUE, and this includes all the applicable elements provided for in the legislation, favourable prior information may allow the urban operation to be exempt from a license or prior communication."

IPBN Executive Partner Otonomee posted, "On Monday night, Otonomee hosted an invite-only dinner for senior execs working in the changing world of CX. We co-hosted the event with our partner Fin at the fabulous 25 Fitzwilliam Place in Dublin. The theme of the evening was how AI is transforming customer experience. We wanted to bring together senior execs with first-hand experience in this space, so they could share successes and failures and build their understanding and network in a fast-moving area. It was great to have such a diverse group of companies and experienced leaders with us on the night."

IPBN Executive Partner PwC Portugal shared, "What if the best of PwC Portugal had never really ended? This was the motto that brought together, on September 18th, hundreds of former employees for a late afternoon of reunions, sharing, and celebration, at the Hotel ME Lisbon."

IPBN member IN2 Engineering is are looking forward to hosting a Net Zero Carbon Breakfast and Panel Discussion at Sustainable Ventures on Wednesday 7 October. "Together with speakers from David Chipperfield Architects, Tyréns AKT (AKT II), Quantem and Plan A, we’ll explore how greater industry collaboration can help turn the ambitions of the latest UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard into meaningful action! The event is free to attend, but places are limited. Please send Nastasia Bassil a direct message to RSVP."

IPBN member Golf Concept GC relived the best moments of the Golf Series – Summer Edition! "Sunshine, great swings, friendly competition, plenty of laughs, and unforgettable moments... that's what made our Summer Edition so special! On 18 July, at the beautiful Montado Golf Resort, players came together for a fantastic day of golf, networking, and shared passion for the game. From the first tee to the final putt, every moment reminded us why golf is so much more than a sport—it's about the people, the experiences, and the memories we create together."

IPBN member Overcast HQ introduced Overcast VERIFY. "Early access is now open. VERIFY is our new pre-flight verification layer for video advertising. Video advertising has a readiness problem. As campaigns scale across more platforms, markets and formats, creative approval is no longer enough to guarantee an asset is ready to run. A video can make it through creative and brand approval, only to hit a technical issue, rights restriction, editorial requirement or platform specification just before activation. That’s the gap Overcast VERIFY is built to close. We’ve shared more about what we’re building and why in our latest blog. The VERIFY early access waitlist is now open. Join to test your own creative and get free validation credits."

IPBN member Total Expo posted, "Here’s just a few of the great things our clients have to say about working with Total Expo! We’re proud to make experiences that leave a lasting impression."

IPBN member Samuel Lyons shared The Nature of People. "30 years ago, I was talking about the Internet. I have spent the last 30 years moving between technology, design, education, community and facilitation. These days, I'm exploring what happens when we bring all of those things together. I’ve written a little about that journey, where I am now, and why I’ve created Lyons Club. Check it out here."

IPBN member Salmon posted, "Good conversations from Dubai at the Middle East Treasury Summit. It’s been great to meet treasury professionals from across the region, hear what teams are focused on right now, and share how Salmon can help simplify the day-to-day."

IPBN Academic partner Universidade Europeia said, "The cut in the IRS may return revenue to families, but will it be enough to respond to the challenges that the Portuguese economy faces? Who questions it is João Rodrigues dos Santos, professor and coordinator of the scientific area of Economics and Management at the European University, in statements to Euronews, where he analyzes the recent measures of the Government, the tax burden, and the evolution of the Portuguese economy."

IPBN member Techies Go Green gave a huge thanks to Paula T Nolan for joining them to talk through What Does Ireland's Changing Environment Actually Look Like. "What stood out most was the scale of it. A year spent travelling all 26 counties by public transport and e-bike, building up a then-and-now archive that sets old National Library of Ireland photographs against the country as it looks now. You can check out more of Paula's work and follow her journey here."

IPBN member Pedro Henriques at BRIDGE IN shared, "We are now in a world where the first reaction to unexpected new information is: this is probably fake. Social media already spreads false stories, but with AI, anyone can generate a video of a head of state saying something they never said, in seconds. We now have trust issues. This is what I keep telling our team at BRIDGE IN. Our customers don't buy processes or software, they buy trust."