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Una Mullally's Lost In A Launch - Lost in a launch? The launches are trying to lose me, more like

Fiat Dundrum Father's Day Weekend Launch - Dads and car lovers ventured out to Dundrum Shopping Centre. Talking point: The awesome cars on show including the Maserati Gran Turissmo. L-R Keith Barry and Mairead Barry

Off The Rails The Total Experience - Stylists, producers and Off The Rails presenters gathered for the live show. Talking point: Brendan Courtney's delightful short trousers. L-R Maura McBride and Roisin Kiely

Hot Press Yearbook launch @ Sugar Club - Musicians, journalists and promoters gathered for the guide book launch. Talking point: How no one was paying attention to the speakers. L-R Luan Parle and Joe Rooney

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen debut - Robot lovers, DJs, film buffs hit the Savoy for the film's premiere. Talking point: The awful ending of the film. L-R Vivienne Bushell and Aidan Power

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I'm not gonna lie to you folks, it sure is quiet out there in launch land. For a while this week, I thought a PR company was going to step in and hold a launch for the tumbleweed blowing around the capital. Maybe everyone is still reeling from the downfall of Renards, maybe things are quieting down for the silly season, maybe the building opposite Trinity that's meant to be the new American Apparel is in fact a giant holding camp for launch coordinators, maybe everyone has died happy after Take That at Croker last Saturday, or maybe everyone has locked themselves away trying to get over the ridiculousness that was the plot of Transformers 2 which premiered to bemused faces on Tuesday evening, or maybe I'm just not getting invited to things anymore.

My Hotpress Year Book launch invite was conspicuously absent this week. This may be something to do with me slagging Hotpress at every opportunity, or maybe it was just lost in the post. In fact, I wouldn't have even known about it had I not met 2FM's Jenny Huston on the bus and she filled me in.

The evening after the Hotpress launch (according to someone else apart from Jenny who was at it, apparently Joe Rooney hosted and everyone talked really loudly and didn't pay attention to what Niall Stokes or the bands had to say/play) the Atrium in the Civic Offices building at Dublin City Council's HQ threw its shiny glassy doors open for the launch of Dublin LGBTQ Pride, which started officially on Friday. Full of VIGs (Very Important Gays), the launch was well serviced with Absolut vodka cocktails, endless canapés, wine, juice and good banter.

Later that evening, it was off to another launch in an atrium-type venue (are atriums an emerging launch trend? Or is everyone just too broke to hold parties outside their office buildings?) as RTé hosted a launch of Off The Rails: The Total Experience which is the new version of 'Off The Rails Live' and will take place in the RDS in November. Clearly it was saving costs by hosting the launch in-house, as there's an awful lot of cash behind this newish event. The marketing campaign that will precede it will cost €500,000, and the production budget for the show itself is €300,000. A production team from RTé and a few heads who have worked on London Fashion Week will be behind the fashionista wheel.

The rather sedate bash (well, it was in someone's office) was full of stylists and other fashion heads, although the purpose of it seemed to be to kickstart an appeal towards sponsors, advertisers and participators. Fashion editor of Stellar and Kiss magazines Corina Gaffey, fashion blogger Ann-Marie O'Connor, and stylists Susie Cohen and Tanya Grimson were all in attendance.

Also mentioned was a fashion-awards dimension to the event, which would be a huge deal for the industry, but this was strangely glossed over and referred to in a rather vague manner in both the launch brochure and by Sonya Lennon and Brendan Courtney during their speeches. So obviously, we had to scramble over to Brendan Courtney to get the goss.

The awards, which are still in development, will be held on the Friday evening of the weekend event, and will feature accolades like Best Stylist, Best Photographer, Best Make Up Artist, possibly an award for the best model of the year, and so on. Those awards will be voted for by members of the fashion industry, and the traditional best-dressed man and best-dressed woman awards voted for by the public.

It's the first time awards like this have been created, and they'll probably create a massive buzz in the fashion industry closer to the time.

Just remember who told you about them first.