Business Assistance Program helping women Shine
The latest recipient in the Business Events Assistance Program, SHINE Business Women, will bring around 200 delegates together this week for the inaugural It's Time to Shine conference at Novotel Twin Waters Resort.
The latest recipient in the Business Events Assistance Program, SHINE Business Women, will bring around 200 delegates together this week for the inaugural It's Time to Shine conference at Novotel Twin Waters Resort.
To be officially opened by Cr Jenny McKay, the two-day conference has a range of speakers and includes a lunchtime panel event on day two on Saturday, with the majority of delegates coming from outside the Sunshine Coast region.
Founder and CEO of SHINE Business Women, Zoe Sparks said: “We are absolutely thrilled by the response over the last couple of months since we launched SHINE Business Women.
“Teaming our inaugural conference with a weekend on the Sunshine Coast has been a real hit and we have around 200 participants attending each of the two days with delegates from Sydney, Melbourne and throughout South-East Queensland attending as well as the locals, which is fantastic.
“The line-up of speakers has certainly helped put this event on the map. It’s a real privilege to have Naomi Simson, Dr Kirstin Ferguson, Sebastian Terry and Danielle Di-Masi in attendance as well as other high-profile speakers and business experts.
“Giving back is an important part of any business and we have chosen to support Share the Dignity charity and will be collecting handbags filled with essentials as part of their #itsinthebag campaign. We shall be accepting bags between 8am-5pm on Friday, June 1 and between 8am-noon on Saturday, June 2 near the reception area of Novotel Twin Waters Resort. We’d love everyone to support."
With applications for funding support to boost conferences, meetings and exhibitions until 2021, due to close on June 1, the Business Assistance Program, facilitated by Business Events Sunshine Coast in partnership with the Sunshine Coast Council, has attracted keen interest from business event planners in securing the following business for the region:
• Australian Amusement Leisure & Recreation Association (AALARA) Conference (May 8-10, 2018)
• TCI Oceania 2018 Why Clusters Matter: Growing Regional Trade and Investment through Clusters (June 5-8, 2018)
• The Sunshine Coast Conversation on Post-Traumatic Stress 2018 (August 29-31, 2018)
• United Nations and Overseas Policing Association of Australia Conference (October 20-24, 2019).
Visit Sunshine Coast CEO Simon Latchford said: “The Business Events Assistance Program is a great initiative which supports business, industry groups and aims to attract high yielding national and international business events to our region.”
“Business events are estimated to be worth $40.8 million to the Sunshine Coast region. Our recent success is just the tip of the iceberg and we know we can increase the economic value through this program, to drive more business visitors to the Sunshine Coast.
“Looking forward, our focus over the coming 18 months is to capitalise on the success of the past year in raising the region’s profile as a business events destination and ultimately a place to do business.”
The Shine Business Women’s – It’s Time to Shine Conference will be held on June 1-2 at Novotel Twin Waters Resort with registrations due by close of business, Wednesday, May 30. Please note, people do not need to be delegates of the conference to donate a bag to Share the Dignity charity.