Media Release by Central Coast Industry Festival
With fifty exhibitors locked in, high-profile keynote speakers lined up and nine free capability-building workshops on offer for businesses, the Central Coast Industry Festival and Expo in August/September is shaping up to be the largest and most highly anticipated industry event ever held in the region.
The festival is the brainchild of Central Coast Industry Connect (CCIC), a not-for-profit, member-based organisation that helps Central Coast manufacturers and industry unlock growth opportunities through relationship building and collaboration. CCIC Executive Director Frank Sammut applied for a grant under the Commonwealth and New South Wales Governments’ Disaster Recovery funding arrangements released in early 2020 to host a resilience building-event after exhibiting at a similar festival in the Hunter a few years ago. He says, “We’ve been wanting to do an event like this for five or six years.
So, when the bushfire funding was released in early 2020, I saw that as an opportunity, particularly as it was centred on helping local industry build resilience against future disruptions, and that underpins everything we do.” He and other CCIC board members were thrilled to be awarded the funding soon thereafter and they set the wheels in motion to organise the event.
CCIC Board Chairman Peter Crane says the festival will bring manufacturing and industry to the forefront and raise awareness about the significant contribution the sector makes to the region in terms of employment, the economy, innovation and the circular economy. “A lot of people have a view of the Central Coast as a holiday destination or a place to retire. Many don’t realise that manufacturing is the third largest contributor to our economy, delivering $3.4 billion a year and employing just under 2800 people,” he said.
A key difference with this festival to others is that it includes nine content-rich workshops designed to educate and upskill local manufacturing and food and beverage businesses to develop resilience against future disruption and tap into available opportunities. Frank said, “Part of our charter is to create employment and the best way to do that is to make businesses secure and show them how to grow, connect them with government, etc.”
Workshops on offer will include Grant Writing (with government representatives on hand to announce the current grants available), Business Planning and Risk Mitigation, Innovation, LEAN Manufacturing Fundamentals, the Circular Economy and a full day Supply Chain workshop. All workshops will be free to attend for industry participants, however registration is recommended as numbers will be limited. Full details, including how to register, will be released soon.
One of the highlights of the festival will be the three-day expo from Thursday, September 1 to Saturday, September 3. During this time, fifty of the Central Coast’s best local food, beverage, agriculture and advanced manufacturing companies will come together to showcase their products and services and network to identify potential opportunities to collaborate. Day one will be for industry followed that evening by a special launch event, day two for students and education providers, and day three for the general public.
Frank said, “The main goal expressed by exhibitors is to attract and recruit people. I am hoping they generate interest, not only on the education day but also the community day where some mature-aged people might see opportunities in manufacturing and industry for a career change.” Peter added, “Manufacturing can provide you with a great set of skills that are transferable and can set you up for a fantastic career path. If we can attract more people that haven’t yet considered manufacturing as a destination, everyone will be richer for it.”
The Central Coast Industry Festival and Expo will be held at Mingara Recreation Club, Tumbi Umbi from August 22 to September 3. For more information, head to the festival and expo website at centralcoastindustryfestival.com.au or to express interest in registering for a workshop, contact festival organiser Alex Blow at alex@centralcoastfoodalliance.com.au.
Image Supplied: www.centralcoastindustryfestival.com.au
