By JOLENE OGLE
CCIQ Noosa is on a mission to build local business and this Tuesday’s inaugural Chamber Best Practice Forum was just the start of an ongoing drive for smart economic growth.
The Best Practice Forum (BPF) was held on 28 July at Peppers Resort and Spa and brought together eight of the state’s most progressive chambers of commerce to discuss how best to serve their membership.
CCIQ Noosa vice-president Peter Chenoweth said the forum was only the start of an on-going relationship to share knowledge between the chambers.
“We all started building something very special,” Mr Chenoweth said.
“We established relationships, we shared knowledge, we built trust, and we agreed on ongoing collaboration. Welcome to a new era of improved chamber best practice and enhanced chamber connectivity.”
At the forum, each chamber outlined their top three initiatives and then the group decided on five broad, complementary initiatives for further discussion; high-level advocacy, business mentoring, non-traditional networking, understanding capabilities and revenue streams.
Mr Chenoweth said the forum was the first of its kind within 10 years and the chambers which participated are eager to continue the relationship.
“Most of the participants had never met each other, which proved to be a valuable benefit in its own right,” he said.
“All participants found the day to be an extremely worthwhile exercise and agreed to keep on meeting, collaborating and helping each other.”
Observers on the day included Noosa MP Glen Elmes, Noosa councillors Sandy Bolton and Frank Pardon, Business Mentoring Noosa president Bob Joubert and Regional Development Australia Sunshine Coast chairman Tony Riddle.
The Best Practice Forum is one of CCIQ Noosa’s latest initiatives that includes the launch of the Noosa International Film Festival and Noosa Grow+, a new parallel program to their already popular business mentoring program.
In another coup for CCIQ Noosa, creative director and founder of Renew Newcastle and Renew Australia Marcus Westbury, was today in Noosa to present to local business owners.
Renew Australia is a new national social enterprise designed to catalyse community renewal, economic development, the arts and creative industries across Australia.
The program works with communities, property owners, developers and other commercial spaces to take otherwise empty shops and spaces and make them available to incubate short-term use by artists, creative projects and community initiatives.
Marcus presented to the group for 45 minutes before opening the floor to questions for over half an hour.
CCIQ Noosa president Sarah Fisher said the presentation and question time was a great success and a real winner for the chamber.
The presentation session was held at the Noosa Convention and Exhibition Centre, and was a collaboration between CCIQ Noosa, Noosa Council, the Hastings Street Association, Noosa Junction Association and the Noosaville Business Association.
