A new major festival aimed at supporting local business rebound from the effects of COVID-19 and attract new enterprises to the region is to be held in August.
The past two years have been extremely tough for businesses on the Central Coast, particularly manufacturers and agri-businesses.
They have had to adapt their strategies and operations to deal with supply chain breakdowns, skills shortages, rising costs and other challenges stemming not only from the pandemic, but also from catastrophic bushfires and floods.
Central Coast Industry Connect (CCIC) will host the inaugural Central Coast Industry Festival and Expo.
Jointly funded by the Federal and State Governments under their Disaster Recovery funding arrangements, the major event will be the first of its kind for the region.
CCIC is a not-for-profit, member-based organisation which helps Central Coast manufacturers and agri-businesses unlock growth opportunities through relationship building and collaboration.
It secured the funding to host the festival not only to help future-proof businesses, but also to raise awareness about the extraordinary innovation capabilities of local businesses in these sectors and generate interest from Sydney-based business owners to relocate or start a new business here.
Festival organiser, Alex Blow, said, many are unaware of just how big an employer the manufacturing sector in the region is.
“By showcasing the diverse range of innovative products made right here on our doorstep, the festival will support the growth of our local manufacturing and agricultural production sectors, which employ thousands of Central Coast locals and contribute around $3.36B a year to our economy,” Blow said.
Another key objective of the festival is to highlight the significant employment opportunities available to current and future generations.
“An entire day will be dedicated to bringing industry, schools and universities together to showcase the variety of interesting career paths on offer within the food, beverages, agriculture and advanced manufacturing sectors,” Blow said.
The festival will be held over two weeks from August 22, delivering a program of free events for attendees, including industry-relevant capability building workshops and guest speaker sessions.
It will culminate in a three-day Industry Expo bringing leading manufacturing and related businesses together to network, collaborate, learn new skills and showcase their products to businesses, students and the local community.
CCIC Executive Director, Frank Sammut, said the festival would be an important event for the region.
“When I look at the future of manufacturing, I see the importance of being able to engage parents and students to educate them on the opportunities manufacturing presents, the level of technology employed and the variety of jobs available,” he said.
“For the sectors involved, the festival will provide the opportunity to learn about each other, cultivate new business opportunities and learn about best practice activities to build business strength and resilience.”
The Central Coast Industry Festival and Expo will be held at Mingara Recreation Club, Tumbi Umbi, from August 22-September 3.
The Expo will run from Thursday, September 1 to Saturday, September 3, and will be open to the public on the final day.
To learn more about the festival and expo or express interest in being an exhibitor, contact Alex Blow at alex@centralcoastfoodalliance.com.au.
Source:
Media release, Apr 11
Central Coast Industry Connect