The Central Coast’s leading manufacturers, food producers and related service providers came together at Mingara Recreation Club on March 6 and 7 to “Connect to Grow” at the Central Coast Industry Festival.
The festival attracted many hundreds of business people and local students keen to explore the world-class innovations manufactured in our region.
The event was organised by Central Coast Industry Connect (CCIC), a not-for-profit organisation which helps Central Coast manufacturers to discover opportunities for growth through building relationships and facilitating collaboration.
Executive Director Frank Sammut said the key objective of the festival was to provide a face to face opportunity for local manufacturers to strengthen their local networks, collaborate with other leading businesses and learn about new products and technologies being developed within the region.
“It was exciting to experience the energy at the event as manufacturers, suppliers, buyers, distributors and service providers all connected as they explored potential collaborations and partnerships for future business growth,” he said.
With over 60 exhibitors on display, the festival attracted visitors from across the Central Coast, Sydney and Newcastle regions.
It provided an unparalleled opportunity for business leaders and service providers outside the Central Coast to experience a powerful demonstration of the calibre of businesses in the region.
Highlights of the festival included the Circular Economy room which showcased the ground-breaking alternative energy, sustainability and recycling initiatives of Star Scientific, Bioaction, Arc Ento Tech, Hydrogen at Home, iQRenew, Mil-Tek, 4 Seasons Insulation and Signarama Tuggerah.
Global smart label and tag company 4id Solutions also drew crowds with a diverse display of RFID and sensor technologies while the best of the local food and beverage manufacturers, such as Mars, Sanitarium, Herbie’s Spices, Eastcoast Beverages, Six String Brewing Co, the Central Coast Makers’ Trail and more showed beyond doubt that the region is home to some of the finest produce in the world.
The launch event, hosted by CCIC Chair Ian Hemphill, was well attended by leading local businesses and VIPs, including State MPs David Harris (Wyong), David Meehan (The Entrance) and Adam Crouch (Terrigal).
CCIC Board Member and General Manager of Mars Food & Nutrition Australia, Bill Heague, spoke passionately about the value of partnering with his innovative Central Coast neighbours.
“We’ve connected and explored ways we can work together to build the future of food in NSW and I am feeling energised about the power we have to make a difference to our local community,:” he said.
Sixteen expert speakers presented over the two days of the festival on topics related to the food sector, retail distribution, Defence procurement, ecommerce, exporting, freight solutions, audiometric testing, wellbeing, skills gaps, sustainable choices, Lean manufacturing and more.
The speaker sessions provided stimulating insights into growth and efficiency opportunities for the exhibitors and visitors.
The Central Coast Industry Festival is scheduled to return again in 2026.
In the meantime, Central Coast Industry Connect will continue to support local manufacturers and food producers through its ongoing collaboration and capacity building programs.
“CCIC’s membership program provides industry workshops, knowledge events, cluster forums, networking events, mentoring, valuable introductions and connections, and business development support to manufacturers and food producers in our region,” Sammut said.
“Our vision is for a vibrant, connected and innovative local manufacturing sector that provides sustained employment and sector growth now, and into the future, for our community.”
To find out more about CCIC’s membership program, visit www.centralcoastindustryconnect.com.au