Melbourne Business Awards

"When you are powered by passion all things are possible"

Guest Speaker: Stacey Currie, Managing Director of Brand Print Australia

By rights, Stacey Currie should be dead, in jail or somewhere else. Anywhere but in business.

After a young life as a victim of domestic abuse, abandonment, teenage pregnancy, homelessness and worse, few would bank on her ever becoming anything other than another statistic blighting society’s conscience.

Instead, despite no prior business experience, Stacey defied her circumstances to transform a $100/month pay cheque into a multi-million dollar company. Join us at the September 5th Breakfast Event as Stacey shares her inspiring journey from extreme hopelessness to the highs of success building an award-winning print, packaging and signage business.

Networking from 6.30am, formal proceedings begin @ 7am.

Hemisphere Conference Centre

"Stepping Up To The Big League" ~ What multinational corporations look for in an SME Partner – the Siemens experience.

When it comes to developing new revenue streams and avenues to market, prospective industry partners will almost certainly be a key plank in your growth strategy.

But for SME manufacturers, securing such opportunities will only be successful if you can clearly demonstrate how what you have is relevant to what the larger corporation is offering.

At our next breakfast on April 4, Jürgen Schneider, Head of Market Development at Siemens Australia, will share key insights and tips for engaging with the multinational; valuable nuggets of wisdom including: 

• Be unique and offer something they can’t get elsewhere;
• Be persistent in your approach – the first ‘No’ often means little in a big corporation;
• Plan for fast growth and prepare to be scrutinised

Join us, networking from 6.30am, formal proceedings begin @ 7am.

Tickets $58, including hot breakast

Book online or contact 0412 836 767for more information

Guest Speaker: Alex Commins, Managing Director of Colorpak

SURVIVING CHALLENGES TO THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR

Lessons for all businesses and bucking the bad news story trend

 When manufacturing minnow Colorpak (www.colorpak.com.au) swallowed an industry giant in 2010, it was billed as an industry game-changer and, not unexpectedly, came with numerous challenges.

The mid-tier industrial packaging player’s acquisition of Carter Holt Harvey’s folding carton operations was a bold move at a time when manufacturing was feeling more than the pinch.

Job losses and site closures followed as Colorpak restructured to improve its competitive position, further fuelling the negative headlines about the death of Australian manufacturing.

Yet, shareholder returns of 120%; 9-12% growth year on year; a doubling of operational capacity underline a success story that combines the mantras, ‘survival of the fittest’ and ‘who dares wins’.

Join us at our July breakfast to hear Alex Commins, Managing Director of Colorpak (2004 winner of the Business of the Year), as he expands on the challenge of surviving seismic shocks to the manufacturing sector and the lessons for all types of businesses.

Networking from 6.30am, formal proceedings begin @ 7am.