Trade Queensland, Advance Cairns and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council are joining forces to bring the first Bridge to China forum to Cairns this month.

Learn first-hand about market opportunities for goods and services in Hong Kong and Southern China, as well as information on the forthcoming China International Small to Medium Enterprise Fair (CISMEF) in Guangzhou (15–18 September 2010).

The forum will feature a presentation on the following topics:

• Hong Kong – gateway into Southern China
• Guangdong market overview – one of the preferred destinations for investment and trade in Southern China
• Updates on CISMEF, Queensland’s participation and how you can participate
• Food and agribusiness
• Education and training.

Cairns Mayor Val Schier will open the forum, while Bonnie Shek, Director of Australia and New Zealand, Hong Kong Trade Development Council, will be the keynote speaker presenting on trade and investment opportunities in Hong Kong and Southern China.

(Download Bridge To China Cairns Flyer)

Date: Tuesday 1 June 2010

Time: 8.45 am for 9.00 am start – 12.00 pm

Venue: Shangri-La Marina Hotel

Cost: No charge (light refreshments included)

Please RSVP to: Michelle Jago

via email sao@advancecairns.com or on

07 4080 2900 by Monday, May 24

More than 170 Cairns businesses looking to export their services and expertise into Papua New Guinea will learn more about the process at a forum in Cairns this week.

The ‘Partnering with PNG’ forum, co-hosted by Advance Cairns and the Cairns Chamber of Commerce, will feature a panel session and key guest presenters offering extensive and current business experience working with, and in PNG.

David Conn, Chief Executive Officer with the Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce and Industry will provide ‘warts and all’ advice on what it takes to be involved in the PNG market, while Carl Valentine, a Port Moresby partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers with significant experience in the PNG market, will provide attendees with direct information about the technicalities of doing business with PNG.

Mr Conn and Mr Valentine will join a four-person panel, for interactive discussions, that will include Kevin Byrne, Queensland Government Special Trade Representative to PNG, and Jeremy Blockey, President of the Cairns Chamber of Commerce.

Advance Cairns Chief Executive Officer Ross Contarino said the forum formed part of the organisation’s PNG trade strategy project, and would give local businesses first-hand insights into the workings of the PNG business community from people currently working and operating there.

Cairns Chamber of Commerce President Jeremy Blockey said the Chamber and Advance Cairns had for some time been collaborating on a process to secure increased business relationships between Cairns and PNG, which has been done through targeted trade missions and specific strategies. “We wish to highlight the fact that companies wanting to be involved in this market need to be well informed and suitably prepared,” Mr Blockey said. “To assist with this effort our organisations have invited two PNG-based experts to provide us with the Good Oil direct from the frontline.” 

‘Partnering with PNG Forum’

Date: Wednesday, April 21

Time: 3pm – 6pm

Venue: Shangri-La Hotel Ballroom

The Queensland Government invites you to participate in a cross-sectoral trade mission to Papua New Guinea, led by the Queensland Treasurer, the Honourable Andrew Fraser MP.

The mission will take place from Monday, March 15 to Thursday, March 18, and will focus on:

■■ PNG-LNG projects: equipment, technology and services

■■ mining projects: equipment, technology and services

■■ infrastructure: transport, roads, port, and airport development

■■ building and construction

■■ vocational training: all sectors

■■ international development: health, education and training, infrastructure and public sector capacity development.

For more information, and to register to attend the mission download the following PDF: Trade QLD mission to PNG March 15-18, 2010

Last week’s Australian Tropical Expertise Consortium Business Matching Roadshow rolled through Cairns, Townsville and Rockhampton with great success, attracting up to 60 participants from the host regions and beyond.

The Roadshow, delivered by Advance Cairns and with the support of the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Industry (DEEDI), was designed to facilitate relationship building between Australian Managing Contractors  and Tropical Experts from across North and Central Queensland, by bringing capital city-based AMCs and project co-ordinating firms to the regions.

Six presenters shared their insights into the many intricacies of international development business, including how to tender for such work, how to establish in-country relationships, and what AMCs and project co-ordinating firms are looking for when engaging with subcontractors for major projects. 

The four main business capability areas of Tropical Expertise (Tropical Living, Tropical Environmental Management, Tropical Health and Tropical Agribusiness) were well represented by the attendees in all three locations with a mix of skills and knowledge in areas such as animal reproduction, climate change, renewable energy, tropical architecture, sustainable architectural design, tropical disease management, training and OH&S, coastal land management, education, construction, and mapping.

Structured networking and informal networking opportunities during each leg of the Roadshow identified dozens of synergies between attendees and the presenters, with at least three connections now being formalised into joint project work.

If you missed the Roadshow then all of the presenter’s Powerpoint presentations are now available for viewing, via the links below: 

Peter Goldsworthy, Trade Queensland – Presentation

Vincent Sacriz, QUT- Presentation

Janette Clonan, ATEC Business Matching Contractor – Presentation

Ian McLeod, McLeod Training – Presentation

Harleigh Luscombe, Uniquest – Presentation

Clare Woolsey, JTA International – Presentation

Eric Kalmbach, Cardno PNG – Presentation

Due to the success of the Roadshow, plans are already underway to hold the event again in 2010. So if you missed it this year then there will be another opportunity to meet with various AMCs and project co-ordinating firms at a region near you next year.

Marketing the unique tropical knowledge and services in northern and central Queensland to international aid project co-ordinators will be the focus of the Australian Tropical Expertise Consortium Business Matching Roadshow, which will kick off in Cairns next week.

The Roadshow will roll through Cairns, Townsville and Rockhampton on three consecutive days starting from Tuesday, December 8 in Cairns. It will bring an array of Australian Managing Contractors (AMCs) and project co-ordinating firms to the regions to meet with Tropical Expertise service providers and share with them the intricacies of engaging with such firms, how to procure international aid work, and the ins and outs of working in-country.

Companies presenting on the Roadshow, which is being co-ordinated by Advance Cairns in partnership with the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, include Uniquest, Queensland University of Technology, JTA International, Cardno (PNG division), Trade Queensland and McLeod Training Organisation.

International aid projects in the developing world are administered by firms, such as the ones represented on the Roadshow, who subcontract organisations to complete assignments of varying budgets and timeframes. Northern and central Queensland professionals have been recognised by leading Australian Managing Contractor firms as among the best experts for international development projects in tropical countries.

This event was first held in Cairns in November 2008 and attracted more than 70 participants. Several Queensland companies, with unique Tropical Expertise, who attended have since been invited on international tenders by AMCs they met on the day.

CAIRNS – Tuesday, December 8 @ the Shangri-La Hotel from 8:15am – 1:30pm. Cost $44. Click here to register.

TOWNSVILLE – Wednesday, December 9 @ Rydges Southbank from 8:15am – 1:30pm. Cost $44. Click here to register.

ROCKHAMPTON – Thursday, December 10 @ Rockhampton Leagues Club from 8:45am – 2pm. Cost $44. Click here to register.

Advance Cairns, with the expert assistance of Gerard Byrne, co-author of Grants in Australia Book, and Margaret Darveniza, well-renowned facilitator, will host a series of Grant Writing Workshops across the region next week.

The half-day workshops will be held in two locations – Cairns and Atherton.

Date: Tuesday, August 11

Cost: $22.00 p/p

Cairns: Chamber of Commerce & Industry Queensland Training Rooms – 39 Anderson St, Cairns

Time: 8.30am – 11.30am

Atherton: Stan Moses Hall, Vernon Street, Atherton

Time: 5.30pm – 8pm

Presenters: Gerard Byrne & Margaret Darveniza

To register: phone 4080 2900, or email admin@advancecairns.com

RSVP: COB – Friday, August 7

Payment by Cheque or Cash – NO CREDIT CARD FACILITIES AVAILABLE

Astute investors looking for opportunities to see them through the current economic downturn need look no further than their own backyard, with a select group of regional entrepreneurs providing the ideal opportunity to invest locally.

Advance Cairns, with the support of the Department of Tourism, Regional Development and Industry and local business people, is compiling a program where investors will have the opportunity to invest back into their local community. The program will be spearheaded by the ‘Business Readiness and Investment Network’ event, to be held on Tuesday, April 21 at the Shangri-La Hotel, which will give selected investors the opportunity to meet regional entrepreneurs and early-stage high growth businesses, with the view to possibly forming an alliance at a later date.

Three local innovative companies who are about to embark on their growth phase, will present at the event. They include: Ian Kikkert from Redi-Fruit, Wim van den Herik and Tanya Harris from Residential Standards Australia, and Tony Rocca from Rocca Manufacturing Pty Ltd. All three companies have undertaken a rigorous process of business preparedness, either through the Australian Government’s COMET program or through the Queensland Government’s Mentoring for Growth Program.

Advance Cairns CEO Ross Contarino said the Business Readiness and Investment Network event was the perfect opportunity for local investors to look beyond the ‘doom and gloom’ of the current economic downturn and take a positive approach to their long-term viability, while at the same time instilling confidence in the local community and the entrepreneurs by having the foresight to back their innovative business ideas.

“We are offering locals an alternative process for investment opportunities – one that will see local firms prosper and new innovative ideas hit the world market – but most importantly a process that could see the investors gain a healthy return on their equity contributions,” Mr Contarino said.

“I believe that people will be genuinely impressed at the standard of the presentations and amazed at the level of technology emanating from our region.”

The breakfast, featuring key-note speaker Professor Sandra Harding, Vice Chancellor James Cook University, is expected to generate significant interest. Final attendance is by invitation only, and interested investors should register their interest with Advance Cairns on 4080 2900.

TNQ Skills Master Class Slide Notes 

TNQ Skills Master Class Presentations

The TNQ Skills Master Class brought together representatives from local government, training bodies, small business and industry to hear local perspectives on the skills shortage.  The key driver behind the event was to promote positive, proven strategies within the business community to counteract the skills shortage and to also present new ideas accessible to regional employers.

The presentation notes from each of the six speakers are available as a resource for everyone.  To access the PDF documents, please click on the links above.

The TNQ Skills Master Class Invitation

You are invited to tap into the region’s long history of innovation and ability to look to itself for solutions.   Welcome to the TNQ Skills Master Class, a free event showcasing local solutions to the national skills and labour shortage.  Hear from great local professionals followed by networking at the premier location.