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Advance Cairns July 2010 Cairns Post advertorial

Trade Mission to China: September 11-19, 2010

ADVANCE CAIRNS TRADE MISSION TO ZHANJIANG AND GUANGZHOU, CHINA

LED BY CAIRNS MAYOR VAL SCHIER

SEPTEMBER 11 – 19, 2010

An exciting opportunity exists for you to showcase your business to more than 250,000 potential customers at the 7^th China International Small and Medium Enterprises Fair. This will be just one of the many business matching opportunities available to you on an eight-day trade mission to Zhanjiang and Guangzhou, China currently being arranged by Advance Cairns.

Led by Cairns Mayor Val Schier, the mission will run from September 11-19 and will include a detailed itinerary of pre-arranged business matching opportunities.

The benefits to you by participating include:

• Business matching customised to your business/organization
• Pre-arranged group business matching meetings
• Participation in a Cairns trade display booth in The Australian Pavilion at the 7^th China International Small and Medium Enterprises Fair
• Attendance at specially arranged networking functions with local business people and officials
• Discounted airfares and accommodation have been negotiated.

To secure your place on the mission, and for a detailed information pack call Advance Cairns on 4080 2900 or drop into the office at: 51 The Esplanade, Cairns.

Closing Date for China Trade Mission Participation: Monday, July 5

Trade Mission enquiries to:             

Michelle Jago                                                   

Advance Cairns                                              

sao@advancecairns.com                               

Ph: (07) 4080 2900

Funding towards a Regional Economic Development Plan and the Cairns Cultural Precinct will be two of a number of issues high on the New Deal team’s agenda during a lobbying trip to Canberra this week.

Led by Advance Cairns Chairman Russell Beer, CEO Ross Contarino and Independent Director Michael Huelin, the team, comprising representatives from the Cairns Airport, Tourism Tropical North Queensland and the Cairns Chamber of Commerce, will spend two days in Canberra (from Wednesday) meeting with various Federal Government ministers and senior staff to lobby for assistance to help overcome Far North Queensland’s economic difficulties.

Advance Cairns CEO Ross Contarino said that with the assistance of Federal Member for Leichhardt Jim Turnour, the New Deal team had been able to secure meetings with Assistant Treasurer Nick Sherry, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Anthony Albanese, Minister for Small Business Craig Emerson, Parliamentary Secretary for Western and Northern Australia Gary Grey, Minister for Employment Participation Mark Arbib, and Neil Roberts, adviser to the Minister for Resources, Energy and Tourism Martin Ferguson.

Mr Contarino said that briefing papers had been prepared seeking support from the Federal Government to:

• Partner on an equal basis with Cairns Regional Council and the Queensland Government to deliver the Cairns Cultural Precinct;
• Maximise the opportunities coming out of Papua New Guinea by assisting to coordinate a concerted effort to secure further FIFO services for the Cairns region;
• Contribute financially towards the development of a Regional Economic Development Plan;
• Establish a one-on-one advisory assistance to small businesses in the region; and
• Establish a PNG Consul in Cairns. 

“We are looking forward to getting a hearing on these various issues and will be pleading our case very strongly for Federal Government assistance for a region still reeling from the effects of record unemployment, which is still the highest in the nation. Our strategic focus is based on diversification, while providing assistance for the regions’ established industries that are struggling through the economic downturn.”

The Cairns region’s mining capabilities will be marketed to mining contractors during a series of meetings in Brisbane this week.

Led by Advance Cairns CEO Ross Contarino and Chairman Russell Beer, the two-day mission (starting today) will include meetings with International and Australian Managing Contractors who have won major mining contracts in Papua New Guinea, and are based in Brisbane. “Our series of meetings with second tier mining contractors to Papua New Guinea is about putting the Cairns region and its strong mining-related capabilities on their radar,” Mr Contarino said.

While in Brisbane, Mr Contarino and Mr Beer will also attend the 30^th Anniversary Dinner of the Australia Papua New Guinea Business Council. “The dinner will provide us with the opportunity to make some important contacts and further build on the relationship between the Cairns region and PNG,” said.

The trip follows a similar visit to Western Australia last week when Mr Contarino and Cairns Chamber of Commerce President Jeremy Blockey met with mining contractors to sell the capabilities of the Cairns region to position the region as a major Fly-in/Fly-out (FIFO) hub in the growing mining sectors in Papua New Guinea and Western Australia.

The four-day mission to Perth and Karratha proved fruitful, with negotiations underway to secure a regional office in Cairns for one of the contractor companies, and another now investigating a direct FIFO arrangement between Cairns and Karratha.

A Perth-headquartered mining company will join dozens of employers seeking staff at tomorrow’s Centrelink Jobs Expo in Cairns.

CITIC Pacific Mining (CPM) confirmed its participation following initial discussions with Member for Leichardt Jim Turnour, and follow-on meetings with Advance Cairns and the Cairns Chamber of Commerce. “Mr Turnour was in discussions with us about finding mining jobs to help improve the Cairns unemployment situation, and suggested we get involved in the Expo,” a CPM spokesperson said.

Advance Cairns CEO Ross Contarino said a subsequent meeting with CPM senior executives, during a familiarisation trip to Western Australia earlier this month, confirmed the company’s participation in the Centrelink Jobs Expo this week.

Mr Contarino said it was a real coup to have attracted an operation like CPM to the Expo. “At a time when the region is hurting, it’s great to see a company like CPM take an interest in our plight and provide opportunities that would be a win-win for all involved,” he said.

The CPM spokesperson said the company is excited to participate in the Expo as part of its national recruitment campaign, requiring more employees to help operate its massive Sino Iron magnetite project, under construction 100 kilometres south west of Karratha, in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.

“Our recruitment team would like to meet people with mining industry work experience, particularly in mechanical and electrical trades. Depending on the level of interest from the national campaign and the suitability of candidates, we look forward to broadening our employee base.”

Find out the latest news from Advance Cairns in the most recent monthly instalment in The Cairns Post:

Advance Cairns June 2010 Cairns Post advertorial

Find out the latest news from Advance Cairns in the most recent monthly instalment in The Cairns Post:

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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

Find out the latest news from Advance Cairns in the most recent monthly instalment in The Cairns Post:

Advance Cairns April 2010 Cairns Post advertorial

Find out the latest news from Advance Cairns in the most recent monthly instalment in The Cairns Post:

Advance Cairns March 2010 Cairns Post advertorial