A bigger, better search for city’s best ideas

DIGITAL suggestion box Suggest it is set to search for more of Ballarat’s Best Ideas.

Last year the locally created platform crowd-sourced hundreds of positive and constructive suggestions from members of the community, also known as ‘gurus,’ about their visions to improve and engage local businesses and organisations, or involve them in an innovative project.

Three groups received $500 to realise the public’s winning ideas, as judged by city experts in economics and enterprise, and Suggest it’s co-founders Ben Wearne and Nick Clare are ready to do it all again in a bigger, better way in 2022.

From the busy Begonia Festival period until the Easter long weekend, they’re encouraging residents, and visitors, especially young people, to share their actionable, innovative ideas to make the city’s businesses, organisations, and the broader commercial community even better.

“The whole campaign is underpinned by our digital suggestion box platform, which at any time of year anyone can give an idea for any local business or organisation, and that’s sent through privately,” Mr Clare said.

“We’ll have lots of QR codes popping up across the city over the coming weeks, so there’s going to be lots of opportunities for people to snap those.

“They can head to the Suggest it website, find the Ballarat’s Best Idea page, and quickly and easily put in an idea they’ve come up with to enter the competition for 2022.”

In delivering the initiative, Suggest it is working with the City of Ballarat, Commerce Ballarat, the Committee for Ballarat, Runway, Federation University, and Ballarat Regional Tourism.

With Crazy Ideas College on board the judging team this year, Suggest it has a goal to engage more young, energetic, thoughtful Ballarat people with the competition this time around.

Prizes include a Ballarat weekend staycation, or escape, an Apple Watch and a Trek bike.

Throughout the competition, the suggestion platform is also aiming to collect “the mood” of visitors, and micro ideas for businesses like cafes, hotels, retail shops and events.

“We’ll take those insights to our partners at a macro level, and present what visitors to Ballarat are asking for and what their ideas are,” Mr Clare said.

At the conclusion of Ballarat’s Best Ideas 2021, Plate Up Ballarat was supported to publish a cookbook showcasing the city’s hospitality venues and chefs’ best dishes.

1816 Bakehouse was tasked with developing a weekly bread subscription and delivery service, while Haymes Paint Shop was to star in a Paint the City campaign, refreshing historic Sturt Street façades.

Visit suggestit.com.au/bbi to get involved.