Geelong hosts digital innovation summit

THE City of Greater Geelong hosted a Digital Innovation Summit yesterday (Thursday, February 22), to boost local business growth through digital innovation.

Supported by Business NBN, Business in Heels, the Geelong Chamber of Commerce, and the Committee for Geelong, this half-day event was held at the Geelong Library and Heritage Centre.

Geelong mayor Trent Sullivan opened the summit and was followed by David Pollock from Business NBN, who discussed Australia’s online preferences and the increase in devices at home.

Sieg Lafon from Accenture shared insights on protecting businesses from cyber threats.

“With the digital world constantly evolving, we’re proud to provide up-to-date information and advice on how to ensure your business is thriving, productive and innovative,” Cr Sullivan said.

The panel discussion will cover digital tool leverage for business growth, including web and app development and AI in marketing.

The local HR landscape and overcoming the digital employment divide were also topics.

The summit concluded with a workshop by Kelly Brough from Accenture on automating marketing and personalising customer experiences using AI.

Deputy mayor Anthony Aitken said the summit demystified the digital world for small business owners and shone a light on potential opportunities.