Geelong Small Business Festival hailed as a success

THE City of Greater Geelong has celebrated this year’s Geelong Small Business Festival as a major success, with more than 5,000 business owners and entrepreneurs taking part in events throughout August.

Record numbers attended a wide variety of seminars and workshops focussed on topics such as business planning, marketing, social media, networking and financial management.

Industries that had the highest levels of participation in the festival included tourism, manufacturing, accommodation and food services, as well as education and training.

A highlight of the month-long festival was the Ita Buttrose keynote event on “the resilience factor”, with feedback from attendees stating that her presentation was uplifting and highly entertaining.

Another popular event was the sold-out Facebook Live event hosted by Future Proofing Geelong, where attendees heard four inspiring stories about how small businesses have become more energy and waste efficient.

According to surveys taken during the month, the three areas of most interest to festival participants were networking opportunities, business development and sales, as well as marketing and social media.

“The Geelong Small Business Festival has once again provided a great boost for entrepreneurs and small business owners in the region,” Geelong mayor Bruce Harwood said.

“Upscaling small businesses is an important economic opportunity for Geelong, with many forward-thinking entrepreneurs starting small here and making it big globally.

“The city has around 17,000 small businesses, so they’re an integral part of the Greater Geelong economy.

“Congratulations to event organisers and presenters on putting together another fantastic event for the business community of Geelong.

“I know many are already looking ahead to how we can make next year’s event even bigger and better.”