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Melbourne Steals Australia’s Biggest Startup Conference From Sydney

30 October 2015

Minister for Small Business Innovation and Trade Philip Dalidakis was today in Sydney to announce that Victoria has lured Australia’s biggest startup tech conference to Melbourne from 2016.

Mr Dalidakis joined Freelancer.com CEO Matt Barrie to make the announcement at this year’s conference, SydStart, in front of more than 2,000 people at the Sydney Town Hall, welcoming the new ‘StartCon’ conference to Victoria.

The conference, which has been running for five years, was last year acquired by Freelancer.com who are excited by the move to Melbourne and tapping into Victoria’s strong startup ecosystem. The move is seen as a big drawcard to grow the conference and make it the biggest startup tech event across the Asia-Pacific.

The conference has grown significantly since its debut in 2009 and is known for its power to attract top investors and mentors in the startup space. The program boasts line-ups of Australian and international speakers, expos, pitch competitions, hackathons, conferences and workshops.

Mr Dalidakis said the move will significantly add to Victoria’s burgeoning startup scene, with the Andrews Labor Government committed to providing support for entrepreneurs and startup businesses to stay and grow in Victoria.

The Labor Government’s $60m startup initiative will boost Victoria's startup scene and provide the right environment for entrepreneurs to develop, incubate and grow early-stage innovative businesses that have the potential to create Victorian jobs and boost the economy.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade Philip Dalidakis

“We welcome the move of the newly unveiled StartCon to Melbourne. This conference has done great things for entrepreneurs and startup business owners over the past few years and our vision is to make it even bigger and better next year.”

“Freelancer.com’s decision to move Australia’s biggest startup tech conference to Melbourne highlights Victoria’s reputation as the number one tech destination in Australia.”

“The Labor Government is committed to creating an environment that allows our brightest entrepreneurs and their best ideas to stay and grow in Victoria. Our $60 million startup fund will ensure more local jobs for the future.”

Quotes attributable to Matt Barrie CEO of Freelancer.com

“We’re very excited to put the new StartCon conference on in Melbourne. We have seen a lot of success with companies coming out of Victoria and Melbourne is definitely primed to be the new hotbed for the startup and tech scene.”

“We are very appreciative of the support shown by the Victorian Government and we can’t wait for StartCon’s debut in 2016 – not only will it be the biggest startup conference in the country but across the whole Asia-Pacific region.”

Reviewed 19 August 2020

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