Australia’s largest small business festival kicked off in Mildura today, with the month-long festival offering the region’s small business operators with a range of free and low-cost events that will help them network and grow their businesses.
Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade Philip Dalidakis joined Victorian digital expert Tim Gentle and representatives from the Mildura Rural City Council and the Mildura Development Corporation to launch the second annual festival for the region, at the Mildura Club.
Mr Gentle is a well-known regional digital expert, who recently started travelling around Australia on his Think Digital Coach, and entertained the crowd with his interactive keynote presentation.
The Mildura Festival is part of the state-wide Small Business Festival Victoria, which runs annually throughout August and this year has a strong regional focus with half of the program to run across eight regional sites in a festival-first.
Victoria has cemented its role as the small business state, leading the country in small business growth at a rate nearly double the national average. Last year almost 9,000 new small businesses were set up in Victoria.
Victoria is home to over 541,000 small businesses and nearly a third of them are based in regional and rural areas.
Now in its 11th year, the Small Business Festival Victoria is an annual highlight on the small business calendar and an important platform for supporting and driving business performance in Victoria.
The 2016 program is the biggest yet and features more than 450 events across a range of topics including business development, online business and marketing, social media, business management and hiring staff.
For more information on 2016 Small Business Festival Victoria events, visit .
Quotes attributable to Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade, Philip Dalidakis
“It’s fantastic that the Mildura Festival is now in its second year as part of the biggest small business festival in the country.”
”This festival provides Victorian businesses with access to the latest ideas, designs and technological developments to keep them competitive, growing and sustainable.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Northern Victoria, Steve Herbert
“More than a quarter of Victoria’s small businesses are in regional and rural Victoria, with many local economies depending on their success in providing local jobs and growth in the regions.”
“This festival is a great opportunity for business owners and new entrepreneurs from the Mildura region to upskill and ensure they have the foundations in place to keep their businesses growing strong.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020