FWD›››Growth

Designed for like-minded businesses to share their knowledge and experiences to grow the shared economies with innovation from our region.

Speakers

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Gavin Keeley

Chair, Regional Development Australia Moreton Bay Sunshine Coast

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Aaron Birkby

Co-Founder, Tribe Global Ventures

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Jasmine Vreugdenburg

Director, Innovation Centre University of the Sunshine Coast

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Jasmine Batra

Managing Director, Arrow Digital

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Thomas Pollock

Managing Director, Gov Ready

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Paola Piccinno

Strategic Marketing Consultant, Piccinno Strategic Marketing

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Craig Frehlich

Instructional Design Expert for XR and Technology Integration Specialist

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Susan Toft

CEO, The Laundry Lady Australia and New Zealand

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Angie Hammond

Growth Advisor, Next Level Advice

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Jennifer Black

Leader, Innovation for Regional and Business Growth

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Chris Boden

Director, Peregian Digital Hub

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Brad Chesham

CEO and Founder, Bundle of Rays

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Dominic Vrolijks

Maker in Residence, Sunshine Coast Maker Space

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Michael Bye

General Manager Queensland, ThinkPlace

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Yvette Adams

Founder & Partner, The Creative Collective

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Dr Sheila Gough Kenyon

COO, Starbound Space Solutions

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Elana Morrow

Founder, Moyai Access Inclusion

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Kalena Stano

Founder and CEO, Hello Lendy

Sessions

’s Track Sessions

two-day exhibition

Innovation Showcase

Innovative businesses and support services showcase their ingenuity and share unique solutions. Proudly supported by Sunshine Coast Council and Advance Queensland, visit the many displays in the TAFE Forecourt. The innovation showcase is a dynamic platform for local and national companies to showcase their cutting-edge products, services and digital solutions.

Showcase Forecourt/A Block

BREAKFAST›››DAY TWO

Breakfast @ Innovation Showcase

Continental Breakfast included

We start day two from 7.30am with a flurry of activity as our Innovation Showcase becomes the star of the day. A continental breakfast will be served on the TAFE deck as FWD delegates visit the many and varied exhibitors in the Innovation Showcase. This is your opportunity to support and learn from many innovators that are in our region, and from afar. Thanks to Sunshine Coast Council and Advance Queensland there will be over 20 exhibitors for you to explore. At 8am, those interested in viewing the ‘Innovation Procurement Pitch at Forward Fest’ will be invited into the TAFE theatre to witness over 10 businesses pitch their product or service to representatives from procurement teams from government and industry.

@TafeDeck

Innovation Procurement Pitch at Forward Fest

Innovation procurement is emerging as an important lever in state and local government strategies for digital, smart places, sustainability solution research and development and as a key economic growth strategy. Governments and economists are increasingly seeing procurement practices as an opportunity to use the power of government as a customer to drive innovation and value chains by making procurement decisions strategically, rather than simply on the basis of cost. What is innovation procurement? “Innovation procurement” is an approach where a public buyer either buys the process of innovation – such as research and development services for a specific problem or need – or buys the outcome of innovation through a novel or emerging product or service. This fast-paced ‘shark tank’ style pitch session will enable local, emerging tech founders to present to a panel of Sunshine Coast and Queensland procurement professionals in front of a live audience. All founders have been vetted beforehand by a panel from the Queensland Ignite Spark program and identified as being well-positioned to present for this session.

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Stage 2/Lecture Theatre

FWD›››FUTURE

Xplor the future of an extended reality

A core session designed to explore the future of XR, AI and VR technologies. Firstly, a representative from Meta will focus on AI and XR technology before Craig Frehlich will explore the real-life impacts for all.

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Stage 2/Lecture Theatre

Session G1

Growing Pains

Panel

Hear firsthand from those who have experienced growing pains as part of their growth journey

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Stage 3/A Block

BYO Lunch & Learn

Female Founders

BYO your lunch from onsite FWD vendors

This session will be the perfect inspiration you need to take the leap of faith you have been dreaming of! Increase your chance of success by learning from these incredible women who have lived the founder's life. Hear their successes and their mistakes and walk away ready to level up!

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Stage 1/E Block

Session G2

Marketing for Growth

Workshop

Explore different approaches to marketing in this very practical workshop that will propel your organisation to the next level.

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Stage 3/A Block

Session G3

Scale with Government Funding

Panel

Hear from the organisations that participated in the Regional Futures Collaborative Project and how Government programs can advance your growth. Hosted by Jennifer Black, Advance Queensland

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Stage 3/A Block

NETWORKING

FWD›››COLLABORATE

Canapes and beverage on arrival included

With national and international businesses joining local organisations on Day 2 of Forward Fest, FWD>>>COLLABORATE is proudly brought to you by UniSC. What better way to mix and mingle with industry groups, government departments, and organisations of all levels on the boardwalk at TAFE sharing learnings from the past two days.

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Stage 6/Tafe Deck

tracks

FWD

Climate

The intersection of technology and environmental sustainability, highlighting innovative solutions and strategies to combat climate change.

FWD›››Climate

FWD

Emerging

Showcasing the forefront of technological advancements, emphasising how these innovations are transforming sectors.

FWD›››Emerging

FWD

Health

Track explores technology advancements, emphasising the transformative potential of Extended Reality (XR) & Virtual Reality (VR), address global health challenges.

FWD›››Health

FWD

Invest

Dedicated to exploring investment landscapes, uncovering emerging trends, and networking opportunities for startups.

FWD›››Invest

FWD

Scale

Focuses on what it really takes to scale into a long-term sustainable business.

FWD›››Scale

Festival

FWD

Executive

Designed for leaders who wish to take a quantum leap in their thinking, knowledge of the world, and approach to leadership to build the perfect connections to propel them forward.

FWD›››Executive

FWD

Future

These are core sessions for attendance by all delegates with a focus on future and emerging technologies.

FWD›››Future

FWD

Growth

Designed for like-minded businesses to share their knowledge and experiences to grow the shared economies with innovation from our region.

FWD›››Growth

31 JULY - 2 AUGUST 2024 Sunshine Coast

Acknowledgement of Country

Silicon Coast and partners pays our deepest respect to the Traditional Custodians of this country; the Kabi Kabi and Jinibara peoples of the coastal plains and hinterlands of the Sunshine Coast, as we honor them as the original storytellers, innovators, and custodians of this land, embracing their wisdom to innovate while respecting the sacred ground on which it takes place.

© 2022 - 2024 FORWARD FEST | SILICONCOAST. All Rights Reserved.

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