Local business owners will have the chance to get advice from and share their grievances with Queensland Small Business Champion, Maree Adshead, at the Douglas Business Expo this Friday 6 March at the Port Douglas Community Hall.

The role of the small business champion is to give a voice to the challenges and needs of small businesses in Queensland and ensures they are brought to the forefront of government policy and decision-making.

The Douglas Business Expo is a collaborative event organised by the Douglas Chamber of Commerce and Douglas Shire Council and will be set up as a forum for exchanging knowledge and ideas about leveraging economic opportunity in the region.

Registration for the expo is open with local business owners encouraged to attend the free event.

Ms Adshead is one of the keynote speakers at the Expo and will also be available to registered businesses for one-on-one sessions to provide feedback, in particular, on the impacts of coronavirus on the local economy, so that she can take it back to State and Federal government.

Ms Adshead said she is looking forward to visiting the Douglas Shire.

“I provide a voice to small businesses to ensure that the realities faced by small businesses are able to be taken into account by government policymakers and regulators,” she said.

“I will be looking to hear from local businesses about the impacts of factors like the coronavirus and even from last year’s monsoonal flooding events.

“I’ll also look to see what is happening around town, it’s so important that regional parts of Queensland get a voice on the national agenda.”

In her address at the Expo, Ms Adshead will be talking about the key issues and challenges that she sees across the state, as well as the support that is available for small businesses and what she is working on to address issues.

“I think forums like business expos are really important,” Ms Adshead said.

Douglas Chamber of Commerce President, Liz Ross, said the expo is extremely fortunate to secure Ms Adshead.

“Ms Adshead’s main role is to advocate to both State and Federal Government for Small Business. This is a tremendous opportunity for the local area to secure such an important business advocate at a time when there are many events disrupting our business and workplaces, not just here but Australia wide,” Ms Ross said.

Ms Ross added the event was shaping up to be a golden opportunity to come together before the busy period.

“We have been blown away by the response from the business community and their willingness to get involved,” she said.

“The positive response shows there is a real enthusiasm about pushing our small business sector forward by working together.

“We expect the expo to be packed with plenty of savvy business minds who can inject some positivity into the Douglas Shire.”

Other keynote speakers at the Douglas Business Expo include:

• Far Northern Milling Pty Ltd – Mossman Mill
• Timothy Hortz - Project Manager, Department of Innovation and Tourism Industry Development
• Robert Sobrya - Construction Skills Queensland
• Ross Hodgman - District Director Far North – Transport & Main Roads

Event details:

• Date: Friday, 6 March 2020
• Time: 7:00 am – 11:00 am
• Where: Port Douglas Community Hall, Mowbray St, Port Douglas, QLD 4877

Schedule:

• 7am - Registration Open
• 7.30am - Networking and Trade Booth Expo
• 8.30am - Welcome to Country & opening of event