Saturday 17 October 2015

Innovators to dominate Cairns conference

Cairns ZOOM
The News Corp Australia Tourism Innovation Conference in Cairns next month (6 November) will be a powerhouse of inspiration for the business success stories of 2016, according to innovation researcher Stuart Reid.

Mr Reid will write a paper on the November 6 Conference’s outcomes using his research into tourism innovation in Australia for a Master’s Thesis at the University of Southern Denmark.

“If you ever wanted to turbo charge your innovation, coming to events like this Conference to connect with other innovators is really the way to go especially for those businesses struggling to get ahead,” he said.

“All Australian tourism destinations face fierce competition from other destinations around the world, and the business environment is challenging to say the least.

“Innovation is vital for tourism businesses, and destinations, to stay competitive and even just maintain their market share, yet only a minority of tourism firms seems to innovate successfully.

“In studying examples of successful innovation, and talking to the innovators, I noticed they had a special ability to spot and seize innovation opportunities, and managed to overcome the many obstacles they encountered along the way.

“When I looked into it more closely two things really stood out - the innovators were passionate about their business and were always on the lookout for new ideas and opportunities.

“This thirst for learning is what made the difference and is a key lesson for all businesses: Innovators take advantage of opportunities to connect with new people and ideas.

“Innovators are exactly the type of people likely to be at the Tourism Innovation Conference, so it is a tremendous opportunity for businesses to connect with, and gain inspiration and ideas from successful innovators.”

Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ) Chief Executive Officer Alex de Waal said the Conference was designed to be a ticket to business success with a strong line-up of inspiring speakers including James O’Loghlin, Bernard Salt and Dr Karl Kruszelnicki, plus an expert Business Panel and stand-out Concurrent Session speakers.

“Already more than 200 registered delegates recognise the only way to stay in business is to innovate and are taking advantage of this opportunity to share insight and case studies on innovation,” he said.

“Among these delegates are Charles and Ben Woodward from CaPTA whose business Cairns ZOOM is one of the inspiring case studies Stuart has used in his thesis,” he said.

“I hope to meet some of the business owners who are yet to proceed down the innovation path at the News Corp Australia Tourism Innovation Conference as it is designed to encourage the business community to invest and innovate as we emerge from bleak to brighter times.

“Proactive development of competitive advantage is often forgotten in the bunker mentality that businesses retreat to when times are tough and short-term survival is paramount.

“Under these circumstances, innovation is often regarded as an indulgent non-essential element of business.

“However, innovation has proven to be part of the formula for business growth especially in these times when global leadership in business is no longer the exclusive domain of ‘Goliath’ multinational companies.

“The ‘David’ micro business of today is armed with pervasive digital connectivity and an egalitarian DNA which can only be fueled by a commitment to innovation.”

Following the News Corp Australia Tourism innovation Conference speakers and delegates can network at the Intrust Super Tourism Industry Excellence Cocktail Event.

For more information go to www.tictnq.com or join the conversation by following @meetincairnsGBR on Twitter.

The proud sponsors are: Conference naming rights sponsor News Corp Australia, keynote speaker sponsor James Cook University and Ergon Energy, Concurrent Session Leadership and Management sponsor Central Queensland University, Concurrent Session Digital Innovation for the Digital Savvy sponsor Grant Thornton, Concurrent Session Financial Management Innovation and Product Development Innovation sponsor Department of Tourism, Major Events Small Business and the Commonwealth Games, Industry Excellence Cocktail Event naming rights sponsor Intrust Super, conference hospitality partner (morning tea) Intrust Super, conference hospitality partner (afternoon tea) Ergon Energy, Business Leader Panel sponsor Cairns Regional Council, Chairman’s Award partners the Cairns Chamber of Commerce and Staging Connections, conference luncheon partner Cairns Airport, venue partner Ports North, Hall of Fame Awards sponsor Hostplus, catering partner Nu Nu Restaurant, theming partner The Vintage Hire Company.

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