ATEC News

The Australian Tropical Expertise Consortium Roadshow attracted some great media coverage when it hit the road in Cairns, Townsville and Rockhampton earlier this month.

Roadshow Facilitator Janette Clonan, and one of the six presenters, Harleigh Luscombe from Uniquest provided some great insights into the purpose and outcomes of the Roadshow.

Check out the Channel Seven Local News coverage in Townsville: ATEC Roadshow – Channel 7 Local News Townsville

Last week’s Australian Tropical Expertise Consortium Business Matching Roadshow rolled through Cairns, Townsville and Rockhampton with great success, attracting up to 60 participants from the host regions and beyond.

The Roadshow, delivered by Advance Cairns and with the support of the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Industry (DEEDI), was designed to facilitate relationship building between Australian Managing Contractors  and Tropical Experts from across North and Central Queensland, by bringing capital city-based AMCs and project co-ordinating firms to the regions.

Six presenters shared their insights into the many intricacies of international development business, including how to tender for such work, how to establish in-country relationships, and what AMCs and project co-ordinating firms are looking for when engaging with subcontractors for major projects. 

The four main business capability areas of Tropical Expertise (Tropical Living, Tropical Environmental Management, Tropical Health and Tropical Agribusiness) were well represented by the attendees in all three locations with a mix of skills and knowledge in areas such as animal reproduction, climate change, renewable energy, tropical architecture, sustainable architectural design, tropical disease management, training and OH&S, coastal land management, education, construction, and mapping.

Structured networking and informal networking opportunities during each leg of the Roadshow identified dozens of synergies between attendees and the presenters, with at least three connections now being formalised into joint project work.

If you missed the Roadshow then all of the presenter’s Powerpoint presentations are now available for viewing, via the links below: 

Janette Clonan, ATEC Business Matchin Co-ordinator – Presentation

Vincent Sacriz, QUT – Presentation

Eric Kalmbach, Cardno (PNG) – Presentation

Clare Woolsey, JTA International – Presentation

Harleigh Luscombe, Uniquest – Presentation

Ian McLeod, McLeod Training – Presentation

Peter Goldsworthy, Trade QLD – Presentation

Due to the success of the Roadshow, plans are already underway to hold the event again in 2010. So if you missed it this year then there will be another opportunity to meet with various AMCs and project co-ordinating firms at a region near you next year.

Marketing the unique tropical knowledge and services in northern and central Queensland to international aid project co-ordinators will be the focus of the Australian Tropical Expertise Consortium Business Matching Roadshow, which will kick off in Cairns next week.

The Roadshow will roll through Cairns, Townsville and Rockhampton on three consecutive days starting from Tuesday, December 8 in Cairns. It will bring an array of Australian Managing Contractors (AMCs) and project co-ordinating firms to the regions to meet with Tropical Expertise service providers and share with them the intricacies of engaging with such firms, how to procure international aid work, and the ins and outs of working in-country.

Companies presenting on the Roadshow, which is being co-ordinated by Advance Cairns in partnership with the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, include Uniquest, Queensland University of Technology, JTA International, Cardno (PNG division), Trade Queensland and McLeod Training Organisation.

International aid projects in the developing world are administered by firms, such as the ones represented on the Roadshow, who subcontract organisations to complete assignments of varying budgets and timeframes. Northern and central Queensland professionals have been recognised by leading Australian Managing Contractor firms as among the best experts for international development projects in tropical countries.

This event was first held in Cairns in November 2008 and attracted more than 70 participants. Several Queensland companies, with unique Tropical Expertise, who attended have since been invited on international tenders by AMCs they met on the day.

The Roadshow will be held in the following locations:

CAIRNS – Tuesday, December 8 @ the Shangri-La Hotel from 8:15am – 1:30pm. Cost $44. Click here to register.

TOWNSVILLE – Wednesday, December 9 @ Rydges Southbank from 8:15am – 1:30pm. Cost $44. Click here to register.

ROCKHAMPTON – Thursday, December 10 @ Rockhampton Leagues Club from 8:45am – 2pm. Cost $44. Click here to register.