2016 Queensland Small Business Week
Queensland Small Business Week celebrates the important contribution small business makes to each and every community across the state, and continues to be a highlight on the small business calendar. It brings together business owners and operators, industry, government representatives to network and connect to new ideas. KDPR was contracted by the Department of Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games to deliver the 2016 Queensland Small Business Week. The agency’s role was the creative director, strategist, event manager as well as deliverer of media relations for the five major events. KDPR also worked with key stakeholders in the aligned event hosts to support the delivery of those circa 100 events across the state. Stakeholder relations communications work also extended to different Government Departments and regional offices as well as Chambers of Commerce. KDPR also secured sponsorship for the Week and was the key contact for all sponsorship liaison.
KDPR Solution
In response to feedback from attendees of the 2014 events – a new, more interactive format was developed and delivered for the 2016 Queensland Small Business Week. This involved a series of four fit for change workshop and plenary events throughout Queensland, a launch event in Brisbane, and approximately 100 aligned events ranging from Malanda to Roma, from Mt Isa to Middlemount.
The week was crafted so it inspired small business to innovate, collaborate and get fit for change. It involved a state-wide series of events for small businesses, with themes focussed on addressing small business pain points and facilitating small business to get fit for change. The plenaries were facilitated Q&A-style fast-paced, informative and inspirational panels involving a range of locally-known as well as internationally-acknowledged small business experts.
Venue selection aimed to move delegates away from the mundane, awaken their imaginations and rejig their point of reference to inspire new thinking. Creative spaces, art galleries, gastro pubs, performance theatres and heritage churches were chosen rather than traditional conference facilities.
KDPR’s work also involved stakeholder engagement with Chambers of Commerce, other Government Departments, regional offices, universities, sponsors and partners, guest speakers, service suppliers, third-party aligned event hosts, and media, in order to logistically coordinate delivery of the Week, and also to ensure all messaging was on point considering there were more than 120 aligned event hosts, 6 sponsors / event partners, and 55+ guest speakers.
The Results
Est 5,000 small business representatives engaged
6.7 million media reach
6 million+ impressions and 2 million+ social media reach
8% under budgeted costs and delivered in a 3-month lead-in
510 business representatives attended the fit for change workshop and plenary events
8 partners secured
82.61% of fit for change respondents rated the topics excellent or good
69.57% of fit for change respondents rated the format excellent or good
82.61% of fit for change respondents rated the speakers excellent or good and and 52.6% of these, thought the speakers were of the highest calibre.
91.3% of respondents rated the venue excellent or good
92.31% of event host respondents intend on hosting a Queensland Small Business Week event in 2017.
73.91% of respondents rated the opportunity to network excellent or good- 260+ media mentions
Secured Channel 9’s Today Show, Daily Mail, Channel 7 Brisbane and regional, The Toowoomba Chronicle, Sunshine Coast Daily, and the Cairns Post.- 37 television mentions, 125 online and radio mentions, 40 print mentions.
There was a 100% increase on the set target for the number of aligned events
2016QSBW trended on Twitter on the first day of the week.- 60% increase in page views to business.qld.gov.au during the week compared to the previous 10-day period.
- 3,177 page views of the Fit for Change events on business.qld.gov.au resulting from the #Fit4change social media competition
- 95 social media competition entries
55+ experts involved delivery content during the week