SCBA Business Awrds Launch Brekky

Business community gather to celebrate success and launch 2023 Business Awards

The Sunshine Coast is seen as the ‘entrepreneurial capital’ of Australia, and it is the reputation for hard work and dedication that the Sunshine Coast business community celebrated at the annual Small Business Month Breakfast in May, which was a huge success with a sell-out crowd of over 260 people present, with 50 at the information session that followed.

SCBA Small Bus Month Breaky panelists Darren McClenaghan (RACV Noosa Resort), Rachel Downie (Stymie), Thiago Perrone (Aussie Tiny Houses) with Sunshine Coast Business Awards chair Jennifer Swaine – photo by Barry Alsop

The event on Thursday 4th May, presented by the Sunshine Coast Business Awards, Sunshine Coast Council and Regional Development Australia (RDA), Sunshine Coast, also saw the 2023 Sunshine Coast Business Awards launched.

“With more than 40,500 small businesses, contributing to more than 50% of all employment for the region, it is no wonder that we are the envy of other regions,” Sunshine Coast Business Awards chair Jennifer Swaine said.

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Don’t miss getting your entry in for the 2022 Sunshine Coast Business Awards

With just one month until entries close, the 2022 Sunshine Coast Business are set to be another great celebration of business achievements across the region.

Sunshine Coast Business Awards Chair Jennifer Swaine said everyone was really excited this year, with over 150 businesses having already started their applications in the Awards online entry system.

Mrs Swaine said there is some work involved in preparing entries, it was a rewarding process because it allows for reflection that is often overlooked in the day-to-day of business operation.

“Our past winners and finalists all tell us the process of preparing their entries has improved their businesses because it is a chance to review what they have done, see how far they have come, and also identify new opportunities.”

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Sunshine Coast Business Awards 2021 Winners announced at Gala celebration of the year

The Sunshine Coast Business of the Year 2021 winner is Advanced Aquarium Technologies, which was announced along with 29 other Category Winners, and two Hall of Fame recipients at the Gala event of the year on Saturday 13th November.

Sunshine Coast Business Awards Chair Jennifer Swaine said the celebration attended by more than 850 of the Coast’s business community was very special and showcased world-class local talent both in terms of business and entertainment.

Hosted by 7 Sunshine Coast’s Rob Brough, the evening kicked off with a performance by Cirque Bon Bon, followed by a moving digeridoo solo by Chris Williams, with a performance later in the night from Burlesque L’Amour and music from Amplify.

“We are super excited to have secured these performers who call the Sunshine Coast home, but whom pre-Covid-19 would be wowing audiences around the world,” Mrs Swaine said.

Overall, there were 29 category winners including large and small businesses announced across 16 categories, two Hall of Fame inductees as well as the overall business of the year.

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Sunshine Coast Business Awards 2021 Finalists come together to celebrate success

This year’s 131 Awards finalists will come together to celebrate their successes at the Sunshine Coast Business Awards Finalists Cocktail Party at Noosa Springs Resort.

Sunshine Coast Business Awards Finalist Event

The finalists will also participate in a special Media Masterclass to help them maximise the benefits they can get from being a Sunshine Coast Business Awards finalist.

Sunshine Coast Business Awards Chair Jennifer Swaine said the cocktail party was a great opportunity for finalists to celebrate their success.

“Business for everyone has been tough for the past two years and we are very keen to celebrate especially given last year’s Awards had to be cancelled due to COVID-19.

“All of this year’s finalists have not only survived but thrived and so it’s great to take a moment and reflect on their success and celebrate,” Mrs Swaine said.

“There is a lot of work for business people to get to this stage of the awards and this year’s entries were of a very high calibre, with all entrants doing a lot of work in putting their entries together, so, to get to this point our finalists have achieved a lot already.”

Yabba - Twin calves Honey and Henry

Spring Farm Day an opportunity to experience country life

Yabbaloumba Retreat is throwing open their gates for their spring Farm Day on Saturday 4th September so families can get a taste of the country, feed the animals, tour the farm and more.

The picturesque 200-acre property at Cambroon, near Kenilworth, is a working farm with a wide range of animals including lambs, geese, goats, a horse, cows, pigs, alpacas and more.

The Farm Day will be open from 9am to 2pm. You will be able to visit with and feed the animals and there will be lamb and calve bottle feeds at 10am and 1pm and farm cart tours throughout the day.

Sunshine Coast Business Awards head of judges Bruce Williams, 2019 winner Naomi Campbell from Concepts Lab and Awards chair Jennifer Swaine - photo by Reflected Image PR

Less than six weeks to enter the 2021 Sunshine Coast Business Awards

With less than six weeks until entries close, the 2021 Sunshine Coast Business are set to be another great celebration of business achievements across the region.

Sunshine Coast Business Awards head of judges Bruce Williams, 2019 winner Naomi Campbell from Concepts Lab and Awards chair Jennifer Swaine - photo by Reflected Image PR

Sunshine Coast Business Awards head of judges Bruce Williams, 2019 winner Naomi Campbell from Concepts Lab and Awards chair Jennifer Swaine – photo by Reflected Image PR

Sunshine Coast Business Awards Chair Jennifer Swaine said everyone was really excited to have the Awards back for 2021, following one of the most challenging business years in living memory.

Mrs Swaine while the applications process for the Awards was something that took a little time, previous entrants had said the process was a great opportunity to step back from day-to-day operations and critically examine their own business.

“We pride ourselves on the quality of the Awards applications process – it’s not a popularity contest, but instead entrants are judged according to the criteria, by business experts, with finalists also participating in interviews,” Mrs Swaine said.

“Already over100 businesses had begun the application process with more than 90 attending information sessions to get tips direct from judges.

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Sunshine Coast Swim with Whales season launches as new 24metre Whale Watching vessel arrives

The Whales are back and today we are officially launching the 2021 Swim with Wales Season on the Sunshine Coast.

Celebrating the launch of Swim with Whales season – Sunreef’s Dan Hart, with Cr Jason OPray and VSC CEO Matt Stoeckel.jpg

While we have just had a COVID lockdown, 35,000 humpback whales don’t have travel restrictions and are expected to migrate through Sunshine Coast waters.

Sunreef Mooloolaba owner Dan Hart said pre-covid, whale seasons could expect to attract about 15,000 locals and tourists alike to take a closer look and participate in a whale watching or swim with whales experience.

“Everyone was affected by COVID last year, but we still had strong support from locals and the drive tourist market and hosted about 10,000 guests.

“With Whale Watching season starting at the beginning of June and Swim with Whales season coming out of another lockdown, we are hoping to increase that this year.

“Already bookings are strong, and we hope that within COVID restrictions we have another great season.”

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Whales here and ready to watch us humans!

The Humpback Whales are back, and the 2021 Whale Watching Season on the Sunshine Coast is set to start this weekend, presenting a special opportunity for locals and Queenslanders.

Sunreef Mooloolaba’s Dan Hart said this year’s whale watching season was set to be another fantastic one, with 35,000 humpback whales expected to travel north, and then back south through Sunshine Coast waters this winter.

Dan said the number of whales migrating north up Australia’s east coast was continuing to increase by about 10% a year, according to whale researchers.

“If last year’s season is anything to go by, we will see whales from now through until the end of the season in early November, and we expect we can expect more than 25,000 people on our whale watching and swim with whales experiences.

whale-breaching-in-front-of-glasshouse-mtns-1-photo-by-katie-jackson-web

2020 Sunshine Coast Whale Watching Season is here!

The Humpback Whales are back and the 2020 Whale Watching Season on the Sunshine Coast has begun, presenting a special opportunity for locals and Queenslanders.

Sunreef Mooloolaba’s Dan Hart said this year’s whale watching season started a little later than usual due to COVID-19 but that with restricted numbers on board it offers a special experience.

“This year we started a couple of weeks later than usual, but we have our COVID SAFE plan in place which includes additional cleaning and hygiene measures as well as a restriction on the number of people on board,” Dan said.

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“While normally we would have up to 100 guests onboard each whale watching trip on Whale One, at this stage we are hosting just 20 guests for each trip.

nanocyn 4

Academy Services helping tourism and hospitality sector get back to business with specialised COVID-19 cleaning

As restrictions on travel have been lifted in Queensland, one Sunshine Coast business is taking innovative measures to ensure the safety of customers and staff.

Among measures taken by Sunreef Mooloolaba, the home of aquatic adventure, is a non-toxic and non-flammable infection-control solution that kills COVID19, along with other dangerous pathogens, in just 30 seconds.

The product, Nanocyn, was recently approved by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) as killing SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19 virus), making it the fastest all-natural, non-toxic disinfectant of its type. It is delivered by 40-year-old cleaning company Academy Services.

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