NATIONAL MANUFACTURING WEEK 2010
National Manufacturing Week 2010 was a major focus for the Wagga Wagga City Council's Commercial & Economic Development Directorate in May, with significant planning towards a strong presence and show-casing of Wagga Wagga at the event. The event included over 360 exhibitors featuring National and International manufacturers, together with a concurrent event featuring a technology exhibition of an equivalent size. Wagga Wagga City Council's attendance was part of its inward investment strategy aimed at connecting with national manufacturing firms to introduce Wagga Wagga as a preferred relocation or expansion destination, highlighting Wagga Wagga's advantages for business expansion and attraction.
National Manufacturing Week (NMW) is an event aimed at strengthening Australian manufacturing through technology and innovation, where buyers and suppliers of manufacturing technology go to establish business links and source new products and services across all industry sectors, in one place at one time.
Wagga Wagga City Council's exhibition stand at the event strongly profiled the City's two major emerging inward investment opportunities - Wagga Wagga Airport and the Bomen Business Park, underpinned by Wagga Wagga's strengths as an attractive place to live, work and invest. Wagga Wagga's approach at the event was supported by peer to peer dialogue, with the support of successful local business people in key growth sectors attending the event as Wagga Wagga Business Ambassadors.
"Council's attendance is part of its inward investment strategy to attempt to connect with National manufacturing firms and highlight Wagga Wagga as a preferred relocation or expansion destination," James Davis, Manager Economic Development said.
"The purpose of inviting sucessful, prominent local business owners, or Wagga Wagga Ambassadors is to provide an opportunity for peer to peer interaction with companies exhibiting at the event and promote Wagga Wagga as the ideal destination."
The Business Ambassadors program included the following sector representation:
• IT/Communication - Wirefree Broadband
• Manufacturing - RICs Electrical; ROBE; and Precision Parts
• Property Developers - Rivco
• Peak Institutions - Regional Development Australia; and Kapooka Army Recruit Training Base
Business Ambassador and Managing Director of Precision Parts, Daryl Day, says Wagga Wagga has everything to offer the maufacturing sector that a larger city has. "As a local business person I would like to foster industry growth in the region and as a Wagga Wagga Business Ambassador I am opening the door to transport growth in our regional areas."
Mayor Kerry Pascoe says the city's location makes it an ideal destination. "Being situated halfway between two capital cities, Wagga Wagga is the ideal location for business development and with a growing industrial estate, we are well positioned to accommodate the needs of manufacturing businesses."
"In addition to new business connections and interest as immediate outcomes from the event, other return will be seen later through secondary contacts, referrals and the development of business relationships" says Fiona Wilson, Director Commercial and Economic Development with Wagga Wagga City Council. "However, our presence at the exhibition has in fact already generated a number of prospective leads. The Commercial and Economic team have recently hosted a businessperson in Wagga Wagga who we first made contact with at the exhibition, and he is considering locating his business here"
There have been connections made with businesses seeking to use Wagga as their base for distribution to markets in eastern states, engineering and manufacturing businesses seeking more cost effective and less congested operating environments, and a number which are seeking to move to a regional area for the wonderful lifestyle!
