From building connections that propel your business forward, to receiving quality advice, support and mentorship from industry experts themselves, industry networking events are a startup’s bread and butter.
But with so many events to choose from, where do you even start? Time is crucial to the success of your business, so we’re here to help. Don’t waste time at networking events that are mediocre at best. Below we’ve compiled a list of Victoria’s 5 best events for you to learn new skills, experience new products and forge new connections.
Yeah Nah Summit 2018
Yeah Nah is an annual summit hosted by LaunchVic in Docklands, Melbourne. After a successful first year, Yeah Nah is back for round two with an exciting lineup and theme—Building Founding Teams. On August 24th, you’ll have the chance to hear from, and network with the very best of Victoria’s startup community. They’ll be sharing personal hardships and successes faced throughout their business endeavours, particularly during the process of building their founding teams.
“How do you nurture a strong company culture from the beginning?”
“What happens when your team dynamic falls apart?”
Have your burning questions answered by some of the industry’s best, and find out the Yeahs (what has gone well) and Nahs (what to avoid) discovered on their startup journeys.
Above All Human
Labelled Australia’s leading technology and innovation conference, Above All Human (AAH) is returning to Melbourne on August 29, 2018, and it’s certainly not to be missed! Bringing together inspiration and innovation from pioneering minds across the world, Melbourne’s event is all about driving change, building impactful startups, learning from the best, and understanding how technology is changing. But above all, discovering what it truly means to be human.
Pause Fest
Pause Fest is Australasia's premier creative, tech and business event held annually in Federation Square, Melbourne. Pitched as a space for thinkers to “converge, engage and find shared purpose”, Pause features speakers, panels and workshops as well as “riotous daily debates” on issues facing the tech sector. Not to mention some of the best technology in Australia. With each festival bigger and bolder than the last, over 150 global leaders meet on five stages delivering unstoppable inspiration on topics like Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence, Digital Culture and Blockchain.
Pause is known to have become the leading conference and festival of its kind for the entire Asia Pacific, and we’d definitely recommend securing your tickets for Pause Fest in February 2019.
Pivot Summit
If you live in regional Victoria and don’t want to commute all the way to Melbourne, Pivot Summit is hosted annually in Geelong. Soon to enter its fourth year of existence, Pivot Summit set a vision to deliver a day filled with insight into all things digital, technology, entrepreneurial and business, while simultaneously opening up a range of local, national and global opportunity for the region.
The event’s engaging speaker presentations throughout 2016 and 2017—included Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, as their keynote speaker—along with exclusive networking sessions, makes Pivot an exciting day for every hustling entrepreneur to attend. 2018 confirmation dates are not too far away!
International Entrepreneurs in Australia Meetup
https://www.meetup.com/IEAgroup/
Learning the ins-and-outs of Victoria’s startup industry is no easy business, especially when you’re a first generation migrant or entrepreneur. Fortunately, The IEA are a proudly supportive community for international entrepreneurs and creative professionals alike. The group host regular events throughout the year in Docklands, Melbourne, covering a range of topics from startup laws, to Victorian Government grants, and the latest technological advances in areas such as AI and blockchain.
Run by Hatch Quarter, the community’s aim is to educate, support and assist first generation migrants and refugees throughout their journey of establishing scalable startups in Victoria. Their successful events, supported by LaunchVic, have provided a strong community hub of personal benefit, inspiration, job and networking opportunities to their 2900+ members for multiple years.
Growing your local industry network and staying up to date with all events starts here!