We were thrilled to host Australia’s first live small business event since the pandemic started. The sixth annual B2B Expo and the inaugural SBC Summit commenced on April 21-22 in Melbourne at the Victory Room, Marvel Stadium.
We welcomed back hundreds of visitors from the country’s vibrant small-to-medium business community for the first in-person small business event of 2021.
With over forty exhibitors and over twenty keynote speakers, visitors had the unique opportunity to meet face-to-face with businesses and hear from the country’s leading small business voices in a Covid safe environment.
“We had both speaking opportunities along with a presence within the tradeshow area and got some great outcomes from both. The team during the two days were efficient and very pleasant to deal with overall, we will be back as a sponsor for future events.” – Andrew Barker, Chief Marketing Officer, Qoin
“The Small Business Connections Summit was an engaging experience… I highly recommend this event for those interested to elevate and empower their small business.” – Neil Royle, Cyber Security Consultant at Kaspersky ANZ.
Business confidence is returning
At B2B Expo and we saw that confidence in the market returning, albeit timidly, and we had overall positive feedback from our guests and exhibitors.
Visitors were eager to connect with exhibitors after a year of conducting business virtually and remotely. The B2B Expo allowed exhibitors to showcase their unique products and services, for the first time since the pandemic, and to make meaningful connections and forge lasting business relationships.
Expert advice: finally not separated by a screen!
The seminars were a platform for visitors to engage with business leaders in an intimate setting and get answers directly to critical topics impacting small business after an unprecedented year.
For many seminar guests, it marked their first chance at hearing from business leaders, and finally, not from behind a screen.
We were very pleased with the feedback we received from guests who found the seminars highly informative and empowered them with the knowledge and tools they need to succeed in the year ahead.
The chance to engage with business leaders face-to-face
During the SBC Summit, guests heard presentations and panel discussions on four comprehensive topics: future business trends, cybercrime, funding options for 2021 and digital marketing matters.
The SBC Summit provided guests with a holistic education on critical topics presented by experts from a diverse range of industry backgrounds, including government, renowned entrepreneurs, business leaders and industry influencers.
For more intimate and niche topics, guests had the opportunity to partake in B2B Business Essentials Seminars. These hand-picked topics were geared at empowering and educating the small business community with tools and solutions for their small business needs.
The seminars with the highest attendance and the most positive feedback from guests were: Cyber Crime presented by the SBC Summit panel of experts from Kaspersky, ACSC, Virtual IT Managed Services and Ex Team Leader at DEA , FBI, Ministries of Interior in Europe and the Middle East.
From the B2B Business Essential Seminars, the top seminars were: “Neurologically Suitable Messaging” by Whispir’s Chief Product Officer Brad Dunn and “Passion, Resilience, and Wellbeing” by StudioHawk’s founder and award-winning young entrepreneur, Harry Sanders.
We’re looking forward to paving the way and hosting a series of exciting B2B events this year and next, and we hope you join us!
Grow your small business and join us at the SBExpo in September.
Contact george.moraitis@abfgroup.com.au to book a stand for the SBExpo.
