Startup Weekend Sunshine Coast 2015 will again connect budding local entrepreneurs, developers, designers and startup enthusiasts eager to immerse themselves in hands-on entrepreneurship.
Over the course of the intensive 54-hour event held at the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) in May participants will form teams, collaborate on ideas and connect with professional mentors, with the intent of building their own early stage business.
Building on the success of the inaugural 2014 event, organisers are targeting a wide range of participants as diverse as artists, digital technologists and business idea generators.
Dr Retha Scheepers, lead organiser and entrepreneurship lecturer at USC’s Business School, said Startup Weekend Sunshine Coast was designed to foster innovation and create a vibrant, supportive and inclusive startup community for the region.
“Startup Weekend is a great action learning opportunity, bringing together a diverse range of skillsets and harnessing entrepreneurial energy,” Dr Scheepers said.
“The philosophy behind Startup Weekend Sunshine Coast is that entrepreneurship can be a driving force whereby we can create jobs across the Coast, uniting and growing our community.”
The Australian Startup Weekend community labelled the 2014 Sunshine Coast event as one of the most successful Startup Weekend events in regional Australia. The event sold out two weeks before the weekend and directly engaged with more than 240 participants, creating significant impact in the local community.
The 2015 event will be bigger and better, thanks to the quality of local talent of experienced entrepreneurs and the support of event partners such as USC, the Queensland State Government, Sunshine Coast Council, Regional Development Australia (RDA) Sunshine Coast and the Innovation Centre Sunshine Coast.
RDA Sunshine Coast CEO Russell Mason said that this event was one of the highlights of 2014, and wouldn’t be surprised if tickets sold out fast again.
“Startup Weekend Sunshine Coast is a community-driven event, however it is backed by a global movement which includes major international sponsors such as Google,” Mr Mason said.
“It’s about building the local ecosystem by equipping entrepreneurs with the skills, connections and hands-on experience they need to create and launch their own ventures.”
Startup Weekend Sunshine Coast is on 8-10 May at the University of the Sunshine Coast. Early bird tickets are now on sale. For more information visit the Startup Weekend Sunshine Coast website.