Women’s networking organisation Business Chicks is set to launch in the Gold Coast in September, starting with a keynote speech by media guru Ita Buttrose.
Buttrose, the 2013 Australian of the Year and famed ex-magazine editor, will appear at the first Business Chicks Gold Coast networking breakfast on September 11.
Business Chicks chief executive Emma Isaacs told SmartCompany this morning that the Gold Coast expansion was the result of an increase in members who run businesses or work for corporate firms in the beachside city.
“They were networking online on our site but travelling to Brisbane or other states for our events,” she said. “They kept asking us to launch an events program on the Gold Coast too, and as Australia’s fifth largest city now, it’s a great place to do business.”
Isaacs forecast that Business Chicks would hold an event every month in the Gold Coast, including breakfast, lunch and dinner gatherings with keynote speakers.
“We don’t run our events program to a theme or particular issue. We listen to the community and what they’re asking for and also take advantage of business leaders travelling to Australia, such as Sir Richard Branson, who we presented in Adelaide and Brisbane a few months back,” she said.
Business Chicks has more than 30,000 members nationally, with presence in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Canberra. It offers an online member platform, a quarterly magazine called Latte, and also a solid calendar of networking events with guest speakers.
Melinda is a business writer and editor and helps companies to bring their brand stories to life through her small business, Oliver Content. Melinda was previously the content manager for KPMG Australia, an editor of SmartCompany, and spent many years as a journalist.
