The Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA) has announced that it will hold its COSBOA National Small Business Summit on 5 and 6 April 2022 at the at Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour..
The summit brings together leaders and influencers across the country as political parties during this period are presenting their plans for small business. Apart from these plans, the summit will also tackle some key challenges and directions for the industry.
Alexi Boyd, CEO of COSBOA, said the Summit couldn’t be happening at a more important time for small business.
“The Federal election is right around the corner, and over the past two years small businesses in Australia have faced fire, floods and the pandemic,” Boyd said. “So, the question the industry wants answered are, ‘What about small business now? ‘What does the future look like? How do we recover? Who is going to support us?’ We aim to address these questions at the Summit and have invited key players in government and policy makers.
“This is a chance for association leaders, governing bodies, board directors and chairs to hear what’s next, meet with peers and get the information to best support their members,” Boyd added. “COSBOA will also launch the Small Business Perspective Report 2022 at the Summit providing key insights into the state of the industry now.”
Among the participants in the summit are Hon Stuart Robert MP, Minister for Small and Family Business; the Hon Richard Marles MP, Deputy Leader of the Australian Labor Party; the Hon Matt Kean MP, NSW Treasurer; the Hon Bruce Billson GAICD, The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman; Sally McManus, Secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions; and representatives from all the regulators.
The topics to be tackled in the summit include: Australian regulation and policy; Innovation; Digitalisation and cybersecurity; Pandemic concerns, particularly insurance and landlords; Workplace wellness; Economic trends and the future; Industrial relations; and Competition.
“The Summit looks to the future and what we need to implement now for the good of the industry,” Boyd said. “It’s the best opportunity for small-business leaders, industry associations, regulators and politicians to come together to discuss how we can support the growth of small business in Australia.”
