The Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) is running the roadshow in partnership with Crown Melbourne.
The roadshow will feature a series of seminars offering advice on how to build new business pipelines and convert them - in order to help local farmers, suppliers and producers bounce back stronger from the pressures of the pandemic.
Several leading business experts will be on hand at each event.
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VCCI senior health, safety and wellbeing consultant Con Barbakas and Crown Resorts group general manager of procurement and supply Ben Briggs will present practical information and advice for local suppliers navigating the new normal of doing business during a pandemic, and how to future proof their businesses.
Leading Crown chefs will also tour with the roadshow in order to meet with producers and scope out potential new supplier sources.
Mr Briggs said being involved in the roadshow was critical for Crown, which relied heavily on a strong local Australian business supply chain.
“Crown Melbourne spends approximately $641 million annually across 2881 Victorian businesses,” Mr Briggs said.
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“Partnering with VCCI was a natural extension of our support for Australian business.
“With over 94 per cent of our total spend going to local Australian businesses, ensuring our pipeline of suppliers for our business is key.
“These local businesses help us to source the very best local, interstate and international produce available, so that our guests can enjoy a truly world-class experience at our resorts.
“Consumers are also telling us that buying local is important, too – we’ve seen a big and well-documented swing with Victorians wanting to support Victorian produce and suppliers.
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“With the ongoing impact of COVID-19, we hope that initiatives like this from VCCI bring new opportunities to regional Victoria and help our state to rebuild.”
VCCI chief executive Paul Guerra said Victoria was home to some of the world’s best produce and this roadshow provided an opportunity for our home-grown businesses to showcase their wares and also learn more about how they could upscale their operations by tapping into a huge consumer and customer base, such as Crown.
“COVID-19 has created many challenges, but has also revealed many opportunities and prompted us to focus on areas that we may have taken for granted, including the strength and reliability of our own food supply at a time of global uncertainty and international border closures,” Mr Guerra said.
“We have an opportunity now to harness and grow our domestic markets and nurture local supply chains which will benefit producers, purchases and consumers and, in turn, the broader Australian economy.”
● To register to take part in the roadshow, visit www.victorianchamber.com.au/event/victorian-chamber-business-recovery-regional-roadshow-benalla
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