Expo worth up to $1.6m

Talking starts on small business event

THE organiser behind a potential new small business expo in Toowoomba believes the event could generate $1.6 million for the economy.

Small Business Expo group’s Paula Brand will meet with members of the Toowoomba Regional Council, Chamber of Commerce and other business representatives to develop a new expo by as early as November.

Ms Brand, who grew up in Gatton and went to university in Toowoomba, has already run expos in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Logan.

She said her formula was based on collaborating with the key players, rather than dictating terms.

“All the stakeholders involved actually create the expos. I don’t. I just build the platform and bring all the stakeholders together,” she said.

“It’s not me coming to town saying that I have got all the answers – it’s about enabling all the key stakeholders to get by, and that’s why they work.”

Along with an emphasis on new and emerging technology, Ms Brand said she hoped to draw in the “invisible businesses” in Toowoomba.

“UQ studies show that out of the small business community in Queensland, there are 30% that are home-based,” she said.

“They literally are the invisible businesses, (so) how do they get to show and tell about their products?”

Ms Brand said the expo could create about $1.6 million for participating businesses.