HQ HOPE FOR COAST
Tech entrepreneur’s verdict on Coast after flight over city
ONE of the world’s hottest young entrepreneurs is considering opening his new AsiaPacific HQ on the Gold Coast after being wowed by the city yesterday. Integrate founder Jeremy Bloom said the Coast offered a quality of life which compared well on the world stage. “I can see compelling reasons for people to come here and enjoy their life,” he said.
A HELICOPTER flight on a glorious autumn day may have convinced one of the world’s hottest young entrepreneurs to open his new Asia-Pacific HQ on the Gold Coast. Jeremy Bloom, the former world champion skier turned NFL player turned software company founder, was on a convoy of four helicopters that touched down at Bond University yesterday as part of the Myriad Festival. Mr Bloom was among six tech titans who met with students and local industry heavyweights to brainstorm solutions to some of the Gold Coast’s most pressing problems. But the aerial view of the Gold Coast had the surfer thinking of his own company, Integrate, which produces marketing automation software. “One of the things you guys have going for you is obvious and it’s super important to Millennials and Gen Zs — it’s quality of life. And not just in Australia but globally,” Mr Bloom said. “You have everything you could ever want here. “Just being here for 45 minutes and flying over I can see compelling reasons for people to come here and enjoy their life.” Mr Bloom said Integrate was short-listing cities for its planned Asia-Pacific base. “Originally I was thinking Tokyo’s a bigger market. Australia’s English speaking. Sydney is the natural first place (in Australia) that you would think of, then Brisbane maybe No. 2 and Gold Coast possibly No.3. But now …” Jody Medich, design director at Singular University Labs in the United States, said she was excited to see the energy the Gold Coast had to offer. “As the city grows more and more over time I imagine there’s going to be some pretty interesting developments,” she said. “Becoming a global city is about welcoming different perspectives, and I think you’re in a unique position to do that. “As people move here, it becomes a meeting place. The more the Gold Coast can welcome different perspectives and develop different collaborations, the more it will be able to grow.” Executive Dean of Bond’s Business School Terry O’Neill said he was eager to hear what recommendations the visiting tech experts could give. “Particularly in education, I think they’ll point out that the world is getting increasingly digital,” he said, adding he would be willing to take the suggestions on board. “I think technology will become much more ubiquitous in education, so those are the sorts of things we expect them to say.” The event is all part of Business Week on the Gold Coast, this year collaborating with leading innovation festival Myriad to bring together the world’s best and brightest.