I am delighted to be one of the nine keynote speakers at the 4th annual Australian Regional Development Conference. 

ABSTRACT:

At some point in time every regional city or rural town faces major change. In a world that is rapidly changing some traditional industries are no longer competitive in a global market and, as connectivity improves, services that used to be provided by employees of large corporations are now being contracted to freelancers.  An ageing population is also stressing an economy that desperately needs more business creation.

Change is good.  The trick is to anticipate that change and explore alternatives well before it happens.  And to keep your town strong and vibrant, it means the whole community has to work together.

Now has never been a better time for rural and regional communities to start thinking of entrepreneurship and self-employment as a mainstream option. It is a simple matter of changing the conversation from job seeking to job creation and asking ‘what can we do?’ as opposed to what the government should be doing for us.

Developing an entrepreneurial eco-system doesn’t happen overnight and requires a whole of community approach.  Business and community leaders need to work together with educators on a long term strategic approach.

Establishing if a community is ready to successfully take on this challenge is the very first step.  The future is all about being agile and adaptable.  Is your community willing to look at existing landscapes with fresh eyes in the age of the digital revolution?

Sharing examples from the successful Operation Next Gen Program and other initiatives from the inaugural E*Ship 2017 Summit held in the United States; author of ‘Entrepreneurship: It’s Everybody’s Business’, Kerry Anderson will explain how communities can capitalise on the era of the entrepreneur and create new opportunities in rural and regional Australia.

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