2021-10-12 P&E Agenda - Item 10 - Attachment 1 - Social Return on Investment Evaluation

 Digital Hub members – anecdotal information (free text field)
Would you like to provide any additional information?

Being able to foster activities around my profession is essential requisite for where I live. I know I can grow my business here as a motivated employer of
remote employees and hopefully an employer of more locals in times to come. The digital hub plays a central role when considering what area I raise my
young family in. As a facility that can accommodate and a facilitator that can be the catalyst for tech events, the Hub attracts world leaders who inspire local
students and professionals alike. Thanks to the Hub, Noosa is able to retain the momentum of capital city markets despite it's regional location.

I believe Noosa Council is missing a massive opportunity if it doesn't invest heavily in leveraging Digital Hub as a Mecca for attracting, growing and retaining
digital and technology talent in the area. From a digital and tech talent there are three opportunities; 1. Attracting talent to the area (through opportunities,
work space, networking), 2. Skills and training on tech and digital for local businesses and 3. Driving entrepreneurial opportunities as it does now. While I
moved up here in 2017, I would love to double my team from 14-28 over the few years and mainly reside them in Noosa but struggle to find talent locally.
Covid has shifted a number of business leaders to the area. I feel that PDH and Noosa Council need to setup a 5-10 year strategic plan that moves away from a
partial property play (I.e. loose connection of offices and memberships) to a centre dedicated to teaching and progressing the cutting edge of tech and digital
(at all levels) for the local area (Firetech is a great example). The opportunity to fly businesses and the best teachers in to learn and collaborate by the beach,
run serious events and workshops and turbo charge what happens mainly in school holidays for kids, or at occasional network events is enormous (like a
council backed Hyper Island). The council has to recognise that property prices have meant that it is professionals and tech people that you need to attract on
a full-time basis who can afford to live and work in Noosa. Chris Boden has done a fantastic job fostering what he could do with the space and opportunity but
needs support to take it to the next level. It needs to be something really unique otherwise it will end up a nice other co-working space - this needs a
combination of investment and support from commercial partners as well.

The Hub has been the best co-work environment and management team I have experienced, and I have worked in these spaces for 10 years in Hong Kong,
Melbourne and Sydney. Facilities, people and network is world class.

The biggest benefits for working at the hub, are the ability to better separate work & life, and the connections made. I learn so much from talking to the other
hub members.

I have worked at traditional co-working facilities in Australia, the US, the Middle East and UK. Nowhere else I have worked has built an eco-system of talented
individuals as well as Chris Boden and his team have done at The Hub.



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