2020-02-11 Services and Organisation Committee Agenda

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                              11 FEBRUARY 2020


Programs, Events and Activities

The Digital Hub continued delivering its ambitious program of capacity-building activities which
have generated significant value for Noosa’s digital sector and provided a valuable public service
to the broader Noosa community. These activities have helped to put The Digital Hub and Noosa
on the map as a destination for digital talent and innovation.

Ecosystem Organisation Program

The Digital Hub's key focus for 2019 was to accelerate the development of the local ecosystem
by helping build and better organise local digital industry groups. Since launching its Ecosystem
Organisation Program in January 2019, there has been rapid progress made with new networks
formed and existing networks reinvigorated.

Digital Sub-sector                        Group Name            Jun 2019      Dec 2019     % incr

Technologists                             Coding from Beach         489          532         9%
Digital Agencies, Creatives & Marketers   REBOOT                    180          250        39%
Screen Professionals (Film/TV/Video)      Screen Collective         104          160        54%
Electronic Music Producers & DJ’s         Sunshine Coast             68           84        24%
                                          Producer Group
Tech Startup Founders                     Founders Network           20           40       100%
TOTALS                                                              861         1066        24%

Over 30 monthly meetups were held at The Digital Hub within the reporting period with hundreds
of unique attendees coming along to meet local colleagues from their industry that they never
knew existed in Noosa and learn from the impressive array of industry experts who gave talks,
workshops and presentations. The many new connections formed through these events have
facilitated new collaborations, new jobs and new investments.
The formation of a Tech Founders group has been hugely beneficial. Through this group, we
have identified world-class entrepreneurs who previously founded and exited tech companies
before moving to Noosa. Many of these “former” Founders are eager to contribute to the success
of other founders through mentoring. Up-and-coming founders with exciting new startups have
benefitted from the networks and other support offered by these former founders. In two cases,
significant angel investments have been made in new startups hosted at The Digital Hub.

Talent Development Program
The Digital Hub aims to help make the Noosa brand synonymous with producing world-class
digital talent to help attract investment, employers and other talent as well as boost the prospects
of young people from Noosa. To this end, The Digital Hub curates and hosts a wide array of skills
development programs, including:
After-school classes in robotics, engineering and invention
    Holiday workshops incl robotics, 3D design & printing, game art, filmmaking and drone
      piloting.
    Workshops for adults in Electronic Music Production, 3D design, Machine Learning and
      Engineering.

Creative in Residence Program
The Digital Hub hosts a revolving Creative Residence program with an array of world class digital
creatives whose role is to inspire the local community, in particular young talent, to pursue the
opportunities offered in creative digital fields. They do this through open days, school visits,
teacher visits and public workshops. Recent residents have included renowned Australian film-
maker Bill Hughes and robotics inventor Norton Kelly-Boxall.

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