Urban renewal projects, the City of Melbourne’s powerful IP and knowledge economy, building small business and the power of data were just some of the topics covered in the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of Melbourne Sally Capp’s thought provoking presentation at the Madgwicks Corporate VIP Dinner last week.
Presenting on Advancing Business in the City of Melbourne, the recently elected Lord Mayor provided an insightful overview of the opportunities existing in the city to a packed room of Melbourne business leaders.
Lord Mayor Sally Capp reflected on the region’s powerhouse economy and the hugely powerful IP and knowledge economy existing within the city. Potential to commercialise our strong research and development sector abounds and will assist in continuing to build the economy, create jobs as well as retain local talent.
The important role of small business is also key to the city with opportunities for small businesses such as the City of Melbourne Small Business Grants Program, a program which has provided $8.3 million worth of grants to over 370 businesses since 1996 and supported fantastic organisations such as KeepCup and Code Like a Girl. Initiatives such as these will continue to encourage a thriving local economy.
Further, small business need to look to new technologies such as Alipay and WeChat Pay as a way in which to take advantage of our booming tourism industry as means in which to build their organisation.
Finally, evidence based decision making for projects with long term consequences is an important part of the City of Melbourne’s approach and opening data to the public through the Census of Land Use and Employment (CLUE) is an extraordinary tool the City of Melbourne has made available publicly. Investors, consultants, students, urban researchers, property analysts, businesses and developers can now take advantage of the data to better understand customers, the market place and the changing nature of the city.
Madgwicks thanks Lord Mayor Sally Capp for both her generosity with her time and for her insightful and informative presentation.
About the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of Melbourne Sally Capp
Lord Mayor Sally Capp is a recognised business leader in the community having held senior roles at KPMG and ANZ, as well as taking the small business she co-founded to the ASX. Most recently she was Victorian Executive Director of the Property Council of Australia.
In addition to Lord Mayor Sally Capp being the first woman to be directly elected as Lord Mayor, she was also the first woman to hold the post of Agent-General for Victoria in the UK, Europe and Israel. She has also served as the CEO for the Committee for Melbourne and COO of the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The Lord Mayor began her career as a Solicitor, after completing Law (Hons) and Commerce degrees at the University of Melbourne.
In 2004 she made history as the first female board member of Collingwood Football Club. She is involved in a number of charities, currently sitting on the board of the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, the Mary Jane Lewis Scholarship Foundation and the Melbourne University Faculty of Business and Economics.