Initiative 7: Marketing

Now completed, the aim of the Marketing Initiative was to maximise awareness of Tasmanian ICT capability and strengths in order to fully exploit the investment in each of the other funded initiatives.

The marketing strategy was designed to demonstrate Tasmania’s capabilities as an intelligent island both as a source of innovative products and services and through helping Tasmanian firms access external markets.

This initiative assisted more than 20 Tasmanian ICT companies through 10 marketing programs. This has enabled Tasmanian ICT firms to participate in national and international industry forums, including exhibitions in the United States, the United Kingdom and Portugal. The visits have resulted in the negotiation of distribution and sales contracts, the development of new business relationships and the identification of long-term opportunities. The visits also revealed that the high level of innovation in the Tasmanian sector is comparable to international markets.

Projects funded under this initiative include:

Europe Market Development Mission - Held in March 2004. This market development mission involved five Tasmanian ICT enterprises. The mission was targeted at the United Kingdom and included a structured program of business matching in the UK.

After the UK meetings, participating companies had the opportunity to visit CeBIT 2004 held in Hanover Germany. CeBIT is the world’s largest Information Technology, Multi-media and Telecommunications trade exhibition. CeBIT attracts over 6,500 exhibitors worldwide (43 percent come from abroad) and a net display area of 355,000 square meters, and is attended by over 650,000 trade visitors.

e-Learning BETT, January 2004 – This project supported four Tasmanian e-Learning companies to undertake a program of regional business matching and networking. Within the context of the United Kingdom market, the mission assisted the Tasmanian companies to; investigate the market potential for their products and services, understand current and future market issues, opportunities and trends, meet ‘qualified’ prospective strategic partners, distributors, agents and customers (for their products or services with a view to developing a business relationship) and attend an international trade exhibition (BETT Education Technology Show).

Market Assistance Scheme / Follow-up visits - This project allowed Tasmanian ICT companies to develop new international export markets or make a second visit to the same market in the same financial year for the purposes of attending approved export related trade events. Follow-up visits included the JavaOne Conference and Trade Show in San Francisco USA from 10-12 June 2003, and the ANZA Tech.Net Conference in San Francisco from 9 -11 November 2003.

Tasmanian ICT Expo and Conference - Tasmania’s first ICT Showcase, held from 18 to 22 August 2003, resulted in positive feedback from all involved. The most rewarding aspect of the Showcase was the energy and optimism displayed by industry.

The Showcase consisted of an IT Careers Forum, an ICT Industry Expo, an ICT Conference and the Showcase dinner. At the same time the Department of Education’s Centre of Excellence in Online Learning, e-magine ran an e-Learning Conference which was attended by over 300 educators.

• IT Careers Forum – Monday, 18 August 2003. In excess of 100 prospective ICT students attended to listen to six Tasmanian ICT industry representatives discuss their ICT career experiences. This forum allowed participants to hear first-hand about career opportunities locally, nationally and abroad and career experiences across different IT specialisations.
  
• ICT Industry Expo – Thursday 21 August 2003. Thirty-five Tasmanian ICT companies took part in Tasmania's leading exhibition of Tasmanian ICT solutions and products.
  
• ICT Conference Program – Friday 22 August 2003. Approximately 120 representatives from the ICT sector participated in Tasmania's first ICT Conference. The Keynote Address was delivered by Philip Bullock, CEO IBM Australia/New Zealand on the subject of ‘Technology, Tasmania and Tomorrow.’ Other speakers included local industry representatives Chung Liauw and Ian Higginbottom, Treasurer and Minister for Employment David Crean, Chris Fell, Vice President and Managing Director of IDC Australia, Geoff Elwood, CEO Etech Group, Greg McClelland, EDS, and Rob Sauer, Partner Dibbs and Barker Gosling Lawyers.
  
• Showcase dinner and the Inaugural and Tasmanian ICT Industry Achievement Awards – The ICT Industry Achievement Awards, sponsored by the Tasmanian Government and including the Premier's Award for Excellence in ICT, was held on Friday 22 August 2003. Over 300 people attended the dinner including representatives from the Tasmanian ICT sector, e-Learning Conference delegates, Intelligent Island Board members, conference speakers and interstate delegates. The evening included an address by Neville Roach, Chair, Intelligent Island Board as sponsor of the Showcase and the presentation of the Government’s inaugural Tasmanian ICT Industry Achievement Awards 2003 by the Deputy Premier Paul Lennon.
  

CeBIT Australia/AIIA Software Showcase Exhibition 2003 - A Tasmanian delegation attended the CeBIT Australia Exhibition and AIIA Software Showcase 2003 on 6-8 May 2003 with an overwhelmingly positive response to the Tasmanian ICT sector and Intelligent Island presence. One company was approached by at least two venture capitalists interested in exploring investment opportunities.

World Congress on IT 2002 - Representatives from nine industry groups attended the Congress in Adelaide from 27 February – 1 March 2002. The outcomes of the congress as identified by delegates include making up to give business contacts, negotiating two commercial contracts to the value of $50,000 and the development of two collaborative ventures between Tasmanian industries.

CeBIT Australia 2002 - Five early stage companies participated in the showcase from 28-30 May 2002 with a range of successful outcomes identified. These include at least six to ten new business contacts made by each delegation, negotiation of immediate sales/new contracts with approximately 20 businesses to the value of over $200,000 whilst recognising the longer term opportunities and two potential software licensees identified.

World Education Market 2002 – In May 2002 four delegates from three companies attended the world’s largest e-Learning exhibition in Portugal, followed by a series of business matching activities in the United Kingdom. The major business outcomes as identified by the companies included each company undertaking up to ten product demonstrations, between 21 and 30 new business contacts made and the negotiation of four distribution contracts valued at over $500,000.

United States Trade Mission November 2002 – Representatives of six companies participated in a trade mission to the US that revealed that the level of innovation in the Tasmanian sector is very high when compared to the US market. The itinerary included a visit to the Comdex Fall 2002 Exhibition in Las Vegas.

Business outcomes include three companies negotiating agreements to commence formal research collaboration to inform their US expansion plans, one company negotiating to sign a clinical/field trial of their technology with a US service provider, one company negotiating an Original Equipment Manufacturer agreement that will allow its product to be bundled with and sold by a US company operating in the critical market space, three companies negotiating contracts to establish representation in the US and one company negotiating a potential partnership with a major corporation for the delivery of their product. Companies included CPact, Crank Media, Dytech Solutions, Nunatak Systems, In-tellinc and TurnAround Solutions.