FOR the past two years, when one of the Gold Coast's companies made a significant achievement, we were always happy to report it. We pride ourselves on being able to showcase just how competitive Gold Coast businesses are: around the country and around the globe. This month, without wanting to blow our own trumpet too loudly, it's our turn to be acknowledged. The July winners of the Gold Coast Business Excellence Awards have just been announced, and we are thrilled to have won the Emerging Companies category. While the small team here works tirelessly to meet tight deadlines every month to deliver the news that affects all our businesses, it really is the support of our readers that enables us to keep going from strength to strength. So, thank you. Keep letting us know what you want from your business magazine, and we'll endeavour to bring it to you.Don't forget to read about some of the other very capable winners too. They're listed inside. As you will have seen from our cover, our magazine's focus this issue is innovation. Talk about Gold Coast companies making significant achievements. We have profiled eight companies from different sectors who, with their sometimes simple ideas, are making truly world-class advances. When researching this story, we were told a lot of conflicting definitions for the word innovation. But we've sifted through the jargon to explain what it means, and how important it is, to your business. If your company doesn't have a culture of innovation, we have some tips to start fostering the ideas that could see your company become a world leader too. And with taking that idea to market often the most difficult step in the idea process, we've included information on companies and inititatives that can help with commercialisation of your product or service.
Peter Trathen from the Property Council of Australia talks about the key to maintaining the Coast's unique lifestyle; and our Young Entrepreneur, the very eloquent Michael Searle, dissects that now infamous bid, which has secured the Gold Coast its own NRL franchise. We also look at how the new non-smoking laws are polarising the business community. Are they affecting you? Finally, without wanting to scare you, we did a ring-around of some of the more popular venues for Christmas parties, and some of them reported the prime dates are already being booked out. So to avoid disappointment, we suggest you book your corporate Christmas gig now. We've included a guide on some of the fantastic options available at our renowned event venues. Get in quick.
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