THE Beenleigh-Yatala Chamber of commerce is expecting to cater for around 700 members of the business community at the upcoming 14th Annual Prawn Lunch at Woongoolba this month.

It’s a far cry from the group of 40 local business leaders who originally gathered on the banks of the Logan River to feast on the multi award-winning Gold Coast Tiger Prawns, but the principal is exactly the same.

Beenleigh-Yatala Chamber’s executive office Lindsey Hamilton, says the support for the event is a reflection of the enthusiasm for both the product, and the opportunity to mix with the large number of business leaders who attend the event from all over South-East Queensland.

“These prawns are cooked fresh on the morning of the event and are the best prawns you will ever taste,” says Hamilton.

“The event attracts the who’s who of decision makers and a major appeal is the opportunity to be able to get together with all these people at the one place.”

Senior executives from key sponsors Carlton United Breweries and De Bortoli Wines are just two of the plethora of high profile business representatives that will be attending.

The 14th Annual Prawn Lunch will take place at Marks Road Woongoolba, near Beenleigh on March 12.

More info at: www.BeenleighRegion.com.au

FORMER CEO of Ramsay Health Care Patrick Grier heads up an impressive roster of business leadership experts presenting at the Southern Cross University (SCU) Business Insights seminar this month.

Hosted by the university’s Graduate College of Management, the latest seminar will focus on leadership and features guest lectures from Grier, associate professor Peter Miller of SCU and associate professor Carol Dalglish of the QUT School of Management.

Grier is a recipient of the Order of Australia and is recognised as one of the country’s leading CEOs.

He continues to play a corporate role as a director of major Australian companies including Ramsay Health and Prime Media and is also chair of Southern Cross University’s Foundation Board.
Grier says he will be sharing some of the keys to success at the Business Insights evening.

“Leadership is the most important ingredient for a successful organisation, especially in tough times,” he says.

“Good leadership creates a culture where everybody gives everything they can to ensure the success of the organisation.

“Leadership is the glue that holds everything together, and it’s the leader that creates the future for the organisation.”

Dalglish and Miller will be providing specific insights into leadership in the Asia-Pacific area and will also use the event to launch their new co-written book Leadership: Understanding its Global Impact.

“Most resources available on leadership in this country are adaptations of American or European books on the topic,” says Miller.

“We are very proud that our book is the first truly comprehensive book on leadership in Australasia. Leadership here is very different to leadership in America and elsewhere and we are hoping to share knowledge that Australian leaders can identify with more closely.”

The event will take place on March 10 at Southern Cross University’s new Gold Coast campus at Bilinga.

More info at: www.scu.edu.au/businessinsights.

IN an Australian Institute of Management (AIM) event this month, co-founder and director of Canadian-based global online youth community TakingITGlobal.org will share his insights on recruiting and engaging with ‘the net generation’.

‘The net generation’ are on the very cusp of technology and its application, and being part of a global online community is in their DNA. They wield networks, information and content with ease and have been trained since early childhood to collaborate and hunt for information.

Michael Furdyk has shared his expertise in youth engagement at forums all over the world including the World Congress on IT, the US Government’s National Youth Summit and TED.

The 28-year-old co-founded TakingITGlobal.org, a non profit organisation focused on promoting awareness of global issues among youth, in 1999.

Since then the online community has grown to include in excess of 230,000 active members across more than 260 countries.
Furdyk has made numerous media appearances including The Oprah Winfrey Show, Time Magazine, Fast Company, BusinessWeek, and USA Today.

When he brings his unique seminar to the Gold Coast’s Sofitel Hotel on March 12, Furdyk looks beyond generational characteristics and labels to explore how this technologically savvy workforce will shape the way businesses grow over the next decade.

More info at: www.aimevents.com.au