Vodafone announced as naming sponsor for National Small Business Summit

THE Council of Small Business Australia (COSBOA) has announced Vodafone as its major sponsor for the National Small Business Summit, an annual premier event focusing on the policies and processes that impact small enterprises.

The Vodafone National Small Business Summit (NSBS) will be held on Thursday 16 and Friday 17 July 2015, at Doltone House Jones Bay Wharf, Sydney. This year’s agenda is set to discuss competition policy review, workplace relations and small business influence on national security.

CEO of COSBOA Peter Strong said Vodafone was a natural fit for this year’s Summit, with both organisations knowing that telecommunications is fundamental to the success of every small business.

“As we all know, speed and cost of communication are key issues for small businesses in Australia. In the context of the current competition review, Vodafone and COSBOA look forward to challenging the status quo in the telecommunications space to ensure the voice of small businesses is heard,” said Mr Strong.

“One of the topics we’re going to address at the Vodafone NSBS is the importance of companies being mobile and using the cloud, something typically only fully utilised by large organisations. Mobile technology feeds into everything we do, with many businesses highlighting this as a high priority for their future growth.”

Vodafone’s General Manager of Business, Andrew Chanmugam, said the company is excited by the partnership with COSBOA for the Vodafone National Small Business Summit.

“We believe it is the perfect platform to discuss the challenges facing Australian small businesses today,” he said.

Mr Chanmugam said that while the convergence of mobile and cloud presents unprecedented opportunities for Australian small businesses, many are not ready for the change.

“Our research shows 82% of small businesses believe exploiting mobile technology will help optimise the way people work, but only 22% believe their current systems deliver the flexibility and responsiveness they need,” he said.

“We are committed to supporting Australian small businesses to become ‘Ready Businesses’ - able to harness the opportunity to deliver better operational agility, better connected employees and better customer engagement.”

The 2015 Summit is once again expected to draw a high profile line-up of guest speakers and attendees, including Vodafone Chief Executive Officer, Inaki Berroeta.  

“Small businesses form a significant part of the Australian economy - employing more than 4.5 million people. The Vodafone National Small Business Summit and COSBOA are committed to ensuring small businesses have the support they need to grow, and are recognised for their contribution and success,” said Mr Strong.

Registrations for Vodafone NSBS open on 15 May.

For more information visit www.nationalsmallbusinesssummit.com.au

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