Events listed below are either of relevance to the local business community or are delivered or sponsored by the Local Buying Program or Local Buying Foundation.

Naidoc Week

National  |  6 Jul 2025 - 13 Jul 2025

This year’s NAIDOC Week theme is the Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy and celebrates 50 years of honouring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices, resilience and culture. It’s a time to reflect on our Elders’ strength, embrace our communities’ vision, and celebrate the legacy being built by the next generation of leaders.

Optimising and Expanding Your WordPress Website with Divi Theme

Online  |  15 Jul 2025  |  10.00am - 12.00pm

Whether you’re looking to improve user experience, boost website speed, or incorporate advanced features, this session has you covered.

Exploring Copilot’s Capabilities

Online  |  16 Jul 2025  |  12.00 - 1.00pm

Discover how Microsoft Copilot can streamline your workflow, boost productivity, and support everyday tasks in this one-hour lunch and learn session.

The Yarnz Network

Mackay  |  17 Jul 2025  |  7.30 - 9.00am

A morning of connection, community and conversation, hosted by Queensland Trading Tracks.

Marketing in an AI World

Online  |  17 Jul 2025 - 24 Jul 2025  |  11.30am - 1.00pm

Join us for an inspiring 3-part Chat GPT webinar series with Tolita Dukes, Digital + Marketing Coach, 8 seconds.

Content Creation Tools

Online  |  17 Jul 2025  |  12.00 - 1.00pm

Boost your social media presence – learn the basics of creating engaging content and explore advanced techniques for Facebook and Instagram, including stories, reels, and posts. Discover popular content creation apps like Canva, and see how AI tools like Chat GPT can streamline your content strategy.

Beginner Microsoft Excel

Online  |  18 Jul 2025  |  10.00am - 12.00pm

This beginner-friendly workshop helps small business owners and staff gain confidence using Excel for everyday tasks. Learn how to accurately enter and organise data, use basic formulas, and collaborate on spreadsheets. Ideal for managing sales, expenses, stock lists, customer contacts, and more – perfect for those just getting started or wanting to streamline their admin.

Automating Your Business for Growth

Online  |  23 Jul 2025  |  10.00am - 12.00pm

Learn how to implement scalable systems and automation in your business to handle growth without the growing pains. We’ll discuss how to use automated systems to manage increased demand, ensure consistent quality, and maintain customer satisfaction as your business expands.

Automating Your Business for Growth

Online  |  23 Jul 2025  |  10.00am - 12.00pm

Learn how to implement scalable systems and automation in your business to handle growth without the growing pains. We’ll discuss how to use automated systems to manage increased demand, ensure consistent quality, and maintain customer satisfaction as your business expands.

How AI solutions can drive business growth and productivity

Online  |  23 Jul 2025  |  11.30am - 12.30pm

Discover how Australian small and medium businesses are embracing AI through the AI Adoption Tracker. Hear from AI adoption centres on how they are building confidence and enabling the AI journey for businesse

Cashflow for Small Business Success

Online  |  25 Jul 2025  |  11.30am - 12.30pm

Have the opportunity to speak with experienced tax officers, ask questions and gain insights tailored to your business needs.

Tendering – Top Ten Tips

Online  |  29 Jul 2025  |  10.00 - 11.00am

From planning your response to submitting your tender, this online workshop will give you the top ten tips to tendering. Our tips will help you improve your approach to tendering and how to address the non-price criteria in tender documents.

Capability Statement Workshop

Mackay  |  30 Jul 2025  |  9.00am - 1.00pm

This practical workshop will assist you develop and prepare an effective capability statement to help your business thrive.

AI Powered Video Creation

Online  |  30 Jul 2025  |  1.00 - 2.00pm

Video content is a powerful tool for engaging audiences, and creating high-quality videos doesn’t have to be complicated. This webinar will will show you how to use AI tools like ChatGPT, HeyGen, and ElevenLabs (tools TBC) to create a complete video—from script to screen in just 60 minutes. Whether you’re creating content for marketing, social media, or your website, learn how AI can simplify video production and help you produce high-quality videos quickly.

Building blocks for business success

Online  |  5 Aug 2025  |  4.30 - 7.30pm

Indigenous Business Australia offers a range of tailored workshops to assist customers in meeting the challenges faced at each stage of the business life cycle.

Capability Statement Workshop

Online  |  5 Aug 2025  |  10.00 - 11.00am

A capability statement is a tool that allows procurement teams to assess your expertise and achievements, as well as your potential to deliver goods and services. It outlines the capabilities and skills of your business. It is essential for applying for and securing tendering opportunities in government and private sector projects. They can also be uploaded to online databases and be used to support your finance applications.

Your Business and Indigenous Business Australia

Online  |  12 Aug 2025  |  10.00am - 12.30pm

Indigenous Business Australia offers a range of tailored workshops to assist customers in meeting the challenges faced at each stage of the business life cycle.

SEO like a pro

Online  |  12 Aug 2025  |  1.00 - 3.00pm

Having strong search engine ranking is one of the most mysterious and frustrating parts of owning a website. Search engine optimisation is the process of making improvements to your website to improve its rankings. Thankfully what works well for search engines also works well for customers!

Introduction to Lean Manufacturing

Mackay  |  13 Aug 2025 - 14 Aug 2025  |  8.30am - 3.00pm

Raise your awareness of the 8 waste streams in business, learn how to reduce waste, become more productive and improve business culture!

Budgeting and Finance

Online  |  19 Aug 2025  |  4.30 - 7.30pm

Indigenous Business Australia offers a range of tailored workshops to assist customers in meeting the challenges faced at each stage of the business life cycle.

RIN Awards

Mackay  |  22 Aug 2025  |  6.00 - 11.30pm

The RIN Awards recognise the significant achievements and enterprise that local businesses are demonstrating across seven categories including inclusion and diversity, expansion into new markets, safety foremost, standing out from the crowd, connecting in the community, champion culture and manufacturing excellence.

Goods and Services Tax

Online  |  25 Aug 2025  |  11.30am - 12.30pm

Have the opportunity to speak with experienced tax officers, ask questions and gain insights tailored to your business needs.

Central Highland Business Excellence Awards

Emerald  |  6 Sep 2025

The event will be an opportunity to come together to celebrate our region’s vibrant business community, its resilience and its achievements.

Women in Manufacturing

Mackay  |  18 Sep 2025  |  7.00 - 9.30am

Join us to celebrate women in the manufacturing industry in the Mackay region!

Hiring and Paying Workers

Online  |  25 Sep 2025  |  11.30am - 12.30pm

Have the opportunity to speak with experienced tax officers, ask questions and gain insights tailored to your business needs.

Indigenous Business Expo

Mackay  |  9 Oct 2025  |  7.30am - 3.00pm

Local businesses and procurement professionals are invited to the 4th annual Indigenous Business Expo for the Mackay, Isaac, and Whitsunday regions.

The event highlights culture, innovation, capability, and diversity of First Nations businesses across many business sectors. It’s an opportunity for procurement teams and decision-makers in mining, manufacturing, government, health, tourism, arts, education, construction, and agriculture to connect directly with Indigenous suppliers and explore future partnerships.