GAP Summit to champion mid market

The importance of the midsized business sector as an engine for growth of the Australian economy will be the focus of the eighth annual Global Access Partners Vision for Australia Summit.

GAP has been championing the mid market for the last 20 years and the Summit on the 7^th and 8^th of September, 2017 will bring together 120 people who have a vested interest in seeing the mid-sized business sector grow and thrive in Australia.

We will gather in the Legislative Assembly Chamber of NSW Parliament House, to discuss the barriers to growth for midsized businesses in both metropolitan and regional Australia and how best to break down some of the walls that a preventing the mid market from thriving.

The attendees are a mixture of representatives from business, government and academia, and as in the past, the aim of the Summit is to develop recommendations that those in the Chamber feel they can action. GAP facilitates this by providing a safe space for information sharing and collaboration between people that don’t usually share their challenges.

This year’s Summit marks a milestone in GAP’s history as we celebrate our 20^th anniversary. It is made all the more special when I look back at the genesis for GAP’s existence – it was founded to provide Australian small and medium-sized companies access to markets, networks, customers and policy development.

While GAP has grown and changed over time, and we have become an organisation that initiates dialogue on a range of topics, we are still committed to shining a light on what we call the “hidden giants” of the Australian economy – those companies that employ between 20-199 staff and turnover between $10 million – $250 million .

This is the sector that, as it grows, will have a significant impact on employment figures, this is the sector that has a proven track record of being agile and has the experience of success and challenge, and this is the sector that is stuck in the middle of the sexy start-up and booming big business. It is the sector of successful family business and succession planning.

I am excited to see where the discussion will take us. It’s always a surprise. Last year’s Summit established the Australian Space Initiative – an advisory group that is working on a novel model for a space agency.

Each GAP Summit is the beginning of a year of activity, and I’m looking forward to designing that with the delegates who wish to be involved.

Read other blogs related to the GAP Summit:
Mid-sized businesses – a recommendation to drive growth – Daryl Chambers
A call for support for mid market – Marieke Ter Meer
SMEs – the label that’s killing our growth – Mike Rich
Impact, performance, purpose – 3 key drivers to attract and retain talent – Nicky Carp
Priorities and practical recommendations for the midsize business sector – Elisabetta Magnani
Imagining a Smarter Australia – Martin Hosking
How mid-size companies use wellbeing to strengthen business – Andrea Warr