Bright ideas shine at the inaugural Creative Industries Demo Day

Published 16 May 2022

Six of Moreton Bay’s most exciting creative industry business owners have walked away from the inaugural Creative Industries Demo Day (May 4) with life-changing experience and ideas thanks to the event hosted by Council and Innovate Moreton Bay.

Mayor Peter Flannery said it was a day those business owners would never forget, and the invaluable insights from industry experts would set them up for businesses success well into the future.

“Our aim was to unearth some amazing new creative industry businesses right here in Moreton Bay and to help grow the industry so that creatives can thrive and prosper for many years to come,” he said.

“Six lucky creative business owners were selected from a pool of applicants to present their business ideas in front of a guest audience and industry leaders to get vital feedback and make lifechanging connections.

“We couldn’t have been happier with how the first edition of this event went and it certainly set the bar high for expectations for next year’s event to be even bigger and better.

“Our six leading creative businesses who took the stage absolutely blew the audience away with their passion, their thought-provoking business ideas, and the calibre of their presentations were outstanding.

“Congratulations to Pia Robinson from The Culture Crusader and her project Martin and Friends: Enabling through Augmented Reality for being awarded the overall winner of the day.

“Her truly inspiring idea to help give everyone the ability to access arts and safe sensory spaces was amazing, and I hope the prize supports and aids her journey as an emerging business owner.”

Many of the businesses accredited their refined pitches to the support and advice offered by world-leading facilitator Jacqueline Nagle during the half-day pre-pitch workshop aimed at helping participants to fine-tune their presenting skills.

Hosted by Louise Bezzina, artistic director of Brisbane Festival, finalists were invited to pitch their business idea to a panel of judges comprising of international industry powerhouses, working across the creative industry sector.

After much deliberation by the judges, Pia Robinson from The Culture Crusader and her project Martin and Friends: Enabling through Augmented Reality, was announced the overall winner of the day.

Martin and Friends is the evolution of many months of ideation and aspires to be an inclusive tourism exhibition and engagement program, aiming to transform 2D artwork into engaging AR that can be accessed anywhere, enabling a national reach and an inclusive cultural experience for young people on the spectrum or with sensory processing sensitivities.

Judges awarded her a with a one-on-one mentoring session with a matched Queensland AI Hub expert, along with a 12-month QLD AI Hub membership to support the success of the project.

The judging panel was formed by industry-leading professionals across a wide spectrum of the Creative Industries landscape including Ben Johnston, Group CEO of Josephmark, Mark Gustowski Managing Director of Innovation Architects, Amanda Jakes General Manager of Woodfordia and Diya Eid, Development Producer at Orange Entertainment Co.

This esteemed panel was pulled together, and the entire event coordinated by, Regional Innovation Coordinator Steve Butler who said the wealth of talent, experience and networks from the judges and invited guests in the room was incredibly powerful.

“We’re very humbled and appreciative to each of our judges for donating their time and helping open doors, sharing their industry insights and encouraging participants to think outside the box,” Mr Butler said.

To learn more about the inaugural Creative Industries Demo Day, and the 2022 participants, judges, and prizes, please visit www.innovatemoretonbay.com.au/2022-creative-industries-demo-day.

The Creative Industries Demo Day is part of a suite of innovative programs being delivered via Innovate Moreton Bay, as part of Council’s commitment to the Regional Economic Development Strategy (REDS) which includes the objective of becoming a top ten regional innovation hub.

To find out what Innovation programs and events we have coming up, click here > Events - Innovate Moreton Bay.