Global Entrepreneurship Congress Kicks Off!

Last week I talked about the benefits of networking face to face and was anticipating the upcoming GEC gathering of members of the Global Entrepreneurship Network, international speakers and delegates. Well, the congress kicked off yesterday in Melbourne with over 2,000 delegates from 123 countries.

The congress opened with an official country welcome from the Djirri Djirri?Wurundjeri women's dance group, followed by opening remarks from leaders including Australia's Minister for Industry and Science, and Victoria's Minister for Industry. GEC has always succeeded in putting together a programme which has something for each member of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, for entrepreneurs, policy makers, investors and educators. Having been involved in putting together programmes for conferences and workshops, I know this is not an easy task.

Many organisations are already planning for events during Global Entrepreneurship Week, and as soon as they define the topic, event organisers will be thinking about:

? How do we measure success? What will make this event memorable for participants

?? Your speakers - What qualities do you look for in speakers? How do you ensure diverse perspectives and expertise to engage your audience?

This year the theme for #GEW is "Entrepreneurs Thrive Here" - and our sub theme for GEW UK is "Access All", emphasising that we want to be totally inclusive in our work to encourage entrepreneurship in our organisations, networks and locality.

At the #GEC in Melbourne this week there will be more opportunities to prepare for GEW UK and learn from other countries.

If you are considering running an event for #GEW this year, it runs from Monday 13th November to 19th November and you can find more information in our group here