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Coffs Coast Business News - October 2025
Each month, the City of Coffs Harbour's Economic Development & Tourism Team collates information for all businesses, large and small, across the Coffs Coast - helping you stay informed, keep connected, and feel supported.
We hope you find our monthly newsletter valuable. Please feel free to forward it to colleagues and your team. They can also subscribe to receive a copy directly. Previous editions of Coffs Coast Business News are available to view here.
IN THIS ISSUE:
Business events and training
- Ground Swell Masterclass with Take 3 for the Sea - Tuesday 21 October
- Executive Luncheon with QantasLink CEO Rachel Yangoyan - Wednesday 29 October
- Coffs Coast Safety Summit - Wednesday 5 November
- Navigating Change with Ease and Confidence - Wednesday 19 November
- Night in Lights - 2025 Coffs Coast Business Awards - Friday 28 November
Local news and opportunities
- In case you missed it around the region
- Australian Event Awards & Symposium post event wrap-up
- Creative Industries Taster - Thursday 6 November
- C.ex Coffs International Stadium - Major Event tickets on sale
Grant funding and business support
- Coffs Harbour Grant Finder
- Rebuilding Australia webinar: Unlocking local potential - Smart fundraising for Rural & Regional projects
- Accelerating Smarter Development - Urbis and nbn report
- Business Resources: Setting up a market stall, and Spring clean your business
What's On Coffs Coast and major event calendar
LOCAL BUSINESS EVENTS
Ground Swell Masterclass with Take 3 for the Sea
In partnership with MidWaste, the team from Take 3 will share the facts behind visitor litter and provide practical solutions - strategies and actions - to help us to preserve our town spaces and stunning natural environments.
You'll have access to case studies, receive a helpful 50-page toolkit and a path forward - just in time for the summer season.
Let’s collaborate and take actionable steps to reduce litter in tourism while safeguarding the natural beauty of our destination for our community and our visitors.
Tuesday 21 October, 4.45pm - 7.00pm,
Coffs Coast Wildlife Sanctuary, 65 Orlando Street, Coffs Harbour
Coffs Harbour Chamber of Commerce: Executive Luncheon with QantasLink CEO Rachel Yangoyan
Rachel Yangoyan was appointed CEO of QantasLink in November 2023. She was previously Executive Manager Qantas Aircraft Programs, overseeing the entry into service of the airline’s new aircraft, including QantasLink’s Airbus A220 now servicing Coffs Harbour.
Rachel will take us through her 22 years of experience within QANTAS and provide an update on all things QantasLink locally for Coffs Harbour and nationally.
Don’t miss this opportunity to network and gain valuable insights from one of the aviation industry’s leading figures.
Wednesday 29 October, 12.00pm - 2.00pm, Opal Cove Resort, Opal Blvd, Korora
Coffs Coast Safety Summit
Workplace safety isn’t just about policies - it’s about people.
The Coffs Coast Safety Summit is on 5 November - bringing together frontline experts, regulators, WHS pros and business leaders for a day of real talk, real tools and real impact.
Whether you’re focused on physical safety, psychological risk, or both - this Summit delivers practical strategies, human stories and fresh thinking that go beyond compliance.
Let’s build workplaces where people can thrive – not just survive.
Wednesday 5 November, 8.30am - 5.30pm,
C.ex Coffs, 2-6 Vernon Street, Coffs Harbour
Navigating Change with Ease and Confidence
Change can be difficult. Change can be isolating. What if you could future-proof yourself against change with both connections and skills?
That is the promise of this 1/2 day workshop with two highly experienced local business advisors.
Anna McAfee, who co-founded the worldwide community-building phenomenon of LinkedIn Local and who is an expert on building connections. Anna wrote the popular book - How a Hashtag Changed the World.
Hunter Leonard is a marketing and strategy consultant and self-published author who has been advising business owners since 2001.
Wednesday 19 November, 9.30am - 12.30pm,
The Link, 631 Hogbin Drive, Toormina
Night in Lights - 2025 Coffs Coast Business Awards
The Coffs Harbour Chamber of Commerce is ready to shine a light on our business community and celebrate the year in style with our ‘Night in Lights’ function.
As we know, Coffs Coast businesses are the engine-room of our local economy and deserve to be recognised. The Coffs Coast Business Awards are a celebration of the business community’s contribution to the economic vitality and quality of life in the region.
It’s always a big night. Get ready to enjoy a fantastic evening with the great food, beverages, networking, and recognition.
Friday 28 November, 6pm - 11pm,
Pacific Bay Resort, Cnr Pacific Hwy and Bay Dr, Coffs Harbour
LOCAL NEWS & OPPORTUNITIES
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Check out this monthly snapshot of articles, marketing activities, and campaigns making news across our region and beyond. Here's what's happening:
- Destination NSW: Where to find the best fish and chips in NSW
- Destination NSW: 17 incredible ocean pools in NSW
- Desi Australia: Ozgroup Curryfest 2025: A Celebration of Food, Culture, and Community in Woolgoolga
- QantasLink: A220 SYD - CFS flights commence Sunday October 26
ALL COFFS COAST BUSINESSES are invited to share these news stories in their business marketing. This is a great way to bring people from out of the area to your business - and the content is already created for you.
Post event wrap-up
The stars of Australia’s event industry gathered in Coffs Harbour this week as the 2025 Australian Event Awards Ceremony recognised excellence across the nation.
The two-day symposium offered a range of speakers, presenters, and topics, including some local showcases. For the awards, Wiigulga Multipurpose Sports Complex completely transformed its display to celebrate the achievements of the country’s most outstanding events, teams, and suppliers.
From large-scale global spectacles to intimate community celebrations, this year’s winners reflect the creativity and resilience that continues to define Australia’s event landscape.
“Each year, the Australian Event Awards highlight the incredible talent and diversity of our industry,” said Ian Steigrad, Managing Director of the Australian Event Awards and Symposium. “From grassroots events to world-class productions, our winners prove that Australian events are among the very best in the world. A huge thank you to our hosts, the City of Coffs Harbour, and all our incredible partners who made this year's Ceremony and Symposium possible. The Coffs Coast truly shone as the heart of the Australian Events Community this week.”
Creative Industries Taster
Join Arts Mid North Coast for a dynamic day of hands-on workshops, behind-the-scenes tours, and industry talks! Explore career pathways in the arts, from gallery curation to creative production, and gain insights from artists and professionals in the field. This event is designed for young people 16-24 eager to discover the diverse opportunities within the creative industries.
Thursday 6 November, 9.45am - 3.30pm, 27 Gordon Street, Coffs Harbour
C.ex Coffs International Stadium - Major Event tickets on sale
Saturday 1 November: AFLW - Sydney Swans V Essendon
Monday 5 January: BBL - Sydney Sixers V Brisbane Heat
Saturday 14 March: Freestyle Kings World Tour
GRANT FUNDING & BUSINESS SUPPORT
COFFS HARBOUR GRANT FINDER
The City of Coffs Harbour provides a free service for locals to find grants and grant writing tips. Register to be notified of specific grants for your business or organisation.
Rebuilding Australia: Unlocking local potential - Smart fundraising for Rural & Regional projects
Rural and regional communities are full of ideas, energy, and passion but turning those ideas into funded projects can be challenging. This webinar explores practical, proven ways to raise the money your community needs to make things happen. From local campaigns and partnerships to grant writing and crowdfunding, we’ll uncover strategies that work for small towns.
Join us to learn how to attract support, engage donors, and unlock the hidden potential in your region one smart fundraising idea at a time.
Rebuilding Australia was founded in 2020 by Charles and Tracy Alder, the husband-and-wife team behind Rural Aid and the multi-million-dollar Buy a Bale campaign. During their time at Rural Aid, Charles and Tracy helped raise over $100 million through unique, creative and inspirational fundraising concepts that captured national attention and delivered real outcomes for farmers and rural communities.
Online Webinar: Wednesday 22 October at 12pm
Accelerating Smarter Development
Jointly published by Urbis and nbn Co, the report offers a clear and concise blueprint on how Australia can reap the full benefits of smart development, advocating for decisive strategic, regulatory, and operational change across the industry.
Smart development refers to digital technology, such as Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, advanced data and analytics in community and city planning, design and development. The Accelerating Smarter Development report covers a broad spectrum of applications ranging from safety, transport, irrigation, lighting, signage, water meters and energy grids, to emergency management
Thinking of turning your passion into profit this season? Setting up a market stall is a great way to test your products, connect with customers, and grow your brand. Whether you're selling handmade jewellery, fresh produce, or artisan goods, make sure you're across the essentials:
- Licences & permits
- Insurance options
- Product safety & labelling
- Food safety standards (if you're selling food).
Spring cleaning is a big focus this time of year, so why not take some time to give your business a once-over? There are lots of ways you can refresh your business and ensure you’re running as efficiently as possible, including:
- Take a fresh look at your cash flow
- Streamline your environmental practices
- Examine your inventory
- Invest in your people
- Find ways to grow
- Tidy up your digital channels
WHAT'S ON @ COFFS COAST
Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass Festival
24 - 26 October
Coffs Coast Craft Beer and Spirits Festival
1 November
Woolgoolga Blues and Berries
2 November
The Mylestom Mollusc
8 November
Please reach out to our team at City of Coffs Harbour if you have any questions.
Check out our 6 degrees business support website for business events and resources.
For tourism industry and visitor economy business support and information, go to our Coffs Coast tourism industry hub.
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