Held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 29 February 2012 – 2 March 2012, the conference will consist of workshops, sessions exploring industry and tech trends, and discussions around what the community can do to ensure sustainable support for startups in the Australian economy.

Key Note speakers so far include:

• Adrian Di Marco, Executive Chairman, TechnologyOne
• \Doron Ben-Meier, CEO, Commercialisation Australia
• Matthew Macfarlane, Yuuwa Capital
• Franceska Banga, CEO, New Zealand Venture Investment Fund

For more information on how you can attend, visit http://www.aaai.net.au/.

Australian Association of Angel Investors (AAAI) is the national forum for advancing the professional development of Angel Investors and furthering its members’ passion for investing in entrepreneurial success. AAAI is a social not-for-profit enterprise offering a range of networking, professional development, advocacy and research activities supporting members’ activities. Angel Investors are private individuals who invest their own personal assets (financial and intellectual) as Angel Capital into entrepreneurial high growth business opportunities. Angel Groups are the natural formation of like-minded individual Angel Investors who wish to leverage their combined intellectual and financial capital and shared deal flow. Angel Investors acting within Angel Groups are recognised as international best practice.

For those of you who’ve not had the pleasure, Innovation Bay’s Angel Dinners bring together angels and entrepreneurs. To date, the organisation has assisted entrepreneurs raise over $10 million in seed investment as a result of these dinners. (Heard of Spreets? Yup? Innovation Bay kick started the group buying behemoths capital raising endeavours.)

Are you an entrepreneur in the high-tech space? Fancy a bit of funding? Then you may well be interested in pitching at this event, held at Table for 20 in Surry Hills, Sydney.

Here’s what you need to do before 5pm, Feb 10:

• Submit a 90-second video in any format – don’t exceed the time limit – to info@innovationbay.com
• Spill the deets on your business and why Innovation Bay should select you to take part in the next Angels Dinner
• Explain your value proposition in a strong and punchy format. Why are you poised to succeed and why would someone want to invest in your business?

Here are some tips:

• Business overview – who you are, what you do, your experience, your team
• What problem you are solving and do you offer a different solution
• The market – size and opportunity
• Investment – how much, what do you need it for, why should someone invest

The four pitches to receive the highest votes from Innovation Bay members will be invited to present at the Angel Dinner.

Do you want to turn your existing skills, talents and experience into a profitable business?

This event will show you how.

You will learn the Five Step Sequence to becoming a Key Person of Influence and become a highly valued (and did we mention HIGHLY PAID) person in your industry Learn from five of Australia’s most inspiring minds.

When: January 20th, 2012
Where: Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
Normal Price: $39.

Antmart Price: $24. Click here!

Being GOOD at what you do is no longer enough in the new economy. Spend ONE DAY learning from THE BEST.

Bonus – Get The KPI Fast Start Kit [FREE WITH YOUR TICKET]

1. A copy of ‘Becoming a Key Person of Influence’ by Daniel Priestly;
2. Free access to a 90 minute live interactive webinar on helping people who are committed to becoming a Key Person of Influence;
3. A series of 45 minute videos of high level talks given by some of the worlds top entrepreneurs from London and Australia.

Who are the speakers?

Ian Elliot – Australian Advertising Icon

Ian Elliot spent 30 years at George Patterson Advertising, rising from mail boy to CEO and Chairman. George Patterson were Australia’s largest Advertising Agency throughout this period and voted “Agency of The Century” in the middle of Ian’s CEO term. He was responsible for developing the Optus Brand Strategy, including the still highly successful “Yes” campaign.

He has adapted his pitch winning skills to apply to every business, big or small and documented the tools in the best selling Book ‘Stop Bitching, Start Pitching’.

Marc Johnstone – Silicone Valley VC Veteran

Marc co-founded his first company at 29 in the financial services industry and upon partial sale left to join Shirlaws Coaching in 1999 – its foundation year.

Shirlaws is now established is six countries, with 160 coaches and has clients across thirty seven countries.

Andrew Griffiths – Australia’s best selling small business author

Acknowledged as Australia’s #1 Small Business Author, Andrew has eleven books that are now sold in over fifty countries. His bestselling books take complex ideas and make them practical and simple. Andrew’s latest book, The BIG BOOK of Small Business, is a culmination of his extensive work to date in the Small Business arena.

Andrew is also an energetic and engaging keynote presenter. He draws on his own life experiences and big sense of humour to deliver powerful messages in an engaging and authentic way.

Andrew presents on a diverse range of topics including business success, business evolution, being a professional presenter, writing bestselling books and personal growth.

Kylie Bartlett – The Untapped Opportunity

Better known these days as The Web Celeb, Kylie Bartlett is an international public speaker, a published author and a successful business woman.

She is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs create social buzz, build a brand and get celebrity results in their business.

Kylie teaches business owners how to use the latest web techniques, tips and strategies you can use to generate more traffic and make more money.

Daniel Priestly – Author of Becoming a Key Person of Influence

Event producer, seed capitalist and technology entrepreneur. Best selling author of Becoming a Key Person of influence and creator of the 5 steps.

Daniel Priestly shows you how to stop being a worker ‘bee’ and explains exactly how to get into the inner circle of any industry, fast!

Register today to get the AntMart rate!

The Anthill Masterclass has already helped hundreds of Australian business owners, marketing professionals and web developers embrace the future of marketing and get real results from their websites and social media.

• Is your website delivering leads, sales, new customers? Or has it become a static, expensive brochure?
• Are you properly exploiting social media? Or are you simply playing with it, getting no clear results?
• Do you understand search engine optimisation? Or are you throwing away money on consultants?
• If you’re not getting adequate results from your online activities, don’t dismay.

This year, the 5^th annual National Angel Investor Conference, hosted by Melbourne Angels, is focused on collaboration for longer term sustainability of investment in emerging business opportunities.

The National Angel Conference 2012 provides an opportunity to meet experienced national and international Angel Investors and entrepreneurs and hear about the latest industry trends and investment opportunities.”

The program includes workshops for entrepreneurs, sessions that explore industry and tech trends/oppourtunities, and discussions on how the community can support entrepreneurial companies in the Australian economy.

Key note speakers for the conference include:

Adrian Di Marco, Executive Chairman, TechnologyOne

Doron Ben-Meier, CEO, Commercialisation Australia

Matthew Macfarlane, Yuuwa Capital

Franceska Banga, CEO, New Zealand Venture Investment Fund

What: National Angel Conference 2012
Where: Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
When: 29 February – 2 March, 2012

For more information, visit http://www.aaai.net.au

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The Anthill Guide to AdWords… for Amateurs AND Assassins

FREE WEBINAR

When: 07 December 2011, 12-noon
Where: At your laptop, Mac or PC!
Cost: Complimentary*

Master farmer in the fields of online marketing? Or AdWords apprentice?

AdWords are the small text ads that appear alongside Google search results and within some websites. (We assume you already knew that.) Advertisers who use AdWords only pay when a person clicks on the link. (We hope you knew that too.)

You may have experimented with AdWords. AdWords might already be core to your strategy. Perhaps you’re an online newbie with a desire to dip your toes into the AdWords estuary, with ambitions to make your big splash as a Big Kahuna on the waves of the interwebs!

Well, to be frank, whatever your level of expertise, whether you’re a master farmer in the fields of online marketing or an AdWords apprentice, we suspect it’s safe to assume one more thing. You are not using Search Engine Marketing as well as you could.

This is why we have partnered with Google Australia to create…

The Advanced Guide to AdWords for Amateurs

During this one-hour webinar, Anthill’s editor (and ‘closet Luddite’) James Tuckerman will be joined by Google’s guide (and ‘SEM expert’) Kate Conroy for an educational and entertaining amble through the the private pastures and oft-overlooked, far flung paddocks of AdWords.

Plus, we’ll be joined by special guest Ross McDonald, Industry Head for Retail AdWords, to talk about AdWords for mobile. (Mobile advertising. It’s kind of a big thing.)

Learn like a Luddite. Execute like an expert.

• The Basics (of course):
  How to get beyond the ‘beans and carrots’ of AdWords.
• Strategies for Keywords:
  Why you should never sell ‘liquid transfer solutions’ if you make garden hoses.
• Strategies for Sniper Targeting:
  Get your corn in a row with geo-targeting and devices (like mobile!)
• Copywriting tricks and tactics:
  How to write a great ads, to get great results (that won’t cost the farm)

Plus, an introduction to mobile ads!
With special guest Ross McDonald. (No relation to Old McDonald, sorry.)

Discover how the AdWords system works, how campaigns should be structured and how to get the most from your campaigns. Most, importantly, you will learn like a Luddite so that you can execute like an expert. (That’s how we plow… we mean ‘roll’.)

Meet our presenter, Kate Conroy

Who is Kate Conroy? It’s Kate’s job to help small and fast growth businesses master their online marketing with Google AdWords.

She is an AdWords Product Specialist for Google Australia, where she has worked since 2006. She specialises in understanding and applying Search Marketing techniques for Australian businesses.

Kate is a native of Canberra with degrees in multimedia and law. She is also one of Australia’s most enthusiastic online shoppers – her list of online purchases even includes a kitchen sink!

She lives and breathes AdWords.

Plus, we’ll be introducing special guest Ross McDonald, Industry Head for Retail AdWords, to talk about AdWords for mobile!

What’s a webinar?

Okay, we admit it. Anthill has been a bit late to discover the wonders of the webinar.

If you’re just a bit strange and backward (like us), according to Wikipedia:

A webinar is a neologism, short for Web-based Seminar, a presentation, lecture, workshop or seminar that is transmitted over the Web, specifically a portmanteau of web and seminar, to describe a specific type of web conference. A webinar can be collaborative and include polling and question and answer sessions to allow full participation between the audience and the presenter.

If words like ‘neologism’ and ‘portmanteau’ get you confused, a webinar is simply a way to login, join a vibrant and instruction online-seminar, pose questions and participate in online learning.

Bonus $75 AdWords Voucher

We even have $75 coupons to give away, so that webinar attendees can try out Google AdWords. (But please note, existing Google AdWords customers are not eligible for this offer. Just new ones. Sorry!)

When: 07 December 2011, 12-noon
Where: At your laptop, Mac or PC!
Cost: Complimentary*

Click here to register.

*By registering, you are agreeing to allow the data collected to be shared with the sponsor of this event, Google Australia. Anthill will not share this data with any parties not involved unless indicated.

Key People enjoy a special status in their chosen field because they are well connected, well known, well regarded and highly valued. They get invited to be a part of the best teams and projects and they can often write their own terms.

Key People also have more fun. They get invited on trips away. People buy them dinner and drinks. They are treated with respect and others listen when they speak.

Join like-minded business builders at an exclusive networking event, and learn how to become a Key Person of Influence. [EVENT]

When: 30 November, 6pm – 9pm.
Where: The Fleece Hotel, 120 Montague Street, South Melbourne VIC 3205
MORE: Visit Antmart.

What is a Key Person of Influence?

Blogging for your business… or blogging as your business!

FREE WEBINAR

When: 16 November 2011, 12-noon
Where: At your laptop, Mac or PC!
Cost: Complimentary*

Learn from a commercial blogging phenomenon.

Darren Rowse is one of the world’s most successful professional bloggers.

In 2002, he “stumbled” across a book on blogging. Within five years, his ProBlogger blog was listed as number two on Technorati’s most favourited blogs list and number 40 on its most linked to list. His blogs generate around 85,000 page views… wait for it… a day!

They also generate over $20,000 in total ad revenue a month (and that’s before affiliate and product sales) from his one man office in outer-suburban Melbourne.

Why should you care about blogging?

• Are you a business owners and want to harness the power of blogging?
• Have you been given the task of blogging within your organisation?
• Are you a hobbiest with big dreams for your blog?

We know at Anthill that there is only one way to guarantee traffic to your website.

And that’s to create compelling, remarkable, shareable content. And the easiest way to start is by blogging. Yet, blogging doesn’t need to be so hard!

Why choose this topic as an Anthill webinar?

Hundreds of thousands of Australians turn to Anthill to learn about about development tools, techniques and tactics.

In the niche realm of online marketing, Anthill has become quite an authority.

What’s a webinar?

Okay, we admit it. Anthill has been a bit late to discover the wonders of the webinar.

If you’re a technical Luddite (or just strange and backward), according to Wikipedia:

A webinar is a neologism, short for Web-based Seminar, a presentation, lecture, workshop or seminar that is transmitted over the Web, specifically a portmanteau of web and seminar, to describe a specific type of web conference. A webinar can be collaborative and include polling and question and answer sessions to allow full participation between the audience and the presenter.

If words like ‘neologism’ and ‘portmanteau’ get you confused, a webinar is simply a way to login, join a vibrant and instruction online-seminar, pose questions and participate in online learning.

How does is work?

Simply click the register button, follow the prompts and you’ll be sent reminders and login details when the time is right. Don’t put this off. Register now!

When: 16 November 2011, 12-noon
Where: At your laptop, Mac or PC!
Cost: Complimentary*

Click here to register.

Media vanguards Tracey Robertson, Shainiel Deo, Pip Jamieson and Simon Goodrich are set to headline the event.  According to the media release, the foursome will “share their experiences and the risks and challenges in bringing creative ideas to reality addressing: Disruptive entrepreneurs:  new media vanguards.”

Their discussion will specifically address why “unlocking the potential of young ‘disruptive’ entrepreneurial talent is essential to a successful and competitive creative industry and economy.”

The event, taking place at the QUT Creative Industries Precinct on Wednesday 26 – 28 October 2011, aims to be “a magnet for disruptive thinking and radical approaches to business development across platforms and… industries including film, television, music, design, fashion and new media.”

For more information, visit http://creative3.com.au

Between the 4 and 6 of November 2011, Australian entrepreneurs who are looking for funding and mentoring to take their bright startup ideas into the next level will be allowed to pitch them in front of a panel of venture capitalists and incubators at the Startup Weekend Melbourne.

According to the winner of the 2010 Startup Weekends in San Francisco and New York and event organiser Tyson Lundbech, “the Startup Weekend is a great way to reach the right people with the funds and gain the skills, contacts and expert mentorship required to bring business ideas to life.”

Among the crowd will be two regional venture capital funds — SingTel Innov8 and JFDI, which will be hunting for startup ideas to include in their funds and to share their access to the Asian market.

The program

The event will begin on Friday the 4^th when ideas will be pitched and the first votes will be cast to choose the best ones.

The chosen will then proceed to form several teams which will then start developing the ideas, focusing on customer development, lean startup methods and on building a viable product. The groups will proceed their work on the next day, when they will receive special mentoring.

On the final day, teams will present their prototype and will receive critical assessment from an expert panel.

Finally, a winner will be chosen.

The winning idea will take away a $5,000 prize as well as mentoring support. JFDI and Innov8 will also give the winner a chance to enter a $15,000, three-month incubator program in Singapore.

“Australian startups are very fortunate in that they have access to a network of entrepreneurs, seed funds, investors, co-working spaces and incubators which provide a supportive platform to nurture new business ideas. These people are building the next Silicon Valley right here in Australia,” said Tyson Lundbech.

• When: 4 – 6 November 2011
• Where: York Butter Factory, 62-66 King Street, Melbourne
• How: register here

That’s the motto of the Creative Innovation 2011’s two day conference in Melbourne.

The conference, whose theme is “The challenges and opportunities of a super-connected world,” presents an opportunity for participants to hear renowned speakers and presentations, to take master classes and to attend a Gala dinner.

According to its press release, the 16-18 November conference is about “world changing innovators, futurists, inspired thinkers and curious souls gathered together in an interactive community…A place to imagine the future.”

Participants will have the opportunity to hear from Raymond Kurzweil, one of the USA’s leading entrepreneurs, and Daniel Dennett, an acclaimed philosopher and cognitive scientist.  Other names include: Edward De Bono, Tan Le, Paddy Miller, Simon McKeon and several more.

Who: Presented by Creative Universe and ANZ
When: 16-18 November, 2011
Where: Sofitel Melbourne On Collins

For a complete list of speakers, details and information on how to register visit www.ci2011.com.au

Converting your idea into a valuable asset is a challenge. That’s why Pitch Club offers aspiring entrepreneurs the chance to “pitch” their idea to angel investors, venture capitalists and fellow entrepreneurs. Rub shoulders with those who have been there and done that. This means you will have access to expert advice, funding and opportunities to take an entrepreneurial journey.

Tickets
For further details or to purchase your tickets online for $15 visit here or pay $20 at the door.

Pitching – Workshop (how do I pitch?)
If you are interested in pitching we recommend you attend the Opportunity Evaluation and Pitching Workshop where they work with you to ensure you put your best foot forward when “pitching”. Details here.

Pitching – Register (how do I let you know I want to pitch?)
You can nominate yourself to pitch here .

Pitch Club Membership
Pitch Club is well established as a proven pathway for aspiring entrepreneurs and now offers Membership for those who are serious about their business idea. Membership provides access to networks, use of their Opportunity Syndication System and Introduction Service. All have been designed to identify the value in your idea so you can create an asset and either overcome common obstacles facing start ups or have strategies to eliminate them altogether.
For more information click here.

According to the MyBiz press release, the two-day event, held on October 6-7, “offer[s] attendees the opportunity to meet like-minded business owners and suppliers, in addition to the opportunity to attend a networking cooking demonstration where guests will be able to expand their business networks.”

On Friday 7 October, three one-hour pitching sessions will take place, with the winner announced at the end.  In their words, the winning pitch will:

• Represent genuine innovation
• Possess a well thought-out business plan
• Positively reek of entrepreneurial spirit
• Impress judges in a very short amount of time

The winning business will receive a $5,000 investment!

Sessions will each feature 12 participants, and signing up can be done by pre-registering at the MyBiz website.  Each session is chaired by My Business editor Simon Sharwood and judged by prominent business experts.

When: Thursday 6th October – Friday 7th October 2011
Where: Australian Technology Park Eveleigh
Times: 10:00am – 5:00pm

For more information and to sign up today, CLICK HERE

Innovation Bay is calling for 90-second video pitches from businesses that will aim to convince the organisation’s members to award a pitch spot at the dinner.

The dinner will feature the top four pitches chosen by the panel.

According to the media release, the pitches are instructed to do the following:

1) Tell us about your business and why we should select you

2) Explain your value proposition in a strong and punchy format

3) Do not exceed the 90-second limit

The video pitches will be uploaded to Innovation Bay Angel’s website, where members will vote.

Pitches are due by 5 November 2011.

For more information on the Angel Dinner and how you can submit a pitch, CLICK HERE