We’ve reported on Startup Weekend before. The events take place in cities all over the globe and they give entrepreneurs the chance to create a new startup in just 54 hours.
The most recent Startup Weekend to hit the Gold Coast recently saw the launch of no less than nine cutting edge new startups.
Got you attention yet? Well, it looks like the Gold Coast event was a rousing success, according to those who were there.
Division 9 Councillor Glenn Tozer, chair of the judges at Gold Coast Startup Weekend, says: “Our city needs more of these opportunities to encourage local entrepreneurs and business owners to boost the local economy.”
“The added diversity and employment opportunities StartUp Businesses bring to the Gold Coast helps smooth peaks and troughs seen in Gold Coast Tourism and Property markets,” added Tozer.
At any given Startup Weekend, there’s one common goal shared amongst the participants and sponsors – to share ideas, form teams, and launch startups that will develop into viable businesses in the respective region of the globe where the event is held.
From the Gold Coast Startup Weekend, with love
Last weekend’s event saw the creation of a weather app telling surfers which waves are worth getting out of bed for in the early mornings. Other projects included the launch of an app to communicate with your home-alone pet, a video-gaming app, an app geared at parents, and a liquor licensing compliance app (hmm, wonder where I can sign up for that one?).
Second place went to ReHydrate, a bracelet designed to gauge your hydration levels when outside, for individuals such as Queensland Volunteer Firefighters.
As Tozer announced the winners, he offered up praise for the app, saying “An application like this will be a great stimulus to fill last-minute seats for so many tourist activities on the Gold Coast such as Hot Air Balloon Rides, Cultural Events and water sports, giving further support to local business owners who struggle to run their events at full capacity”
Greg Burnett, from SiliconLakes.com.au, one of the Gold Coast StartUp Weekend organisers, describes the event as “experienced based learning, where people who know nothing about technology or starting up businesses, can have an action packed-weekend taking a brilliant ideas and converting them to viable businesses.”
There’s more Startup Weekend goodness to come
Following the success of last weekend, preparations are underway for the next event to be held on November 15, to coincide with Global Entrepreneur Week.
So, it’s time once again Anthillians to put your thinking caps on, start cranking out some innovative ideas, and who knows, after a rather grueling (yet no doubt rewarding) 54-hour marathon weekend you could be part of the next new startup to benefit, as so many others have, from Startup Weekend.
For more information, winners and ideas, mosey on over here: www.GoldCoast.StartUpWeekend.Org
