Review | Brisbane Lord Mayoral Business Mission Lunch

Last Thursday AustCham South China had the pleasure of welcoming Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk and the 2018 Business Mission to Shenzhen. AustCham member Shenzhen Bay Marina Club hosted the luncheon, showcasing their world class venue and high end hospitality. The lunch was opened by AustCham South China’s Vice Chairman Nick Wilshire, who discussed the importance of trade delegations in continuing to strengthen the relationship between Australia and China.

The Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Graham Quirk, then spoke of the 2018 Business Mission. As Brisbane is committed to economic engagement and has been recently touted as Australia’s New World City, the mission offered an opportunity for businesses to engage with local organizations and receive expert in-market updates to forget commercial opportunities. He outlined the fact that Shenzhen was the first stop in the mission and that it was a good follow up to their 2017 mission, that AustCham was honored to support.

The Australian Consul-General in Guangzhou Jason Robertson then spoke about the support that the Australian Consulate can offer business missions seeking to evolve trade diplomacy. He noted that as a key Australian representative body in China, business missions like these were a key way to continue promoting the Australian City and State investment opportunities in China.

The formal part of the lunch was concluded with a piano performance put on by Shenzhen Bay Marina Club. The guests then enjoyed a decadent buffet and networking, before proceeding to a business matching session at The InterContinental Shenzhen.

The business matching session was opened by Greg Bowden, Director of Strategy, Communication and Economic Development, Office of the Lord Mayor. Greg introduced the delegates and strategic partners of the business mission, before Lord Mayor Graham Quirk delivered his opening speech. Brett Fraser, Chief Executive Officer of Brisbane Marketing then gave an update on investment opportunities and infrastructure projects in Brisbane. This update was a great way for those in China to check in with the projects discussed at the last mission in 2017.

The business matching commenced after a strategic partnership was formalized between Brisbane City Council and City Plus, a new platform develop by the Shenzhen Government to connect global cities and share information and insights between countries. Delegates then proceeded to meet local Shenzhen businesses in order to continue growing connections between the two cities.

AustCham South China and Shenzhen Bay Marina Club were delighted to be a part of this important business mission and look forward to following the continued trade diplomacy that Brisbane has established with China.