MON 2 – SUN 8 SEPTEMBER 2019

Understand, embrace and capitalise on innovation to accelerate regional growth and prosperity.

What is BIIF?

The Be.Bendigo Invention + Innovation Festival (BIIF) is a week-long series of events that promote innovative ways of thinking and doing business, while challenging the dialogue around the future of regional Australia.

The festival grew out of the Bendigo Inventor Awards which is still a highlight event of the festival. It was created to showcase regional entrepreneurs, help build a community around innovation and technology in regional areas, and connect regional business owners to national and global thought leaders in innovation, entrepreneurship and future tech. BIIF is an initiative of Be.Bendigo and directly supports its purpose of ‘supporting Greater Bendigo businesses to be prosperous, sustainable and innovative’. It is also a key event of the Victoria-wide Digital Innovation Festival.

We are here for
executives + entrepreneurs // inventors + innovators // tech-heads + disruptors // education providers + students // government sector representatives + business councils // small business + co-working spaces // founders + startups.

Why attend BIIF?

Connect

Sharing a room with like-minded people is the surest way to spark new ideas and rekindle that enthusiasm and inspiration for innovation. While data is great, there’s still no better way to gain valuable insight than to see and hear it in person; sometimes we learn something different than the data would suggest.

“If you look at history, innovation doesn’t come just from giving people incentives; it comes from creating environments where their ideas can connect.” Steven Johnson

Learn

BIIF is the premier future-shaping conference for regional Australia for anyone who cares about creativity, innovation, growth and change. The event will transform your thinking, unlock the ideas and imagination of your people, and inspire excellence in innovation. The result is an expanded creative understanding and broader worldview.

“Innovation can’t just happen within the walls of your own organization.” Lynne Doughtie

Grow

Uncertainty, volatility and the exponential acceleration of technologies are some of the greatest commercial threats businesses are currently facing. The changes driven by digital technology don’t discriminate. Virtually every business and institution faces competitive threats from new, nimble competitors not hampered by past practice or thinking. Yet, once understood, the threat of disruptive change from outside can be turned to a huge competitive advantage with the opportunities that flow from that understanding.

“Business has only two functions – marketing and innovation.” Milan Kundera

Lead

BIIF will provide the tools and strategies to develop a leadership mindset to transform you and your organisation. Bringing together an interactive community to learn techniques and strategies, contemplate future scenarios, collaborate across sectors and gain empowering experiences, BIIF will offer authoritative forecasts, strategies and practices to help transform you and your organisational leadership. BIIF will help you deal with disruption and stimulate greater creative thinking and innovative behaviours and cultures, inspiring your leadership to achieve greater success.

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” Steve Jobs

“Exploration is the engine that drives innovation. Innovation drives economic growth. So let’s all go exploring."

  Edith Widder

Highlights from BIIF 2018

"Hands down, best event to connect the local entrepreneur ecosystem that has ever happened in Bendigo."

"It was great for Bendigo and a terrific opportunity to engage with businesses that are currently or looking to take a future-focussed approach in their business."

"The diverse speakers from industry, startup ecosystem, government , single business owners and government was fairly unique. I think this cross pollination is a strength of a regional event because there aren't so many events, so the attendance is broader."

"It was informative and certainly something regional Victoria needs to continue to do to show what we can do to take advantage of our innovative culture."