Mayoral Memo - 15 May 2024
The first TED Talk conference was held in 1984. Richard Wurman and Harry Marks conceived a one-off event that would bring together people from Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED) to share ideas and innovations. The first conference featured the compact disc, the e-book and 3D graphics from Lucasfilm.
It was a flop and it took six years before the second conference was organised.
By the end of last year, TED Talks have been watched over 3 billion times across various platforms and in person.
On 9 April 2014, I organised with the Dubbo Business Chamber, Taronga Western Plains Zoo and Qantas to bring the Microsoft CEO at the time, Pip Marlow, to Dubbo. The Chamber had a series of monthly breakfasts with guest speakers and the Microsoft CEO spoke at one of those.
The numbers in the audience almost tripled.
Suddenly, we thought we were on to something.
A partnership was formed with those same four organisations and on 4 February 2015 we launched the ASX200 CEO Series. Each month we would have an ASX200 CEO visit Dubbo and speak at a Dubbo Business Chamber breakfast. Qantas would fly the CEO to Dubbo and Taronga Western Plains Zoo would accommodate the CEO.
It took off! We were turning the CEOs away!
We featured the CEO of many well-known companies right here in Dubbo. Household company names such as Telstra; Woolworths; Domino’s Pizza; JB Hi-Fi; Bega Cheese; Star Entertainment Group; Qantaslink; Tabcorp and many more. There were some other lesser-known names as well such as GUD Holdings; QUBE Holdings; Aurizon; Ainsworth; Aspen Medical; SCA Properties and more. The only qualification was that the company had to feature in the ASX200.
Without realising it we achieved two significant outcomes. Firstly, people that make it to be the CEO of an ASX200 company possess business skills and knowledge and when the CEO shared information, the businesses in the room learned from their experience.
Secondly, it boosted the confidence of businesses in Dubbo. I spoke to attendees that were impressed that a CEO of an ASX200 company would take the time to travel to Dubbo to share knowledge. It really was a great concept.
The Council amalgamation between Dubbo City Council and Wellington Shire Council occurred on 12 May 2016 and the focus was on bringing the two Council areas together so unfortunately, the ASX200 CEO Series fell by the wayside…until now!
The Dubbo ASX200 CEO Series has just been relaunched this week.
The same four companies have again created a partnership that will see ASX200 CEOs feature at the monthly Dubbo Business Chamber breakfast. I am very proud to work with those same organisations to help deliver this exciting concept to Dubbo.
Stay tuned for the first speaker announcements. It may not be as big as TED yet, but give it 39 years.
Councillor Mathew Dickerson
Mayor of Dubbo Regional Council
Last Edited: 14 May 2024