Partner Events
In 2022 OBM will deliver an exciting range of events to encourage networking, facilitate professional development and provide business improvement strategies to inspire and grow. Territory business and industry are invited to host partner events as part of the OBM program.
Now in its 29th year, OBM is a great platform for businesses, non-government organisations and associations to be a part of by hosting a partner event. The platform provides exposure to a wide audience of potential attendees as well as the opportunity to contribute to your industry sector and show the Territory business community what you can do.
OBM Partner Events are independently hosted events that form part of the broader program of events held right across the month of October. Local businesses are encouraged to get involved to showcase their skills, knowledge and experience to motivate small business owners and employees to connect, learn and be inspired.
Scroll down to find out more and register your interest to host an OBM Partner event.
Be involved
Hosting an event provides you with the opportunity to:
- Raise your organisation’s profile by aligning your brand with the Territory’s premier business event
- Create relationships with potential clients and customers
- Demonstrate your support for the Territory business community
The most successful events in recent years have been those that are:
- Hands on, workshop style
- Practical and include tangible takeaways (slides, hand outs)
- Inclusive of networking opportunities
- Short sharp events – one hour
- Breakfast and evening sessions
- Held at convenient locations with easy and free parking available
You must be a Territory Enterprise*, have a current ABN and your event must not be a sales pitch or contain someone else’s intellectual property.
Operate in the NT
The enterprise is currently engaged in productive activities (ie, production of goods or delivery of services) within the NT.
Significant permanent presence
The enterprise maintains an office, manufacturing facilities or other permanent base within the NT.
Employing NT residents
The enterprise employs Territorians. An enterprise which relies exclusively on transient, interstate international labour or a fly-in, fly-out workforce will not satisfy this element.
Audience
While the majority of businesses in the NT are small to medium sized, OBM is open to everyone and allows large businesses, non-government organisations and government stakeholders to participate.
Attendees of OBM are busy Territorians who are running their own business while juggling other commitments. They are time poor and want to use their time efficiently to up skill and learn something new that can help them in business. In 2021:
- 75% were from private sector industries
- 48% worked in small business
- 66% were female
- 24% were aged 26-34
- 49% were attending to learn something new
Marketing
An extensive marketing campaign designed to draw attention to OBM and bring more participants to the events will be delivered by the department. Rather than marketing individual partner events, we focus on attracting people towards our website, social media, phone app and other platforms where they can browse the program and register for individual events.
Our campaigns encompass a variety of mediums including TV, radio, online, print, digital and social media advertising. While OBM provides the opportunity to maximise exposure of your partner event as part of the marketing campaign and OBM website, all other marketing and promotion of individual events is the responsibility of the event partner.
Benefits
OBM provides a platform to showcase your professional services to the Territory business community. The benefits of hosting a partner event include:
- Inclusion in the printed OBM calendar of events which is circulated to NT business and industry and distributed at the official program launch.
- Your event(s) on obm.nt.gov.au, the online booking platform and listed in a general electronic mail out to the Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade database of subscribers.
- A platform to showcase your professional services and market leading expertise and access to a targeted business audience.
- Brand awareness to a wide audience and benefits from the PR and marketing of the wider event, including use of the OBM Partner Event email signature.
- Be a part of the NT’s largest business event and the opportunity to collaborate with other businesses and network with business owners and employees.
- OBM Partner Events will be hosted on the OBM website where attendees can book/purchase ticket to all their OBM events in the one place. This also helps collect crucial data about attendees to ensure we have accurate market information that can be shared with you.
- Each event will have its own URL you can share via email, text and social media.
- You cannot set up Eventbrite or similar for your events, this will be done for you through our online event system which will collect payments (if applicable) on your behalf.
- All revenue from your event registrations will be passed back to you directly following OBM.
- All costs associated with running the event remain the event partners responsibility.
- Before the calendar launch, you will be provided with a live link to track your attendee numbers. This link will also provide you with your attendee details such as contact email, demographics etc so that you can prepare your content accordingly and contact them if required.
Plan your event
Your event must align with one or more of this year's themes:
Human connection
new
business networks, learning from each other, inspirational stories
Growth
commercialisation,
business models, entrepreneurship, risk management, overcoming adversity
Digital transformation
adopting
technology, cyber security, resilience, digital marketing, disruption, how to
use data
Leadership
immediately
applicable tools, resilience, innovation, inspiration
Workforce
teamwork,
high performance, global worker shortage, doing more with less staff
Strategy and planning
business
writing, short term planning, finance skills, working in/on the business
Ensure your event meets the
needs and wants of the Territory business community
Tailor your event for OBM attendees who are looking for professional development, business improvement strategies and tools that they can implement immediately. Consider collaborating with other event partners and/or industry associations to deliver a stronger event suited to a broad range of businesses. Potential event formats include:
- Presentation/speaker
- Workshop
- Panel
- Seminar
Choose a date, time and
come up with a catchy title and engaging description
Ensure you tell potential attendees exactly what to expect from your event and why they shouldn’t miss out .Business events are best held during the week and breakfast and after work sessions are popular.
Set a price
Keep
in mind that the target demographic; small business owners don’t generally
have large professional development funds, so keep the price reasonable. The
price should include GST (if applicable) and all booking fees to avoid
confusion and disappointment.
Get in early to secure your
preferred day/time and theme
All
partner events will be assessed to ensure they align with the intent and key
themes of OBM and provide businesses with a full range of events across the
entire month of October. Get in early to secure your preferred date or be
flexible with the date or time of your event where possible to allow the OBM
team to suggest an alternate time in the program for your event to prevent
events competing with each other.
EOI process
To host a partner event, register your interest through our online partner event portal. All expressions of interest for partner events will be considered and assessed by the OBM team. Once your expression of interest has been accepted, you will receive an email to complete the event registration process.
As an event partner, you are able to use the OBM logo to market your event and benefit from the overarching marketing and communications strategy. Approved events finalised and registered before 31 July 2022 will be listed in the printed OBM calendar and website. Events received after this date will only be showcased on the website. If your event expression of interest isn't accepted, you will receive feedback and an opportunity to re-apply if appropriate.
To give your event the highest chance of being accepted, please follow these guidelines:
- Align your event with the key themes
- Ensure your event is comparable in cost to other similar events
- Ensure your event does not negatively impact an OBM sponsor
- Events that demonstrate a collaborative approach will be favoured
- Be flexible with your date for the OBM team to plan to program to deliver maximum engagement
Key dates
| Partner event applications open | Wednesday 25 May 2022 |
| Partner event applications close | Wednesday 15 June 2022 |
| Notification of acceptance of expression of interest | Thursday 30 June 2022 |
| Payment due | Sunday 31 July 2022 |
| OBM calendar launch | September 2022 |
Terms and conditions
Fees
A one off fee for your organisation will allow you to host up to three events subject to approval of content and format by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade.
$100 (inc. GST) – Darwin events
$50 (inc. GST) – regional events (held in Alice Springs, Katherine, Nhulunbuy or Tennant Creek)
Cancellations
All cancellations must be received in writing and submitted before 30 June 2022 to receive a refund. Cancellations after this date are non-refundable.
Terms and conditions
As an October Business Month Event Partner:
- You must have an Australian Business Number (ABN).
- You agree to hold the event(s) described in the registration form as an OBM event partner.
- You agree that your event(s) will not be aimed at selling your, or any, products or services to attendees.
- You agree to fund and manage all the administrative tasks involved with your event(s), with the exception of online booking system managed by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade.
- You are aware and accept that OBM uses an event management system to manage the events.
- You agree to co-brand all marketing and promotional material associated with your event(s) with official OBM branding.
- You agree to send event promotional material to obm@nt.gov.au for approval prior to printing or distribution. Branding guidelines will be provided to approved event partners.
- Your event(s) will be included in the printed OBM calendar of events and website with direct links for attendees to register for your event(s), subject to approval by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade and event details being received by the deadline of 31 July 2022.
- You agree that your event will be hosted on the OBM website which includes receiving payments on your behalf. At the end of October 2022, the Department of Trade, Business and Innovation team will issue you your payment, if relevant, and breakdown of registered attendees.
- You agree to display and distribute OBM material supplied to you by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade at your event i.e. displaying the OBM pull-up banner.
- You agree to promote the OBM online evaluation survey at your event(s) to ensure attendees complete it following your event(s).
- You agree to return information on actual attendance at your event(s) via email within five business days of the completion of your event(s) so that the Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade can compare actual attendance vs registrations.
- You agree that it is your responsibility to ensure consent for the collection, use and sharing of personal information collected at your event to be shared with the Department of Trade, Business and Innovation for the purposes of evaluating and improving the event
- Partner event registrations received after 31 July 2022 may not be listed in the printed OBM calendar and will only be listed in the OBM website.
- OBM is supported by a range of local businesses, if your events content directly negatively impacts on their services or supplies it will not be featured in the program.
- The opportunity to host an event is provided on a non-exclusive basis, therefore competitors and other related businesses may also host events that are similar and it is not the responsibility of the department to monitor or manage this.
- The Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade, apart from promoting the event as relevant, is in no way responsible for your event and will not become involved in disputes related to your event content, hosting or any third or related party.
- The Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade may decline your event in its absolute discretion.
- Event partners must seek written approval from the OBM team prior to securing sponsors for your event. Please note that gaining sponsorship from a bank or insurance broker will preclude the event from being a ‘highlight event’ in the OBM program.
- Your payment of the partner event fee indicates your acceptance of the OBM partner event Terms and Conditions.
Contact
Kathryn Duell, Events Manager
For support in your region, please contact your local Small Business Champion:
| Alice Springs | Greater Darwin | Katherine | Nhulunbuy | Tennant Creek |
| (08) 8951 8492 | (08) 8999 5479 | (08) 8973 8103 | (08) 8987 0563 | (08) 8962 4472 |