The Sunshine Coast Literary Association is helping to bring authors into the 21^st Century with an introductory social media workshop, ‘Authors Without Borders’.

The workshop is a practical introduction to the world of Facebook and will be held on Saturday, 28 May at the Coolum Beach Christian College.

SCLA President Bryan Ward said the aim of the workshop was to help authors understand social media and learn how to get involved.

“Social media can be a very powerful promotional tool for authors because it allows for social interaction, networking and feedback,” Bryan said.

“Just like a business, it is important for authors to connect and communicate with their fans, customers and like-minded individuals, and social media provides the perfect platform,” Bryan said.

“It is also a great way for authors to enhance the creative process by engaging others in conversation.”

The workshop will be presented by Kiki Robinson, a self-confessed ‘geek girl’ and web consultant from The Web Mob.  Drawing from her years of experience in the digital field, Kiki will show participants just how easy it is to build a Facebook page and use it effectively, with examples of how successful authors use social media both online and offline.

“It is easy once you know how,” Kiki said.

“Social media has been around for years, so for authors who haven’t ‘jumped on the bandwagon’ it would be wise to do so soon,” Kiki said.

“The workshop is open to authors with all levels of social media knowledge. We will conduct a pre-workshop questionnaire for participants to ensure every person gets the most out of the workshop,” she said.

Running from 9:30am to 12:30pm, the session is $40 for members and $50 for non-members.

For more information about the workshop and Kiki Robinson, or to make a booking, please visit the What’s On section of the SCLA website, www.scliterary.org or call 5450 2691.

The Innovation Centre Sunshine Coast is continuing to help young businesses generate vital funds to grow their businesses during some of the toughest economic times Queensland has experienced in decades.

In fact, just in the past 3 years, the Innovation Centre has helped entrepreneurs in its network raise more than $8 million in equity investments and grants and a further $2.3 million in loans.

Add to this the $4.4million, visiting R&D tax concession experts RADBE Consulting has helped raise for Sunshine Coast businesses in the same period and it is not surprising that the Innovation Centre has been recognised as an international hotspot for innovation and entrepreneurship.

Innovation Centre entrepreneur-in-residence Nigel Hall said in the last three years it had become more and more difficult to get investment.

“The global financial crisis has affected all areas of investment, with investors in all areas considering their investment decisions more carefully,” Mr Hall said.

“This means entrepreneurs have to do more work to attract investment in the increasing competitive environment which is why programs like ours are important.

“Here at the Innovation Centre, we work closely with entrepreneurs through our business development program focusing on five key areas including business planning; sales and marketing; strategy; finance; and operations & systems,” Mr Hall said.

Mr Hall said equity investment in young businesses could come from one of four different areas: friends and family (sometimes called friends, fools and family in the industry); angel investors, high net-worth individuals; venture capital third party managers; and/or industry partners.

“Now regardless of which area your investors come from, they have all been adversely affected by the GFC, which in Queensland so far this year has also been compounded by the effects of the natural disasters experienced.

“For this reason it has never been more important for entrepreneurs to spend more time ensuring they have done their homework and business planning which is what we help them with,” Mr Hall said.

As part of the Innovation Centre’s commitment to growing businesses and the economy on the Sunshine Coast, this year it is continuing to run its business development and networking program.

The next event in that program is April’s Enterprise Tuesday event on Tuesday 19^th April featuring business incubation and investment expert, OneVentures Innovation Fund General Partner, Anne-Marie Birkill, who will present “Gathering resources to make your ideas happen”.  Enterprise Tuesday runs from 4pm sharp to 6.30pm. Tickets are $33 per person. For more information visit the events page of the Innovation Centre website – www.innovation-centre.com.au.

Mr Hall said the Sunshine Coast, like many other areas in Queensland still reliant on tourism, was struggling and that was why it was so important to continue to nurture business in the area.

“The Sunshine Coast has to develop a more robust economy that is less reliant on the tourism industry.  We have the talent and the expertise and with the continuing commitment of stakeholders in the region such as the Innovation Centre, the University of the Sunshine Coast, the Sunshine Coast Regional Council and other levels of government, we could become national leaders in areas such as clean technology, digital and creative industries.

A trio of University of the Sunshine Coast students will join Bloomhill Cancer Help in hosting the “Gastronomic Wander”, a progressive dinner to

help raise money for Bloomhill’s Target 300 campaign on Wednesday 1 June.

The three Public Relations students, Liberty Moore, Elodie Obkircher-Vela, and Johanna Staffas, who are mentored by Michelle Smytheman from Reflected Image Productions, are all eager to start putting their studies and enthusiasm into action for a good cause.

The students are organising an exciting evening in Mooloolaba where guests will eat at three of Mooloolaba’s finest restaurants, 4^th Floor, Via Italia and Soave in progressive dinner style made famous in the 1950’s.

The event will raise money for Bloomhill’s Target 300 campaign, which is aimed at funding a desperately needed extension to the Bloomhill Cancer Help Centre in Buderim, to accommodate the increased number of clientele it is servicing.

Elodie Obkircher-Vela said the event was a great opportunity to give back to the community whilst getting the chance to put her studies into action.

Johanna Staffas, originally from Sweden moved to Australian in 2009 to complete her Public Relations degree at USC and to experience the coast lifestyle.

“It has been an incredible experience to complete my degree here, the people are wonderful and I’m excited to start using my studies to plan such a fun event,” Johanna said.

Bloomhill Cancer Centre is run by a team of dedicated staff and volunteers who rely on contributions from the community to provide services to people with cancer and their families throughout the Sunshine Coast.

Liberty Moore said she hopes the event will draw in people of all ages who are guaranteed an exciting night out and a unique dining experience.

Tickets for the progressive dinner will cost $75 per person and include a welcome drink, entree, main meal and dessert and the chance to win some exciting prizes.  As part of their fundraising efforts the students are also selling tickets in a monster raffle in the lead up to and at the event.

The tickets for this special event are available for purchase from Reflected Image PRoductions.  You can pay by credit card, or cheque or money order made out to “Bloomhill Cancer Help”.  To reserve your place today, phone 07 5450 2691.

Time is running out to enter the 2011 Sunshine Coast Literary Association’s Annual Writers Competition.

Entries close on Friday, 29 April so get in fast to ensure you don’t miss out. The competition is open to aspiring writers in the Sunshine Coast and Gympie area, with six entry categories including junior short story, junior poem, young adult, short story, young adult poem, open short story and open poem.

President of the SCLA, Bryan Ward said the competition has always received a great response from Sunshine Coast writers and is sure this year would be no different.

“Our panel of judges are really looking forward to reading this year’s entries, especially following the calibre of entries received last year,” Bryan said.

“The competition is designed to provide an outlet for talented writers to showcase their work to their peers and receive valuable feedback from professional and accomplished writers,” he said.

There are six categories in this year’s competition including:

• Category 1: Open Short Story, to a maximum of 2500 words.
• Category 2: Open Poem, to a maximum of 40 lines.
• Category 3: Young Adult (High School, Years 8-12) Short Story, to a maximum of 1500 words.
• Category 4: Young Adult (High School, Years 8-12) Poem, to a maximum of 40 lines.
• Category 5: Junior (Primary, Years 5-7) Short Story, to a maximum of 1000 words.
• Category 6: Junior (Primary, Years 5-7) Poem, to a maximum of 20 lines.

There are some great prizes up for grabs with each category winner taking home $200, $50 for second place and certificates for highly commended. A panel of experienced judges decide on the winners, which will be announced at the WARM Writing Competition Dinner on Thursday, 23 June. More details regarding the event will be available closer to the date.

The Sunshine Coast Literary Association is a not-for-profit association dedicated to nurturing, showcasing and celebrating literary talent throughout the Sunshine Coast region.

“Now in its third consecutive year, the WARM Writing Competition is becoming a key part of the Association’s character,” Bryan said.

“We encourage everyone to have a go, you never know, maybe they will discover a hidden talent,” Bryan said.

This year, the University of the Sunshine Coast is sponsoring the Young Adult Short Story category of the competition. More sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information email info@scliterary.org.

Each entry is $5 with a maximum of three entries per candidate. Entry forms and details are available online at the SCLA website, www.scliterary.org, or by emailing info@scliterary.org. All entries must be received by 29th April 2011.

The launch of Auzion’s exciting new AuziRack Mounting System and Wholesale Department, held on Wednesday, 23 March was a huge success and continues to go from strength to strength, already achieving media coverage from Channel 7, Win TV, View News, Sunshine Coast Daily and the Courier Mail.

Right: Courier Mail Article, 25 March 2011

Auzion, the solar energy experts, celebrated the launch of their AuziRack Mounting System and Wholesale Kits at the Innovation Centre on Wednesday, 23^rd of March.

Entrepreneur and founder of Auzion, Mark Leckenby, said the launch is the perfect chance to introduce the products to businesses in the Cleantech Industry and demonstrate their position as a leader in sustainable solar energy solutions.

Auzion’s philosophy and innovation extends from research and the development of clean, green renewable energy. Operated by a team of highly trained professionals, Auzion provides cost-effective, total energy management solutions for residential, educational, industrial and commercial sectors and holds accreditations with the Clean Energy Council and the Association of Building and Sustainability Assessors.

The AuziRack Mounting System is the brainchild of Mark Leckenby, who boasts more than 25 years experience as an electrical engineer. The product was developed along side with partner, G.James Glass and Aluminium, a company with over 100 years experience and a fantastic reputation in the Australian glass and aluminium industry.

“The system is Australian made and its design has been refined and perfected over time to ensure we are only offering the best quality products to our customers,” Mark said.

“It comes with a 10-year warranty, is rated for all Australian cyclone zones and has been approved by engineers,” Mark said.

Auzion also launched their new wholesale department at the event, becoming one of very few companies supporting both the local market and customers nationwide. Solar companies will now be able to access and purchase Auzion’s wholesale kits and custom-designed solar products which will all be available via their new wholesale website.

“The website is really easy to navigate. Simply register, peruse and buy,” Mark said.

“We have big plans to continue making solar power work for our customers so they can reduce their impact on the environment and save money, without altering their lifestyle,” Mark said.

“Our success so far can be attributed to our consistent focus on improvement and research. In this industry especially, it is vital to stay up to date with the latest technology and innovations,” Mark said.

“We also have the launch of another product on the horizon, our Auzimax Energy Maximiser which is set to launch in mid 2011 and hit the commercial market by the end of the year,” Mark said.

The AuziMax is a revolutionary management system that enables customers to monitor energy in the home or business via Internet portal and maximise their savings by potentially reducing their energy consumption by as much as 20%. The device allows the used to track their energy consumption, view a detailed breakdown of where and when energy is being used and set energy budgets and targets.

For more information about Auzion or to book a site visit, please call 1300 35 45 75 or visit www.auzion.com.

Auzion, an industry leader in sustainable solar energy solutions, is set to make an exciting announcement on Wednesday, 23 March that will offer the local solar industry a whole new way of operating.

The announcement will be made during an industry event held at the Innovation Centre foyer. Beginning at 10:30am, the event will include a short presentation and demonstration accompanied by a light morning tea.

Launching just two years ago, entrepreneur and founder of Auzion, Mark Leckenby said the announcement was regarding a new Auzion product innovation and the development of a quality industry tool that will provide substantial benefits and improve practices for solar companies operating on the Sunshine Coast and in South East Queensland.

“We are really excited to announce our big news, but we won’t be giving anything away until the event,” Mark said.

Auzion is an environmentally friendly solar company that advocates sustainable living. Auzion’s philosophy of innovation extends from research and development of clean, green renewable energy to business strategies to develop and grow the solar industry. Operated by a team of highly trained professionals, Auzion provides cost-effective, total energy management solutions for residential, educational, industrial and commercial sectors.

“Our proactive approach to research and development ensures we are providing our customers with the latest sustainable energy technology and this announcement will definitely prove our commitment to this,” Mark said.

Among those on the invitation list include prominent local Cleantech and solar companies, solar industry affiliates and company stakeholders.

“In this industry especially, it is vital to use the highest-quality materials and tools and to stay up to date with the latest technology and innovations,” Mark said.

“Auzion has successfully more than 1,600 grid-connected customers and we believe that is attributed to our extensive industry experience and strong focus on customer satisfaction,” Mark said.

For more information about Auzion or to arrange a site visit please call 1300 AUZION or visit www.auzion.com.

Entries are starting to roll in for the 2011 Sunshine Coast Literary Association’s Annual Writers Competition.

President of the SCLA, Bryan Ward said the competition so far had received a great response from Sunshine Coast writers.

Entries to the Writers Competition close on Friday, 29 April. The competition is open to aspiring writers in the Sunshine Coast and Gympie area, with six entry categories including junior short story, junior poem, young adult short story, young adult poem, open short story and open poem.

“The interest in the competition demonstrates the need for organisations like the SCLA,” Bryan said.

“The competition is designed to provide an outlet for talented writers to showcase their work to their peers and receive valuable feedback from professional and accomplished writers,” he said.

There are six categories in this year’s competition including:

• Category 1: Open Short Story, to a maximum of 2500 words.
• Category 2: Open Poem, to a maximum of 40 lines.
• Category 3: Young Adult (High School, Years 8-12) Short Story, to a maximum of 1500 words.
• Category 4: Young Adult (High School, Years 8-12) Poem, to a maximum of 40 lines.
• Category 5: Junior (Primary, Years 5-7) Short Story, to a maximum of 1000 words.
• Category 6: Junior (Primary, Years 5-7) Poem, to a maximum of 20 lines.

There are some great prizes up for grabs with each category having a $200 first prize, $50 second prize, a $25 Sunshine Plaza voucher for the top highly commended entry.  All winners will also receive a certificate.

All category winners will receive$200, with second place with $50 and Highly Commended entries. A panel of experienced judges decide on the winners, which will be announced at the WARM Writing Competition Dinner on Thursday, 23 June. More details regarding the event will be available closer to the date.

The Sunshine Coast Literary Association is a not-for-profit association dedicated to nurturing, showcasing and celebrating literary talent throughout the Sunshine Coast region.

“The WARM Writing Competition was first held in 2007 and has been run every year since 2009 so it is becoming a key part of the Association’s character,” Bryan said.

“We encourage everyone to have a go, you never know, maybe they will discover a hidden talent,” Bryan said.

This year, the University of the Sunshine Coast is sponsoring the Young Adult Short Story category of the competition.  More sponsorship opportunities are available.  For more information email info@scliterary.org.

Each entry is $5 with a maximum of three entries per candidate. Entry forms and details are available online at the SCLA website, www.scliterary.org, or by emailing info@scliterary.org.   All entries must be received by 29^th April 2011.