The Brief
The Export Council of Australia (ECA) partnered with Best Case Scenario to design and manage the Sri Lankan Women Trading Globally program’s virtual events, aimed at businesses expanding into the Australian market.
The core objective of the program was to provide valuable information, key takeaways, and the necessary tools needed to undertake cross-border trade for 25 women entrepreneurs based in Sri Lanka who were taking part in the program.
There were two engagements organised and managed by Best Case Scenario in conjunction with Export Council of Australia (ECA):
- Virtual Trade Missions – This session focussed on setting up the cohort for success. Two panel sessions allowed for an interactive format, helping prepare their business for expansion into Australia.
- PitchFest – This session focused on preparing and presenting a business pitch, providing a platform to present in front of an expert panel. The panel provided real-time feedback to each Sri Lankan entrepreneur, focussing on polishing their skills for future pitches.
Our deliverables included:
- Assist women entrepreneurs from Sri Lanka to enhance their international marketing and business pitching skills.
- Design the format, structure, and content for two virtual events.
- Provide virtual delegates with an engaging experience.
- Deliver seamless technical delivery.
- Support all panelists and speakers presenting.
- Craft and communicate pre-event details to cohort members and guests.
- Post-event follow up materials and resources provided to the cohort.
"We engaged Best Case Scenario to co-deliver sessions on doing business in Australia for Sri Lankan women entrepreneurs. BCS expertly managed the virtual platform and arranged the participation of inspirational industry speakers. In the final PitchFest, the women entrepreneurs demonstrated their enhanced confidence and skills to take on global markets. Thanks to Luli and her team for their enthusiastic support of these women."
The Solution
Best Case Scenario Marketing worked with the Export Council of Australia (ECA) to assist women entrepreneurs from Sri Lanka to enhance their international marketing and business pitching skills.
The cohort of 25 women-owned businesses, based in Sri Lanka, were either in the fashion, food and beverage, IT, packaging, consulting, or personal care industries. They participated in the Australia Awards Women Trading Globally (WTG) program funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and managed by the ECA, assisting women entrepreneurs from developing countries to undertake cross-border trade.
The first event of the program, Virtual Trade Missions, included two panel sessions: ‘Doing Business in Australia’ and ‘Effective Selling’ and were joined by six expert panellists here in Australia:
Kaveeta Ram, Senior Export Product Specialist | Woolworths Group
Clare Menzies, National Sales Manager | Australian international traders
Dr. Pavel Reddy, Managing Director | Clearpoint Ventures
Lara Chrystal, Founder & Director | Matchstick Marketing
Alexi Boyd, Chief Executive Officer | Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA)
Julie Trell, Country Lead | SheEO™
The second event in the program ‘PitchFest – Delivering Your Pitch’ was open to any Australian-based organisations, investors, or business leaders interested in watching some exceptional entrepreneurial businesses looking to expand into the region. The PitchFest session provided an opportunity to see each business pitch live with the ability to interact with the cohort.
We were joined by industry experts who shared their insights with the Sri Lankan women entrepreneurs. The experts included:
Julie Trell, Country Lead | SheEO™
Dr. Pavel Reddy, Managing Director | Clearpoint Ventures
Elizabeth Mulhall, Entrepreneur in Residence | Startupbootcamp
Tom Tindall, Director | ORIENTIQUE
Kaveeta Ram, Senior Export Product Specialist | Woolworths Group International
Amy Cheung, CEO | Con Moto and Halls Global
Albert John, Director | Oceania Impex Australia
The Results
Operational Outcomes
- Assisted in sourcing content – identify speakers, topics and key take homes.
- Successfully coordinated multiple panellists based in Australia and 25 women entrepreneurs based in Sri Lanka across two virtual events.
- Seamlessly delivered 2 x 2-hour virtual events with varying technical requirements, including panel sessions, group audience participation, Q&A sessions, and remote screensharing capabilities.
- Successfully managed the marketing engagement
Engagement Outcomes
- High engagement – 23 out of 25 cohort members participating in the ‘Virtual Trade Missions’ event.
- Over 60% attendees were actively engaged in the Q&A sessions.
The Client
The Export Council of Australia are the peak body representing every player in the ecosystem of international trade. Their members are individuals, small, medium, and large enterprises, coming from different industries and sectors. Their member exporters are involved in both the manufacturing of goods and delivery of services in a variety of industries, exporting into a diverse range of markets across the world.
The Export Council of Australia partner with organisation who provide marketing and legal advice, arrange logistics and transport services, and facilitate information flows to ease trade processes. They also collaborate with government departments at the federal, state, and local levels to advance issues that have impact at scale.
The Australia Awards Women Trading Globally program funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade under the Aid for Trade budget was designed to assist women entrepreneurs from developing countries to undertake international or cross-border business.
