Bendigo Business Unboxed

Learn. Connect. Grow.

Bendigo Business Unboxed 2025

Be.Bendigo is proud to present Business Unboxed — a two-week festival running from 3–20 November 2025 that celebrates the diversity, creativity, and strength of our business community.

Across the city, businesses will host workshops, masterclasses, tours, and networking opportunities designed to learn, connect, and grow.

Explore what Business Unboxed 2025 has to offer

Business Unboxed is Bendigo’s newest celebration of business. For over two weeks this November, our city will come alive with workshops, masterclasses, tours, training sessions, networking events, and more, hosted by businesses across Greater Bendigo.

The festival will culminate in a keynote finale with entrepreneur and trusted business mentor Mark Bouris AM on Thursday 20 November.

Whether you’re a business owner, entrepreneur, professional, or simply curious about what makes our region thrive, Business Unboxed offers opportunities to learn, connect, and grow.

Week 1 | 3-9 November 2025

Small Business Bus - Business Victoria

No registration needed, just walk in.

Be.Bendigo Open Office

As part of Business Unboxed, Be.Bendigo will host an Open Office on Monday 3rd November from 10am to 2pm. Drop by to meet the team, ask a question, or simply learn more about what we do. Whether you’re new to Be.Bendigo or a long-time supporter, our door is open — come say hello!

Lunch and Learn - Bendigo UFS

Let our professional services pharmacists visit your team for a fun, interactive “Lunch and Learn” session on sleep apnoea. Sleep apnoea is a common, serious condition that causes excessive daytime drowsiness, poor concentration and memory and, over time, contributes to other physical and mental conditions. Other than feeling like you’ve had a poor night’s sleep, the most common symptom is snoring! Help your team understand how to improve their health and get a better night’s sleep with this free 30-minute session. Book online, or email info@bendigoufs.com.au.

The Confidence Blueprint: Navigating Self-Doubt & Imposter Syndrome with Gayle Wilson

If self-doubt is holding you back from speaking up in meetings, stepping into opportunities, or backing yourself fully, you’re not alone. For so many high-functioning women, imposter syndrome quietly chips away at confidence leaving you performing success on the outside while second-guessing yourself on the inside. This powerful 90-minute workshop is your chance to break that cycle.

Business Structure, Growth and Cashflow Essentials - AFS & Associates

Running a business comes with its set of challenges, from keeping cashflow steady, to navigating growth, to ensuring your structure supports long-term success. It’s a chance to step back from the day-to-day, gain clarity on key financial and strategic decisions, and connect with other business leaders in our community.

Succession Planning for your business - Kelly Partners

Join our industry experts as we explore the process of succession, including how to develop a succession strategy and when to start, how to maximise your business value, and what to consider when exiting your business. Whether you’re transitioning the business to the next generation, promoting existing staff, or putting the business on the market, this presentation offers actionable guidance and thought-provoking steps to start your succession plan.

Inclusive Futures by Design - Lifely

Join Lifely for Inclusive Futures by Design, a one-day social hackathon where creativity meets purpose.

Work in teams with business leaders, disability professionals, and community members to tackle real challenges around access and inclusion in Central Victoria.

You will make new connections, learn new skills, gain insight into the growing disability sector, and help shape real change in your community.

The best ideas will be brought to life after the event, turning creativity into lasting impact.

60 Minutes to Make AI Your Unfair Advantage - Business Edge AI

Most small to medium business owners think AI is complicated, expensive, or “not for me.” That belief is holding them back. The truth? AI isn’t the future—it’s already here—and the businesses who learn how to use it now will move faster and free up time to focus on growth. This fast-paced, no-fluff workshop will cut through the noise and show you simple, practical ways AI can save you time and money. You’ll see real examples of AI in action, learn where it can have the biggest impact in small business, and walk away with clear ideas and tools you can start using straight away.

Your Path to Property: From Savings to Settlement - Making Cents of Money & Proactive Finance Group

Join Financial Planner Bec Dillon-Hensby and Mortgage Broker Hayley DeJong for a practical workshop designed to give you the tools, knowledge, and confidence to take control of your finances and navigate the journey to home ownership.

Sports in Business Luncheon #1 - Red Energy Arena & SEN

Introducing our official launch of Sports in Business, presented in partnership by Bendigo Stadium Limited (BSL) & Sports Entertainment Network (SEN), featuring AFL icon Garry Lyon, former Melbourne Football Club captain and media personality.

Building and Living Expo - McKean McGregor

Designed to demystify the home-building journey and bring together the very best of the building industry under one roof. From builders and land developers to finance experts and product suppliers, this event is all about connection, clarity and community.

A Spirited Evening with Bendigo Business - Ms Batterhams & Noble Bootleggers

Join us for an exclusive evening that weaves together the stories of two remarkable Bendigo visionaries. Your journey begins with an expert-led tasting of Noble Bootleggers’ celebrated Amaro collection, perfectly complemented by a selection of matched bites from the MsBatterhams kitchen. As the night unfolds, savour a series of bespoke cocktails, each artfully crafted to accompany a delectable multi-course menu. Throughout this culinary experience, the founders of Noble Bootleggers and MacKenzie Quarters will share their inspiring, award-winning journeys, creating an immersive celebration of local history, artisanal spirits, and community.

Grow, Breathe, Connect - Flash Farm Experience

Join us at Flash Farm, winner of the 2025 Climate Leader Award, for a hands-on Unboxed Festival event in partnership with the City of Greater Bendigo’s Beat the Power Bills Business Program. This 1.5-hour experience is designed to be simple, calm, and meaningful. Activities include planting native species to support biodiversity and climate action, a guided animal mindfulness activity, offering a chance to slow down and connect respectfully with our therapy animals, a short educational session highlighting Flash Farm’s approach to sustainability and wellbeing. Family-friendly (10 people max).

Week 2 | 10-16 November 2025

Meaningful AI: Ensuring your AI strategy is valuable, responsible and growth focused - Artificially Good

In a world drowning in AI hype, most organisations are implementing technology without asking the questions that actually matter: Is this AI valuable? Is it responsible? Will it drive sustainable growth? Join Artificially Good for a refreshingly honest 45-minute conversation about meaningful AI—where we cut through the noise to help you build AI strategies that create real value, uphold ethical standards, and fuel long-term growth.

The Canva Shortcut: Canva Made Simple for Busy Business Owners - White Deer

Is your Canva looking more like a junk drawer than a polished brand? It’s time to stop winging it and start branding it. In this two-hour, hands-on workshop, Bendigo local (and internationally recognised brand + design coach) Jacqui Naunton will show you how to turn your Canva from chaotic to cohesive. You’ll learn the must-haves for a simple brand kit and the clever Canva hacks that make design faster, easier, and way more professional.

Winning Contracts: A Strategic Workshop for Bids, Tenders & Proposals - Be.Bendigo

Whether you’re a small business looking to enter new markets or an established operator seeking to sharpen your competitive edge, this one-day workshop will give you the practical tools, frameworks, and strategies to win more business through effective tendering and proposal writing. Many businesses miss out on valuable contracts not because they lack capability, but because they fail to communicate it clearly, competitively, and compliantly. This workshop is designed to change that.

Inclusive Recruitment & Neuro-Affirming Workplaces, don't be left behind - Connecting Futures

Explore inclusive hiring & neuro-affirming workplaces practices. Gain tools, strategies & insights to build stronger, more diverse teams.

Building Wealth through Business and Creating a Legacy - Strategem

Designed for business owners and professionals, this session will explore strategies to maximise the value of your business, transform profits into long-term wealth, and create a legacy that extends beyond your working years. Touching on points from business conception though to succession, this session will provide insights into business planning and growth.

Your Legacy, Your Lifestyle | Retire with Certainty - Strategem

Planning for retirement isn’t just about stopping work, it’s about creating the lifestyle you want for the years ahead. This session will guide you through the steps to build and protect your wealth, make smart financial choices, and ensure your money works for you long after you’ve finished working. We’ll explore strategies to secure a comfortable retirement, provide peace of mind, and help you create a legacy that lasts for future generations.

The Feedback Edge: Turning Conversations into Results - Lead with Purpose

Leaders aren’t always defined by how well they do the job. They’re defined by how well they handle conversations. And nothing has a bigger impact than feedback.

Done badly, it creates friction, defensiveness, and disengagement. Done well, it builds trust, lifts performance, and strengthens culture.

Marketing Minds - Fresh Insights. Real Strategies

Sick of generic marketing advice that never seems to stick? Marketing Minds is flipping the script. Four of Bendigo’s brightest marketing minds are coming together for one unmissable panel, packed with fresh insights, honest answers, and practical strategies to supercharge your business. It’s a chance to gain real-world strategies, swap stories with fellow business owners, and take home ideas (and goodies!) that will stick long after the event.

Money Matters: Unlocking Capital for Business Expansion - Bendigo Bank

From understanding funding options and managing cashflow to creating a business plan, you’ll gain valuable insights that will help you scale your business with confidence. Whether you’re planning to expand operations, invest in new equipment or enter new markets, this session will equip you with the knowledge and tools to unlock the capital you need.

Innovative Skills for the Future Workforce - La Trobe University

Exploring the skills needed for tomorrow’s workforce and fostering a culture of lifelong learning and upskilling.

Highlights include: Real-world case study on successful upskilling, Panel discussion on future skills and learning culture, Perfect for Business’s looking into upskilling options or individuals looking for flexible study

Open Your Ears: Grow your business with Digital Audio - Listnr

Australians absolutely love listening to digital audio on mobile, laptops and smart speakers. At this FREE Business Unboxed event, you’ll learn how many Australians (and locals) stream digital audio, how the recent explosion of podcast listeners across the country is surpassing the world, how you can use digital audio to cost-effectively reach new customers across Central Victoria or anywhere in Australia Light refreshments available.

Bendigo 2050: Shaping our future with Bernard Salt - City of Greater Bendigo

Join leading demographer Bernard Salt as he explores what Greater Bendigo will need to thrive by 2050, when our population is expected to reach 200,000. This event launches the development of Bendigo 2050 – an ambitious initiative by the City of Greater Bendigo. This concise, futurist piece of work will guide development and investment, foster strategic partnerships, stimulate economic growth, and prioritise key projects for the decades ahead.

Interior Insights - Fabriq & Nest Design Studio

A morning of collaboration. Hosted by Melanie Clark, Creative Director of Fabric and Belinda Nihill, Principal Designer of Nest Design Studio. Come, learn and be inspired as Belinda and Mel talk all things interiors. They’ll explain and provide tips and ideas for what to consider when building, renovation or simply refreshing a space – be that at home or for a commercial project. See the latest trends of fabrics and interior furnishings. A morning of inspiration and appreciation, knowing that all of what is available, is local and made here in Bendigo.

How to have difficult conversations - HR Network Bendigo

This session will provide attendees with the ability to prepare for and engage in difficult conversations to address performance and conduct matters using a coaching approach. Review essential requirements for performance, explore common scenarios and apply the learnings to specific situations and circumstances during the workshop facilitated by Janelle Bricknell. Janelle will draw on practical models, her own extensive experience, summarise neuroscience concepts and provide insights to manage adverse reactions and teach strategies to ensure discussions result in actionable outcomes.

5 Steps to AI Implementation - Ligantic

Beyond ChatGPT: The 5-Step Framework for Practical AI Implementation

Transform AI Experiments into Business Results: Cut Operational Costs by 30% and Save 15+ Hours Weekly

Have you experimented with ChatGPT or other AI tools but struggled to see meaningful business impact? You’re not alone. While 78% of businesses have tried AI tools, only 23% successfully integrate them into their operations. This hands-on workshop bridges that gap.

Grow, Breathe, Connect - Flash Farm Experience

Unboxing lessons from small business disputes - Victorian Small Business Commission

What lessons can small business owners learn from thousands of commercial disputes?

Hear directly from Victorian Small Business Commissioner Lynda McAlary-Smith who’ll share insights from the dispute resolution work of the VSBC. The VSBC Annual Report 2024-25 is scheduled to be tabled in Parliament in late October and attendees to this session will be among some of the first in Victoria to gain insight from the report.

Each year, the VSBC assists the resolution of thousands of disputes: from disagreements over contracts to disputes between retail landlords and tenants.

Commissioner McAlary-Smith will unbox the most common causes of disputes, and share tips on how to avoid and de-escalate such disputes yourself. She’ll also outline what supports and assistance pathways are available.

This session will be delivered online and questions are welcome.

If you cannot attend this time, please register and we’ll share a copy of the slides and a recording of the session with you.

Fizz and Fromage - Long Paddock & The Drawing Room

The Drawing Room is teaming up with the incredible Long Paddock Cheese for a night of indulgence, flavour and great company. Enjoy roaming canapés, unlimited artisan cheese from the Long Paddock range and sparkling on arrival to kick off the evening in style. As the night unfolds, sip on happy hour drink specials and hear from special guest Gaetan from Long Paddock Cheese, who’ll share his passion for cheese making and the stories behind their signature creations. Whether you’re a cheese lover (like us!), a foodie, or simply looking for a great spot for after work drinks and great company, this is one event during the Bendigo Business Unboxed series that you won’t want to miss!

Week 3 | 17-20 November 2025

How to define your ideal client profile & find more of them - Greywoods

For every regional small business owner or start-up founder, there comes a point when you realise that not all customers are created equal. Some clients energise you, align with your values, and bring steady revenue. Others drain your resources, take up disproportionate time, or are simply not the right fit. The difference between those two groups isn’t luck. It’s clarity.

Greywoods is Regional Victoria’s own small business and start-up growth coach and here to help you map every stage of your business plan and achieve your goals.

The hidden cost of sleep loss - Nigh Nigh

Poor sleep doesn’t just affect health—it drains productivity, drives up absenteeism, increases errors, and chips away at profitability. In this session, sleep practitioner Deb Herdman, trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBTi), reveals how sleep directly impacts performance, decision-making, and workplace culture.

No-one cares about stories they're not in Workshop - Bendigo Guided Tours

In today’s noisy marketplace, attention is everything, and most businesses lose it by talking about themselves. Customers don’t care how long you’ve been in business or how reliable your service is, they care about their challenges, their goals, and how you can help them win. This hands-on workshop will show you how to transform your marketing by putting your customer at the centre of every story. You’ll learn how to use the timeless storytelling structure that has driven human connection for thousands of years, and how to use it to tell stories where the customer is the star, and your business the critical supporting role.

AI Confidential - Maxsum Consulting

Protecting Your Privacy, Processes and Intellectual Property in the Age of AI

Actional Tips | How to Demos | Business Questions to Consider

In a world where artificial intelligence is transforming how we work, communicate, and innovate, how do you keep your business secure, your work safe and your personal privacy intact?

AI Confidential is a practical, engaging workshop designed for small to medium-sized businesses looking for some explicit guidance on how they can explore AI tools safely and responsibly. We will be working specifically in Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Agents, but providing tips that are universally applicable!

Work Christmas Parties: Golden rules for employers - Australian Industry Group

With Christmas nearly upon us, many workplaces will host celebratory gatherings and events. The social nature of these events means people tend to engage with one another in ways that are very different from the typical work environment. Often they forget that they are, for all intents and purposes, still ‘in the workplace’ and so behaviour during these events, can give rise to issues such as harassment, discrimination and workers’ compensation liability.

The Navigator's Compass: Lead Your Business Through the Storm - Purple Spark Advisory

As a business leader, you know the reality: you’re not just the captain barking orders; you’re the entire crew. You’re navigating rising costs, staff shortages, and the constant pressure to adapt, all while trying to keep your business pointing towards growth, and yes, sometimes even trying to just keep the lights on. And do you ever pause in the middle of the chaos and ask, “Is all this effort building something that truly matters?” What if your business’s deeper purpose wasn’t just a nice idea but your single greatest competitive advantage? And what if you had a compass…a guide? A simple, powerful tool to cut through the noise and make every decision, from hiring to marketing, simpler and more effective?

Independent Support Link-up - Social Active Life

Are you an independent support worker looking for an opportunity to link-up with other independent support workers in a professional and social environment? Active Social Life are kicking off the Independent Support Link-up as part of the Be.Bendigo Unboxed business festival. This event is a forum for workers to come together, talk about their independent wins and challenges, seek business advice and strike up some fruitful professional relationships in a space that can sometimes feel lonely and isolating.

Work Smarter, Not Harder: AI for Business - Mingle Media

Unlock the power of AI to boost productivity, spark creativity & future-proof your business. Work smarter, not harder.

Making sure you don't need a lawyer: A small business guide to avoiding legal problems - OFRM

OFRM Lawyers Lachlan Edwards will guide attendees through how to avoid potential legal problems that could impact your business and provide you with the knowledge and skills to effectively avoid or manage such situations. This session is suitable for all small business owners and managers as well as accountants, financial planners and other small business advisers.

Keynote Finale Highlight

Strategies for Success in Business with Mark Bouris AM

We are thrilled to welcome Mark Bouris AM to Bendigo as the keynote speaker for Business Unboxed.

Mark Bouris is one of Australia’s most recognisable and respected business leaders. Best known as the founder of Wizard Home Loans and now Executive Chairman of Yellow Brick Road, Mark has built, scaled, and led some of the nation’s most successful and disruptive companies. His no-nonsense approach to business and finance has made him a trusted voice across boardrooms, television screens, and podcasts alike.

With decades of experience spanning entrepreneurship, finance, leadership, and innovation, Mark has guided businesses through both growth and challenge.

This is an extraordinary opportunity for regional Victoria to hear directly from someone who has shaped Australia’s business landscape and inspired thousands of entrepreneurs. Mark will share his strategies for success in uncertain times, leaving you with practical tools to strengthen your leadership, adapt to change, and seize opportunities for growth.

Thank You to our Program Sponsors

Explore the Be.Bendigo Member Directory

Our Be.Bendigo Member Directory showcases the breadth and depth of our members’ offerings, from innovative start-ups to established enterprises across various industries.

Engage with our directory and directly support our members, contributing to the local economy and the growth of our community.

Explore, connect, and join us in celebrating and supporting the unique talents and services of Be.Bendigo’s diverse membership.

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Be.Bendigo members enjoy more than discounted event tickets, they gain year-round access to networking opportunities, training, mentoring, advocacy, and promotion across our business community.

If you’re ready to connect, grow, and make an impact in Greater Bendigo, find out more about joining our network today.