The 2021 Small Enterprise Association of Australia and New Zealand (SEAANZ) Online Symposium was recently held, attracting international speakers from around the world. Organised by Head of UNE Business School (Interim) and Symposium Chair A/Professor Sujana Adapa, this year's event was titled SMEs and COVID-19: Just surviving or thriving? Sorting the rhetoric from the realities of COVID-19 for SMEs.
The online dialogue from academics, researchers, practitioners and government captured the unprecedented challenges faced by the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that were hit the hardest across the globe. The 2021 SEAANZ Online Symposium not only highlighted the resilience and transformation of SMEs amid the COVID-19 uncertainty, but also brought to light the transferable models of contextual relevance for the long-term sustainability of SMEs.
The event attracted high profile keynote speakers such as Mr Bruce Billson, the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, and Dr Michael Schaper from the Australian Taxation Office.
SRI Director Dr Lou Conway’s presentation and showcase of the SMART Region Incubator (SRI) hit a high note, while the storytelling by SRI Founders Ms Anna Barwick and Dr Nerida Richards attracted much interest and excitement.
Dr Subba Reddy Yarram and Dr Subas Dhakal from the UNE Business School received the Outstanding Service Awards for their exceptional contributions to the Symposium.
2021 SEAANZ Best Student Paper Awards
Angelo Saavedra - PhD Student, UNE Business School
UNE Business School PhD student Angelo Saavedra's presentation titled Narratives of being rural, female and an entrepreneur in Australia: The interplay of context and identity and their influence on entrepreneurial actions won Best Student Paper.
Angelo identified important barriers that rural female entrepreneurs need to overcome to move their new business ventures or established business forward.
The analysis revealed that as women and as entrepreneurs operating in rural Australia, they act in particular ways based on how they perceived themselves (e.g., supporters not providers) and how they think they are perceived by others in relation to the roles they hold (e.g., mother, wife and backbones of their communities).
Angelo said he was pleasantly surprised when he was presented with the award, and that the symposium was a great experience.
The symposium is a great opportunity to build networks and to connect with others who share similar interests.
Ian Wiltshire - PhD student, UNE Business School
Ian Wiltshire also won Best Student Paper Award for his presentation titled Pandemic Speed - Accelerating Innovation in Cyber Security which highlighted how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) had responded to the rapid change in ‘ways of working’, triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ian said industry and governments have a responsibility to do their part.
"For example, the introduction of minimum cyber security standards for products could be one way of reducing the impact," he said.
"There may well be other solutions, but to find them, we need to start the conversation, and this may be the first challenge to overcome.”
Ian said the opportunity to present his work at the symposium was a valuable opportunity to connect with industry influencers and practitioners.
"I felt honoured to win a Best Student Paper award but the SEAANZ Symposium provided much more to me," he said.
"I was able to listen and learn from many amazing speakers who relayed their knowledge and experience in engaging delivery.
I think this was an important and well timed event to attend, and I would recommend it to anyone who is seeking to expose their research to industry influencers and practitioners.
Presentation from Mr Glenn Buesnel-May from the Monarch Institute
UNE’s partnership with the Monarch Institute extended beyond the teaching space at the Symposium. Through his presentation, Glenn Buesnel-May from the Monarch Institute showcased adaptive SME case studies to survive and thrive in the post-pandemic world.
"It was a pleasure presenting my thoughts on change and innovation for SME's by using two practical case studies to show what those changes might look like post-pandemic," said Glenn.
"The presentation was just one piece in a terrific, informative mosaic of research, anecdotal observations and thought-leadership for the SEAANZ Symposium.
"What was somewhat surprising when delivering the presentation was how it seamlessly fitted into the other various themes being presented on the day.
Moreover, as a participant on the day, the observations, research and perspectives presented give me confidence, as an industry practitioner, in the resilience of Australian SME's to position for success at a time of unprecedented global volatility.
