Austrade media release

Tuesday 22 April, 2008
     

Business Club Australia, the Australian government’s official international business program for the Olympic Games, will host a breakfast in Canberra focussing on opportunities for Australian exporters in China.

Bringing together Austrade’s China market experts and leading Australian business executives operating in the region, this event on Thursday, 24 April, promises to provide relevant and timely information for Canberra based businesses eager to break into this booming market.

In 2007, China became Australia’s largest merchandise trading partner, with two-way trade in goods reaching $52.7 billion.

One of the speakers at the event is Adrian Faccioni, Managing Director of GPSports, a Canberra-based company successfully competing with the world’s best.

Harnessing GPS technology for use in sports analysis, GPSports products measure an athlete’s performance and training loads.

GPSports products are providing an edge for many Australian athletes as they prepare for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

GPSports was the 2005 ACT Emerging Exporter of the Year and clients include international sporting institutions such as UK Sport, the Japanese Sports Science Institute and the Singapore Sports Council, as well as Australian bodies such as the ACT Academy of Sport.

Xiao Hailiang is a Business Club Australia Ambassador and an Olympic diving champion.

At the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, Hailiang and his diving partner Xiong Ni, won the Gold Medal for China in the 3m springboard synchronised diving.

Since retiring from diving Hailiang has made a major contribution to the promotion of Chinese tourism to Australia, through Tourism Australia, and has a wine shop, Aussino in Wuhan which imports Australian wine.

Hailiang is an outstanding example of how connections made through sport can lead to exciting new business opportunities.

Keynote address: Peter Osborne, National Manager – Financial Services, Austrade, and recently returned Senior Trade Commissioner, Beijing

Panel

• Facilitated by Ben Tansley, Executive Director – China Business Group, Ernst & Young
• Xiao Hailiang, Olympic Gold Medallist (Diving, Sydney 2000) and Australian wine importer for Aussino, Wuhan
• Peter Phillips, Executive General Manager, Government Relations Australia (Asia)
• Adrian Faccioni, Managing Director, GPSports

What: Business Club Australia Breakfast
When: Thursday, 24 April, 2008.
Breakfast from 7am-9am
Interview opportunities from 7.00-7.15am, or by arrangement
Where: Old Parliament House, Members Dining Room 2 (Enter through the rear entrance of Old Parliament House, Members Dining Room on Queen Victoria Terrace, Parkes.)
Please note: From 8.30am roads around Old Parliament House will be closed for the Torch Relay.
Web: Visit www.businessclubaustralia.gov.au for more information about the Business Club Australia program.

ENDS

Media contact

Caroline Bergman
Mob: +61 414 072 566


For further news and information from the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) visit www.austrade.gov.au/mediacentre.