In June, ICDP and DLA Piper co-hosted the long-awaited second round of workshops  ‘Building a globally focused business’ for entrepreneurs, business owners and executives in Papua New Guinea and Fiji.

The PNG workshop welcomed 26 participants and was delivered both online and in person at the Gateway Hotel in central Port Moresby, while the Fijian event brought together 47 participants at the newly refurbished Tanoa Plaza at the heart of Suva.

Workshop facilitators Joel Cox and Catriona Martin, Partners at DLA Piper (Australia), were joined by Andrew Kidu from Pacific Legal Network (PNG) and Nishrat Bano from Munro Leys (Fiji) to lead the discussion and bring a uniquely Pacific perspective.

Building on the success of last year’s series, the programme was designed to help Pacific Islanders embrace opportunities of entrepreneurship and learn about the practical challenges that affect business sustainability and growth. Discussions focused on entrepreneurial capacity building, venture capital best practice and legal support. DLA Piper’s What does it mean to be venture capital ready roadmap was shared at both events and circulated to the participants for future reference and use.

Both workshops were highly engaging and insightful events, with significant lessons  shared both ways between Australian and Pacific participants. The conversations highlighted the need for a supportive framework to facilitate investment and the importance of building relationships in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Huge thanks go to our Hub Coordinators Sabrina Vanua in Port Moresby, and Salote Waiqairatu-Waqainabete in Suva, for their invaluable assistance with workshop organisation and logistics, and to ICDP Ambassador Zha Agabe-Granfar for her professional advice and support.