Now in its fifth year, the annual Meet the Makers event will return to the Sunshine Coast in May with record numbers of exhibitors keen to showcase their latest and tastiest food and drink offerings.
Meet the Makers has grown to become the Food and Agribusiness Network’s signature event and has earned a reputation for attracting quality growers, manufacturers and producers who offer high-quality, innovative products.
Producers from the Sunshine Coast, Noosa, Gympie, Moreton Bay and beyond will unveil their latest food and beverage offerings, with many making important trade connections from all over Australia in the process.
Acting FAN CEO Nicole McNaughton said as the region’s only dedicated food and beverage trade event, the opportunities and connections MTM created could not be underestimated.
“Meet the Makers provides valuable commercial connections and opportunities for our members and allows them to connect with members from the wider food and beverage industry, which is important in terms of being able to benchmark their own growth journey and potentially look at future collaborations,” she said.
“Being able to showcase a product at this event makes it easier for buyers to see what the region is doing and to assess if any of the products are a fit for them.
“The value of this kind of exposure cannot be underestimated and we have seen many of our exhibitors’ products picked up by major retailers as a result.”
One such company to land a deal as a result of meeting a buyer at MTM was Janessa Rutter from Bask and Co.
“I attended Meet the Makers in 2021 and 2022 with my granola business Bask and Co, and it was the best decision I could have made,” Janessa said.
“It was clear that the buyers were there to buy. They genuinely wanted to learn about you, your business and your products – and I was happy to oblige.
“I doubled my retail stockists as a result of the event and my products are now stocked by a number of new outlets including IGA and Drakes Supermarkets.
“These connections have continued to help grow my business over the last 12 months – it was an event that, for me, has delivered significant return on investment.”
Retailer Roz White, who together with husband Michael owns six White’s IGA stores across the Sunshine Coast, is an official event ambassador who is passionate about championing local producers through the Locavore program.
“It is smart business to support local producers,” Ms White said.
“Our customers love buying local produce and products because they trust the quality and they feel like they are supporting the region. And as we have such incredible products available right across South-East Queensland, it makes it an easy thing to do.
“Importantly, consumers love the stories behind the products, and so do we. The story-telling component is what connects the consumer to the product and ignites an important bond to raise awareness how supporting local can create value right across the community.”
The Queensland food and agribusiness sector makes up one third of Australia’s primary produce, and demand for local produce and products continues to grow.
“It comes as no surprise that the demand for Queensland food and drink products continues to grow and supporting our members to build capability to scale and leverage new distribution opportunities is an important role of FAN,” Ms McNaughton said.
“FAN, together with key stakeholders, has a strong focus on making our region an epicentre for scaling food and beverage manufacturing by creating an ecosystem that drives collaboration and innovation.
“Through its collaborative efforts FAN has helped many small food and beverage providers scale up and be in a position to work with some of the larger retailers, and it is wonderful to be able to facilitate these connections and see really incredible products end up on the shelves of retailers who truly understand the importance of supporting local producers.”
Meet the Makers, which is on May 2 at Aussie World, is supported by the Queensland Government, Sunshine Coast Council, Moreton Bay Regional Council, Noosa Council, MGA Independent Retailers, White’s IGA and Hot 91. For more details click here.
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