Winners announced in the Kangan Batman TAFE Young Entrepreneurs Business Plan Competition
18 November 2003
L-R: Sally Jones (1st Place), Philip Bowler (2nd), Leesa Apps (3rd), joint winners of 4th place Cate Cleve and the team of Olga Moshovakis and Eli Eguomenski.
The happy winners of the Rotary-sponsored Special Commendation Awards: Michael Von Kostuch, Diana Curcio, Christine Hudson and Marta Borena (Emine Tefik not pictured).
Kangan Batman TAFE Director John Parish (left) and Senator Tsebin Tchen congratulate winner Sally Jones.
Bernie Cooney of RetireInvest, representing the judges (himself, Jacqueline Barsenbach of Tourism Victoria and Lencia Evans of Tourism Training Victoria) announces the winners.
Lea Porcaro (daughter of tourism teacher Pauline Porcaro) sings up a storm at the awards ceremony.
Michael Kelly, President of the Rotary Club of Melbourne North, congratulates Marta Borena and Emine Tefik on winning a Rotary-sponsored Special Commendation Awards.
Tourism teacher Ray Brown (right) presenting second place-getter Philip Bowler with his certificate.
A mature age tourism student has won 1st prize of $4,000 in the inaugural Kangan Batman TAFE Young Entrepreneurs Business Plan Competition.
The competition was open to all of the institute’s final year tourism and hospitality management Advanced Diploma students, and required entrants to develop a business plan for a viable new Victorian tourism business.
Sally Jones’ business plan for her concept, The Macedon Gallery Restaurant, won her the top prize in the competition, which was judged by independent judges from Tourism Training Victoria, Tourism Victoria and RetireInvest.
Kangan Batman TAFE received funding from the Commonwealth Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources to run the competition. The funding was part of the National Innovation Awareness Strategy's Promoting Young Entrepreneurs Initiative, a national scheme that aims to promote entrepreneurial activity in Australia.
Victorian Senator Tsebin Tchen, representing The Hon. Ian Macfarlane MP, Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources, presented the prizes in an awards ceremony held on Tuesday 18 November 2003.
The second prize of $1,500 was won by Philip Bowler, while third place ($750 prize) went to Leesa Apps and fourth place ($500) was shared between Cate Cleve and the team of Olga Moshovakis and Eli Eguomenski. Prizes are to be taken as travel, to expand the students’ industry knowledge.
The Rotary Club of Melbourne North provided three special commendation awards, which were also presented at the ceremony.
According to Christine Pontin, Manager of Kangan Batman TAFE’s Hospitality, Travel and Tourism Department, the competition has given the students much more than just prizes.
“This competition is the culmination of a year’s work for our Advanced Diploma students, and the business and entrepreneurial skills they have developed will prove invaluable in their future careers,” Ms Pontin said.
“Our graduates are snapped up by the industry because of the experience and knowledge we give them during the course. They learn what it takes to operate a successful tourism business through an industry study-tour and guest speaker lecture series, where they meet business operators. We also offer an overseas study-tour to broaden the students’ experience of travel, and the students even stage their own travel expo.”
“We may not be as large or as well-known as some other hospitality and tourism training providers, but small is often better when it comes to training, as we can give our students more one-on-one attention.”
Winners of the 2003 Kangan Batman TAFE Young Entrepreneurs Business Plan Competition
1st Place – $4,000 Prize
- Winner:
- Sally Jones of Riddell’s Creek
- Proposed Business:
- The Macedon Gallery Restaurant
The Macedon Gallery Restaurant, to be situated in Lancefield, would use locally grown produce in its menu with an accent on the use of organically grown foods. Additionally, the restaurant would provide local artists with a forum for displaying and selling their work. The restaurant would be situated on two main Tourism Victoria Tourism Routes: “The Pure Indulgence Tour” and “Central Victoria” touring routes. The restaurant would work closely with the Daylesford Macedon Produce Group in order to provide the best local produce. Domenic Romeo of historic Rupertswood, in Sunbury, was an invaluable mentor for Sally in designing this business.
2nd Place – $1,500 Prize
- Winner:
- Philip Bowler of Ardeer
- Proposed Business:
- Whirlwind Eco Adventures
Whirlwind Eco Adventures would be a backpacker tour company that provides one-day sightseeing eco-tours to the Grampians National Park. The tours would provide environmental education, opportunities for extensive bush walks, fun, and excellent value for money in a 14 seater mini-bus. Extensive market research proved a real need for this product.
3rd Place – $750 Prize
- Winner:
- Leesa Apps of Melbourne
- Proposed Business:
- Delicious Days Out
Delicious Days Out would provide one-day regional produce tours on an 8-seater mini-bus, sampling the finest quality locally grown and made produce, while learning about and shopping in a choice of three regions: West Gippsland, the Mornington Peninsula or Macedon Ranges Spa Country.
4th Place – $500 Prize
- Joint Winners:
- Cate Cleve of Pascoe Vale and the team of Olga Moshovakis of Keilor Downs & Eli Eguomenski of Mill Park.
- Cate Cleve’s Proposed Business:
- The Fork ‘N Cork
The Fork ‘N Cork would be a wine and tapas bar in cosmopolitan St Kilda, offering a boutique wine list and a range of tapas light meals. It would cater for up to 50 patrons in its modern d cor and relaxed atmosphere. The business would gain a competitive edge by inviting local musicians and film makers to showcase their talents through open microphone and film nights. Direct links would be set up with the Victorian College of the Arts.
- Olga Moshovakis & Eli Eguomenski’s Proposed Business:
- Ambience
Situated in the popular seaside township of Queenscliff, Ambience would be a unique 4 star accredited boutique hotel and restaurant catering for the gay and lesbian community. The accommodation would be pet-friendly and owners would be able to order bedding for their animals. Organic food would be offered in the restaurant.
Special Commendation Awards - Prizes sponsored by the Rotary Club of North Melbourne
- Special Commendation:
- Christine Hudson of Gladstone Park
- Proposed Business:
- A Long Trek
A Long Trek would be a 52 bed ecologically friendly hostel situated in Ararat, at the gateway to the Grampians. Incorporating a Chinese cultural theme and the ancient art of Feng Shui, the hostel would be marketed to both backpackers and the overnight stay markets, attracting both international and domestic visitors.
- Special Commendation:
- Michael Von Kostuch of Niddrie and Diana Curcio of Hadfield.
- Proposed Business:
- Katabunuut Eco Lodges
Katabunuut Eco Lodges would be an environmental and fully sustainable unique 4-star eco-lodge situated deep within the Cape Otway National Park. Set within some of Victoria’s most spectacular and unspoilt landscapes, the venue would be perfect for nature-based activities.
- Special Commendation:
- Emine Tefik of Broadmeadows and Marta Borena of Ascot Vale.
- Proposed Business:
- Blue Nile Restaurant
The Blue Nile Restaurant would be an East African Restaurant operating at the exciting waterfront development area of Dockland’s New Quay precinct. The restaurant would incorporate ecologically sustainable standards, excellent customer service and fine cuisine in a relaxing and stylish environment. Mr Peter Crowley from the Docklands Authority kindly guided the students in this project.
Background information
The competition process
Research study tour
In May this year, the teaching staff took the students on a three-day research study tour to prepare them to develop business plans for viable businesses. The students stayed at the Grampians YHA Eco-Hostel in Halls Gap while touring the region and meeting tourism operators to understand what it takes to establish a successful tourism business. The students also learnt about best practice in eco-tourism, which is a key theme of their studies.
Guest speaker lecture series/research phase
Over the following months, the students continued the research phase, which included excursions to meet tourism business operators in the Sunbury and Dandenong Ranges areas. Many business operators also gave up their time to speak to the students on-campus.
While class time focussed on developing the students’ skills in business planning, the students were required to conduct their own extensive research to support their business plan concept. This ranged from market research to learning about government tourism and town planning for the region in which their proposed business would be based.
Writing the business plans
The students were required to submit their finalised business plans by 16 October 2003. They were required to include the following in their entries: a business profile, SWOT analysis (the proposed business’ strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats), market analysis, financial analysis, and sales and marketing strategies. The entries were also judged on the viability of the proposed business and the presentation of the business plan.
Background to the competition
Based at Kangan Batman TAFE’s main Broadmeadows campus, the Hospitality, Travel and Tourism Department offers training in travel and tourism, hospitality, cookery, food production and food safety.
The department takes a unique teaching approach in its tourism and hospitality management Advanced Diplomas, focusing on developing the students’ entrepreneurial and business skills.
This approach recently won the department the 2003 Outstanding Group Contribution to Tourism and Hospitality Training Award, presented by Tourism Training Australia (TTA) at the national TTA Tourism and Hospitality Trainers’ Awards.
Since 1999, the Advanced Diploma training program has been based around intensive preparation of the students to enter the State Government’s Tourism Student Business Initiative (TSBI), a competition which requires students to develop business plans for viable tourism business ideas.
This teaching strategy, which includes an industry guest speaker lecture series and research study-tour to Halls Gap, has helped numerous Kangan Batman students win the top awards in the prestigious TSBI, beating students from universities and TAFEs all over Victoria.
Kangan Batman TAFE students’ TSBI prizes:
- 1999 – 1st prize ($8,000 overseas study tour), 2nd, 3rd and 4th places.
- 2000 – 1st prize ($8,000 overseas study tour), 3rd and 5th places.
- 2001 – 2nd, 5th and 6th places.
- 2002 – 2nd, 3rd and 4th places, and a Special Commendation.
As the TSBI did not run in 2003, the Hospitality, Travel and Tourism Department successfully applied for Commonwealth Government funding to conduct its own business plan competition, to ensure its students still gained the benefits of exposure to business planning.
Aside from preparing the students for possible future self-employment, the Advanced Diploma program makes the students highly attractive to employers. For example, students have gained employment with major companies such as Qantas, Virgin Blue, Student Travel Association (STA) and New Zealand Holidays.
Another benefit of the program is that on successful completion of the advanced diplomas, students may be considered for a position at La Trobe University, where up to 18 months’ credit may be given towards their degree courses.
