A New Era for Local Business: Halls Gap Business Association Officially Launches

The future of the Halls Gap business landscape reached a turning point last week as over 50 business owners, operators, and regional stakeholders gathered for the official launch of the Halls Gap Business Association (HGBA).

The energy in the room was a powerful reminder that while our individual businesses are unique, we are all part of a single, interconnected ecosystem. As HGBA President Adrian Manikas noted, "When one of us improves, the whole town improves. When we communicate better and advocate together, we create a stronger region for everyone."

Insights from the Community

The launch wasn’t just a celebration; it was a listening session. Through a series of interactive questions, we captured the heartbeat of our business community:

• What we love: A deep pride in creating world-class visitor experiences and the simple joy of sharing the Grampians with the world.
• The challenges: Navigating capacity constraints, seasonality, and larger pressures like insurance and bushfire impacts. There was a clear call for better cross-promotion to strengthen the visitor journey.
• The vision: Connection came through loud and clear. Our members want stronger relationships and a collective voice that is taken seriously.

Expert Perspectives: Data & Resilience

We would like to extend a sincere thank you to our guest speakers who provided invaluable context for our journey ahead.

Elliot from Localis shared cutting-edge visitation data, helping us understand the "who, when, and why" behind travel patterns in the region. His deep-dive workshop the following morning provided our members with practical tools to turn that data into growth strategies.

Marc from McCallum Enterprises joined us to discuss social enterprise and the power of community-led business models. His insights into building resilient, inclusive businesses set a high standard for what we can achieve when we work toward the collective good.

Building the Rhythm of Connection

The HGBA is moving quickly to turn momentum into action. We have established two primary "rhythms" to keep our community moving forward:

• Monthly Catch-ups: Relaxed, rotating gatherings held on the first Wednesday of every month (the next being April 1st) to foster informal collaboration.
• Quarterly Gatherings: Larger events featuring business spotlights, new member introductions, and expert guest speakers.