Three years of Spark

The third Spark Festival wrapped up a few weeks ago and since then we’ve been taking some time to reflect on what has been achieved over the last two and a bit years. Yes, it was only in July 2016 that we decided to build on the foundations set by Startup Week Sydney in 2015, and create our very own homegrown festival of all things startup, innovation and entrepreneurship.

The numbers really do speak for themselves. Our ecosystem has:

  • extended the program from one week to ten days to two weeks

  • hosted an additional 50% of events

  • registered more than double the number of attendees

  • quadrupled the number of regional events

Lots of work has also been done to ensure that we attract more women to the Festival. This year we celebrate increased female participation from 39% in 2016 to 49% in 2018.

This year, in addition to events in Sydney CBD, we hosted events in Western Sydney, the Shire and the North Shore all the way to Manly. Regional centres were also engaged with events hosted in Newcastle, Lismore, Bega, Byron Bay, Central Coast, Wollongong, Wagga Wagga, Orange and Bathurst!

We all put out best foot forward again this year. We demonstrated the power of opportunity, collaboration, generosity and diversity.  Spark Festival has ignited engagement across NSW and we're planning even bigger and better things in 2019.

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