Practical Inclusion for Business Owners: APOC × The Business Show Sydney
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Winning new customers, retaining talent, and growing sustainably, through representation that works
Sydney’s business community is brilliantly diverse. When owners turn that diversity into day‑to‑day capability, the payoff shows up in sales, service, and team performance. That’s why APOC (Australian Professionals of Multicultural Communities) is partnering with The Business Show to make sure representation is intentional at every level, especially who gets into the room.
Our commitment with The Business Show: Representation on stage and in attendance through community access, ally‑sponsored seats, and fair‑go registration options.
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Customers first. Diverse customers want to see themselves in your brand, service, and support.
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Lean‑team advantage. Inclusive teams communicate better, make faster decisions, and keep good people longer.
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Procurement‑ready. Many buyers now look for evidence of inclusion in bids policies, accessibility, and supplier diversity.
Success stories from the APOC community
1) From attendee to $20,000 speaking gig (APOC Gala → corporate offsite)
A Sydney‑based consultant and APOC member attended our Gala with a clear goal: be visible to decision‑makers. Through curated introductions on the night and follow‑up within a week, they were invited to pitch a leadership keynote. The result? A $20,000 speaking engagement at a corporate offsite.
Owner takeaway: Visibility and representation convert when your story is in the room and when follow‑up is swift and specific.
Following one of our executive roundtables, a business unit leader recognised they’d been unconsciously using “cultural fit” as a barrier for a high‑performing senior leader. They changed the process: structured interview questions, a work‑sample presentation, and sponsorship from a peer executive. Within the quarter, the leader was promoted and now sponsors others.
Owner takeaway: Bias‑resistant processes don’t slow you down, they reduce risk and surface proven talent.
Mentors from our program left a session “inspired—but practical.” Within 30 days, they reported three measurable actions:
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Setting up sponsorship coffees (not just mentoring) to open doors for stretch projects.
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Standardising interview steps to focus on capability over “fit.”
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Publishing a short inclusion statement with proposals and tenders.
Owner takeaway: Small, deliberate actions compound especially when senior leaders model them.
Throughline: When representation is planned - not accidental - opportunity flows: paid work, promotions, and measurable change.
Five owner moves to try before The Business Show
Do these in a fortnight; bring them to the show for feedback with peers and partners:
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Rewrite one key page (homepage or offer) at a Year‑9 readability level; add a customer quote from a different industry/background.
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Run three customer calls with users from different cultural/language backgrounds; log one product or service tweak from each.
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Standardise hiring: same questions for every candidate + a short work sample task.
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Create a 1‑page “trust pack” (code of conduct, accessibility note, inclusive hiring summary) to attach to quotes and tenders.
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Shift two spend lines (e.g., printing, catering) to multicultural‑owned SMEs and reference that in bids.
Want to sponsor community seats or partner on inclusive growth?
Email apoc@apoc.community with the subject line “Business Show Sydney – Community Seats.”
