17 June - 21 June 2024
The Tropical Innovation Festival is a week-long innovation festival with a difference, and while it may sound cliche to say that there is something for everyone – the “choose your own adventure” style program has contributed to last year’s attendees rating the event 4.73 / 5 with 100% of survey respondents saying they were glad they came. The festival takes place at the Novotel Oasis Resort in Cairns, Queensland and includes the world-exclusive experience of a dedicated innovation event aboard a dive boat on the Great Barrier Reef.In June, it will be warm in Cairns with lower humidity – meaning #TIF2024 is the perfect time to visit the region if you’re an entrepreneur, innovator, investor or looking to infuse innovation into your business or organisation.
The purpose of the Tropical Innovation Festival is to host a world-class innovation and entrepreneurship event in regional Australia that:
The 2021 Tropical Innovation Festival, initially conceived as a one-off celebration for the graduates of the Launch Y(E)P Accelerate program, has now transformed into a world-first conference. Inspired by the 2018 Advance Queensland Myriad Air, founders Tara and Kate sought to recreate its unique atmosphere of enjoyment, inspiration, and connection in an exclusive setting.
A chance encounter with Peppi Iovannella at an NQ Angels event sparked the creation of "Innovators on the Reef", the world's first conference held on a dive boat in the Great Barrier Reef. The event drew top-tier speakers, investors, and ecosystem ambassadors which led to increased collaborations and expanded from a one-day plan turning into a five-day program.
Now in its fourth year, the festival, known for its uniqueness and impact, garnered a 4.73/5 rating from over 1200 attendees in 2023, a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 74, and 100% said they were glad they attended. We look forward to reconnecting with familiar faces and meeting new friends in Cairns in 2024.
This summer, our region suffered devastating losses from Cyclone Jasper and related flooding.
Many parts of Tropical North Queensland are still being rebuilt, including homes, businesses and entire communities.
#TIF2024's resilience theme explores how businesses, ecosystems, entrepreneurs, investors and communities can adapt, or address challenges including climate change, economic volatility, personal challenges and social disruptions.
Relationships within #TIF2024 highlights the importance of connections between people, ecosystems, organisations, or regions. Relationships foster collaborations that lead to breakthrough innovations and TIF’s relaxed, festival environment of TIF emphasises the social impact of innovation and encourages delegates and speakers to build meaningful connections that transcend the event.
#TIF2024 requires a strong focus on relationships to achieve outcomes for delegates and stakeholders. More social and networking opportunities have been added to the program to build relationships, and sessions exploring the effect of collaborative relationships and how to build relationships for innovation success.
#TIF2024's exploration of Relativism will ignite discussions on how context influences innovation. We acknowledge that there's no one-size-fits-all solution to problems and that understanding local cultures, economies, and ecosystems is crucial for developing effective innovations.
Embracing diverse perspectives, our speakers and mentors bring varied backgrounds and experiences. Relativism delves into the ethics of innovation, emphasising the ineed to tailor solutions to specific contexts, and highlighting the role of local knowledge in addressing global challenges.
