SYDNEY: Armenian-Australian Business owners have gathered in the New South Wales State Parliament to participate in the inaugural Armenian Business Conference last month.
The conference, organised by the Armenian Professional Network of Australia (APN) and co-hosted by the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU), brought together over a dozen Armenian-Australian business owners and entrepreneurs working in the hospitality, retail, mining, fintech, and services industry who had a chance to share ideas and voice concerns directly with New South Wales lawmakers heading the states business portfolios.
Following a short welcome from ANC-AU Executive Director, Michael Kolokossian and the APN’s Raffi Karnik, attendees heard from Hugh McDermott MP, representing the NSW Minister for Small Business Stephen Kamper MP, as well as Tim James MP, Shadow Minister for Small Business, who shared opening remarks about the current state of the business industry and NSW Economy.
Attendees included local restaurateur Avo Majarian of Zapparellis Pizza in Lane Cove, founder of Willoughby-based EM Funerals Ello Meguerditchian, and Kalen Tashjian of Select Awards, an Australian manufacturing company specialising in engraving services based in Western Sydney, as well as representatives from Booktopia and digiDirect among many others.
Each of the attendees was provided an opportunity to address issues related to their industry and make suggestions for the representatives to consider and raise with their parties. Concerns surrounding recent price hikes of Australian-made goods, competition from overseas and online markets, and the introduction of new tax incentives to support Australian-based companies were some of the key focuses widely shared by attendees at the conference.
Raffi Karnik of EY Auditors, who was present at the event and heads the Armenian Professional Network- Australia Accounting and Business Advisory Forum, said, “As the first event of its kind, the 2024 Armenian Business Conference has set a precedent for future engagements between Armenian-Australian business leaders and policymakers, signalling a promising future for continued collaboration and dialogue.”
“We sincerely thank Mr Tim James MP and Dr Hugh McDermott MP for taking the time to attend the event and hear the concerns and questions from local Armenian-Australians helping drive the NSW economy,” Karnik added.
