TCF Australia Online Training Mentoring Project will provide a free Help Desk and Mentoring support to small businesses attending Fashion Exposed August 29th-31st at Melbourne Exhibition Centre. TCF Australia Helpdesk expertise available will include access online web site support, linkages through TCF Global supplier and sourcing networks, marketing support, IT and new mobile technologies. Additional business mentoring support will also be available through the TCF Australia Improving Enterprise Productivity through Best Practice program which will cover areas of Managing Human Resources, Creating Environmental Sustainability and Adopting New Technologies.

The Textile, Clothing and Footwear Resource Centre of WA (TCF WA) and TCF Australia will be sponsoring 9 Australian emerging fashion businesses to attend Fashion Exposed in Melbourne this month. Fashion Exposed is Australasia’s premier trade fashion event, and is being held from the 29th to the 31st of August 2010 at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. With a reputation for launching new labels, cutting edge designers and showcasing the big brands, the August 2010 fashion event will showcase more than 1,500 new ranges in womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, streetwear and more.

TCFWA (The Textile, Clothing and Footwear Resource Centre of Western Australia Inc) has recently been awarded funding to implement two exciting projects under the Enterprise Connect WIIN (Workshops, Industry Intelligence and Networking) program. WIIN is a competitive small grants program that helps organisations to deliver seminars, workshops and other activities to small and medium sized businesses in the Enterprise Connect target markets. The aim of WIIN is to provide relevant information on good business practices to businesses to help them reach their full potential.

The 2010 Belmont Small Business Awards was officially launched by Hon. Dr Craig Emerson, Minister for Small Business at the City of Belmont Civic Centre. The Small Business awards are organised by the Belmont Business Enterprise Centre (BEC), a non-profit community association that provides business counselling and guidance to persons wishing to start or grow their business. Belmont BEC Chair Tim Hammond said “the Small Business Awards, which have been running since 1994, provide a great opportunity for small and growing enterprises to be recognised for the hard work they do in putting their business ideas into practice, and celebrates the creativity, energy and achievements of Belmont and WA Small Business.”

Perth will host the 3rd International Conference of Fashion Incubators in 2011, and the event is calling for papers now. Conference Convenor Carol Hanlon was successful in winning the conference for Perth through her award in the prestigious 2009 City of Perth Convention Scholarship prize which enabled her to travel to the 2nd International Fashion Incubator in Atlanta in the USA and beyond in 2009, and her dream was realised when she then won the opportunity to bring the 3rd International Fashion Incubator Conference to Perth in 2011. The conference is currently calling on interested partners and sponsors.

At June 5th State Conference of Business and Professional Women Western Australia (BPW) held in Mandurah, Christine della Vedova was awarded the honour of Young Business & Professional Woman of the Year 2010. Christine a member of Belmont BPW has international & local experience in volunteering and in recent years has focused attention on culturally and linguistically diverse women and children (CaLD) in the local Perth community.

TCFWA / Belmont BEC is coordinating an opportunity for Australian and International fashion designers, retailers and manufactures to join a buying mission to India International Garment Fair, New Delhi, July 12-14, 2010 showing Spring/Summer 2011. The buying mission will provide the opportunity for eligible firms to apply for sponsored airfare and two night’s accommodation sponsorship.

This year’s Designedge Innovation Festival includes workshops and forums being staged right across Australia and is expected to draw thousands of attendees passionate about innovation, eCommerce and development in the national fashion & TCF Industry to over 50 events. The Designedge Festival event, which is part of the Australian Innovation Festival will launch on the 29th of April at the Civic Centre, City of Belmont.

TCF Australia Online Training Mentoring Project will provide free access to eCommerce business workshops, online web mentoring, ‘Ask an Expert’ forums and helpline access to small businesses operating in the textile, clothing, footwear & leather industry across Australia. The project will help participants improve their skills in website development, web marketing strategies and online sales tools that will assist to increase brand exposure, increase sales & profitability.

The Textile, Clothing and Footwear Resource Centre of WA (TCF WA) in conjunction with TCF Australia, designedge Fashion Incubator and Fashion Exposed will be sponsoring 6 emerging Australian fashion businesses to exhibit at Fashion Exposed in Sydney this month. Fashion Exposed is Australasia’s premier trade fashion event, and is being held from the 14th to the 16th of February 2010 at the Sydney Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour.

Ms Carol Hanlon, President of Belmont Business Professional Women (Belmont BPW) will be representing local women at the upcoming fifty-fourth session of the United Nations – Commission on the Status of Women to be held from the 1st to the 12th of March 2010 in New York. The Commission on the Status of Women will undertake a fifteen-year review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly.

Carol Hanlon, Manager of the Belmont Business Enterprise Centre (Belmont BEC), and Textile Clothing Footwear Resource Centre WA (TCFWA / TCF Global) has recently returned from an amazing world journey after winning the coveted 2009 City of Perth Convention Scholarship which was worth $10,000. The City of Perth Convention Scholarship is designed to assist the winner, from a not-for-profit organization, in their personal and professional development, either through attendance at a relevant international conference or undertaking further study in their field of chosen study or endeavour.