BUSINESS LEADERS LOOK TO THE BIG BLUE SKY

BIG Blue Sky will return to the Gold Coast this year with a shining line-up of speakers.

First held in November last year, the event has bigger aspirations this year.

It will be held on the October 7 and 8 at the Sofitel Resort in Broadbeach, and is themed around build a better city by providing a catalyst for action and collaboration in culture, science, arts, education and business.

The event was created by entrepreneur Christine McDougall (pictured R) and award-winning business leader Lou McGregor (pictured L).

As an owner and director who has worked for over 12 years in managing the growth of a boutique advertising agency, McGregor would love to see the idea take off throughout the country and the rest of the world.

"How good would it be to see all communities come together and take action for where they live," McGregor tells Business News Australia. 

"I think for too long we have relied on others to make the decisions for us and it would be great to see our event build momentum throughout society."

The entrepreneurial pair bought in 25 speakers for the two-day event last year including 2015 Australian CEO of the Year, Danny Maher, and Nicole Gibson, the youngest ever mental health commissioner to be appointed to the Commonwealth.

"We choose speakers who have built models that provoke out of the box thinking," says McGregor.

"Our speakers match a set of values we hold dear. Business can be a source for good, it can serve community and be collaborative more than competitive."

The diverse range of professionals brought together by the event produced over 14 projects ranging from: teaming up with the Downtown Las Vegas project, assessing how people can use their pension funds, bringing together the sporting sector, and reinvigorating the creative sector of the Gold Coast.

For information about this year's event, visit the Big Blue Sky event website.

Read about some of the speakers from Big Blue Sky 2015: