CORE started the Pilbara Supplier Summit with one simple idea: keep Pilbara spend with Pilbara businesses. Put local suppliers face to face with the people who buy, and good things happen.
Two years in, that idea is firmly on the regional calendar. Co-hosted by CORE Innovation Hub and the Newman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI), this year’s Summit brought small business, major industry, government and community into the same room (and spilling out into the Outdoor Expo Area) for a full day of connecting, learning and doing business.
What CORE brought to the table
The Summit is a true partnership with NCCI, and CORE brought the Pilbara network, the program and the polish. CORE National Lead Renee Hakendorf opened the day, and Newman Hub Lead Lou Terry co-MC’d alongside NCCI’s Sarah Stampfli.
Behind the scenes, CORE delivered:
- Free exhibition space for members. Exhibiting was free for all current CORE and NCCI members, putting local businesses in front of buyers at no cost.
- A program built for local suppliers. Practical sessions on marketing, networking, AI and small business support, designed to help businesses win work, not just talk about it.
- The look and feel of the day. Event branding, slide decks, printed handouts and banners, with sponsor slides running on screens throughout the venue all day.
- The noise before and after. Website listings, EDMs and a full social campaign to drive exhibitor EOIs and registrations, then a post-event content series to keep the momentum going.
- Our partners, in the Pilbara. CORE brought Radium Capital to town for Office Hours at the Newman Hub the day before, giving local businesses one-on-one time with Jeremy Loftus on R&D Tax Incentive refund financing.
From handshakes to quotes
The real measure of the Summit is what happens after the sundowner wraps up. A few weeks on, the early signs are strong:
Work on the table
CORE member Ngurra Resource Group has been asked to quote on two jobs as a direct result of connections made on the day.
Leads for partners
Event partners came away with new connections, leads and opportunities.
More than networking
One theme keeps coming up in follow-up calls: the Summit isn’t just seen as a good networking opportunity, it’s opening real commercial opportunities.
Momentum for 2027
Partners are already putting their hands up to be involved next year, before planning has even kicked off.
Lou is still working through follow-up calls with every exhibitor, and we can’t wait to share more wins as they land.
Part of a bigger picture
The Summit doesn’t exist in isolation. For five years, CORE’s Newman Innovation Hub has given Pilbara entrepreneurs and small businesses direct access to skills, networks and opportunity. Alongside BHP and the WA Government, CORE also delivered the Made in the Pilbara grant program, putting $500,000 into the hands of 11 local businesses and creating more than 40 local jobs and 14 apprenticeships.
The Pilbara Supplier Summit is the next step in that story: a place where local capability gets seen, backed and hired.
