Byronshire is in many respects the hub of alternative living in Australia, and Byron Arts and Industry Park is its cutting edge….

Byron Arts & Industry Focus (BAI Focus) is a group representing businesses within the Byron Arts & Industry Park (BAIP). A steering committee oversees departments which focus on specific goals and objectives. Primary objectives are to raise the profile of the BAIP, to bring in more visitors, and to provide a platform for local businesses to be heard and represented locally, regionally, and nationally. BAI Focus will work independently, and alongside Byronshire Council and Byron United, to further the interests of the Byron Arts & Industry Park and the Byron Bay community at large.

The community, that accounts for almost one third of Byron Bay’s businesses, is broadly diverse. In fact it is the diversity of enterprise in these few acres that really sets Byron Arts & Industry Park apart from other ‘industrial zones’. There is a huge collection of nationally and internationally recognised businesses, and award winning artists and entrepreneurs.

Where else can you shop at some of the shire’s most innovative outlets while you get your car fixed? You can buy your groceries, a work of art, solar panels, designer fashions, jewellery and crystals, the latest in interior design, a broad range of surf boards & accessories, a cube of road-base, and re-Gyprock your castle without having to leave the area. There’s ample free parking right next to the places you need to visit, kid’s playzones, technicians, mechanics, and engineers of every sort, and even a flying trapeze! And while you’re wondering why you didn’t give yourself enough time, there are excellent cafes & bakeries to grab a bite or get a coffee. You can even finish the afternoon with a visit to the hairdressers and a session at the gym. Now that’s diversity!

Among the host of projects now underway are new branding and signage, transport to and from the BAIP, electric bicycle rental while you are there, artist and fashion trails, special events including markets, street fairs, extended opening hours, and late night shopping, and advertising in areas outside the shire to bring more visitors to Byron Bay in general.

BAI Focus on behalf of all businesses in the Byron Arts & Industry Park is also a proud supporter of the Beautiful Byron Campaign and teams are currently being formed to work on the beautification of the area.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Byron Visitor centre




Another way we can support ourselves and the business community out here is to join the Byron Visitor Centre. We joined last week and have already had customers walk into our gallery from that contact. You can call Melissa Sanders-Ward, membership sales, Byron visitor centre 02 66 809 271 memberships@visitbyronbay.com


Hi Samaya
Thank you so much for creating the opportunity for the Arts and Industry Estate to become organised and cooperative. I think it's a great idea, and have jotted down some points below that you may like to take into consideration at your meetings, or circulate to your colleagues.
  • the BVC receives 200,000 people per year; many of whom ask specifically about the Arts and Industry Estate
  • be careful about changing the name, many people have already heard about you and it would be counterproductive to confuse them; after all, people have been visiting the A&I Estate for 20 years or more
  • a collective of members with group advertising would be useful in forming a 'pool'; it's more worthwhile for visitors to have more than one place in their minds to visit when they come to the A&I
  • the BVC has a designated A&I brochure display area, and we'd love to have more; Warwick's booklet is very useful
  • we have on our VIC website (www.visitbyronbay.com) a tab for the Arts & Industry Estate; this is a free benefit to BVC members; everyone uploads their business details and photos and, with the general tab, are instantly findable
  • the Here&Now free Byron Bay map has the A&I area marked; it would be a good idea for more of you to advertise on this map, rather than creating a new one; you are, after all, part of Byron Bay
  • we could display a double-sided sandwich board, such as some of our Tour & Activity operators have, outside the BVC every day (the cost is $242 inc gst per year)
  • the idea of an Arts and Industry Estate Festival or Event Day is really good; what about a general market/festival day during December or January when there are thousands of shoppers here? How about everyone having a trestle table outside their business displaying their wares, to give the area an open-air market feel?
  • if you can pick a time when you're all open (Thursday night or Saturday for example) and organise for banners, transport etc. we would promote it as THE time to visit the estate
  • a mini-shuttlebus would be very useful for those without cars; however I understand the cost would be high. There is an art to applying for money, and if you can find a person with experience in applying for grants, I'm sure a co-owned shuttle bus would attract funding; see http://www.ausindustry.gov.au/
If there's anything we can do to help, please let us know.
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