Tropic Tech & Innovation Network

28/05/2026

☕You’re Invited: Sip & Yarn Networking – Biri Bana Connect 🥤

Join us TOMORROW for our next **Sip & Yarn** morning session as part of **Biri Bana Connect – Yarn. Link. Thrive.**

This monthly gathering is all about creating space to connect, collaborate and spark new ideas across Far North Queensland. Whether you’re a business owner, creative, innovator, community leader or emerging entrepreneur, this is your chance to share what you do, hear what others are working on, and explore opportunities together.

✨ Build meaningful connections
✨ Discover upcoming events and initiatives
✨ Be part of innovative First Nations-led conversations
✨ Enjoy your favourite beverage — on us!

📅 **Friday, 29 May 2026**
⏰ **10:00am – 11:00am**
📍 **Coffee Buoy Cafe, Corporate Towers, Lake Street**

Sip & Yarn is part of the **Fuelling FNQ First Nations Innovation Projects**, proudly supported by **Advance QLD** and **Launch YEP Cairns**.

Spots are limited — RSVP today!

📩 For more information or to confirm your attendance (no RSVP required)
harbrow
📞 0459 892 262
✉️ [email protected]

Let’s yarn, link and thrive together. 🌿

28/05/2026

📣 What does it actually take to ship a community app this week?

This month at Dev Meetup, Simon Harris and Tom Stevenson from Able2 are joining us to demo their platform — fully white-labeled community apps with forums, chat, courses and events, live in days — and unpack how AI is reshaping the way apps get built.

Tropic Tech Dev Meetup — June with Able2
🗓 Thursday 4 June | 5:00–7:00 PM
📍 GBR Event Space @ Tropic Tech

Live demo, real talk on AI + app building, and proper Q&A.

🎟 Free - RSVP on the website
👉

This month at Dev Meetup we're joined by Simon Harris and Tom Stevenson from Able2 — a platform that lets you launch a fully branded community app in days. They'll demo the platform and dig into what app creation looks like in the age of AI, followed by Q&A.

22/05/2026

📣 Your customers are asking AI for recommendations right now. Are you in the answer?

79% of people now use AI to search — and when they ask "what's the best [your category]?", your business is either in the answer or it isn't.

Get Found in ChatGPT, Perplexity & Gemini
🗓 Thu 25 June 2026 | 10:00–11:30am
📍 Ulysses Event Space @ Tropic Tech

A hands-on 90-min workshop with Ivana Galic . Walk out with a clear picture of how AI sees your brand, the 5 questions you need to win, and an action plan you can start today.

🎟 Tickets $35 — members, check the app for your exclusive discount code!
👉

Hands-on 90min workshop for founders and small business owners — find out how AI search sees your brand and leave with a plan to win the recommendations.

19/05/2026

☕✨ Great conversations, fresh ideas, and a room full of people passionate about building the future of FNQ.

Yesterday's Startup Social Coffee Meetup was another reminder of why Cairns’ innovation community continues to grow — when local founders, creatives, business owners, and ecosystem supporters come together, meaningful connections happen.

A big thank you to Carmel Crathern from the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation for joining the conversation and sharing insights into innovation and opportunities across our region.

At Launch Y(E)P and the Tropic Tech & Innovation Network, we’re building more than just a coworking space — we’re creating a hub where people in Cairns can connect, collaborate, share ideas, and grow together.

Whether you’re launching a startup, building a side hustle, scaling a business, or simply curious about the innovation space — there’s a seat for you here. 🚀

19/05/2026

🐾 Meet Abbi: Our Newest (and Fluffiest) Coworker! 🐾

There's something special about a workspace that welcomes more than just laptops and coffee cups — one that welcomes wagging tails too.

Say hello to Abbi the adorable pup who belongs to Anne from Mission Consulting Solutions. Abbi is the perfect example of why we love being a dog-friendly coworking and serviced office space. She's calm, quiet, and brings an instant smile to everyone she meets (just look at that face! 😍).

At our space, we believe productivity and pups go paw-in-paw. Well-behaved, calm dogs are always welcome here because we know that:

🐶 Having your dog nearby reduces stress and boosts wellbeing
🐶 Pets create connection and conversation between members
🐶 No more rushing home at lunch or paying for daycare
🐶 A happy dog parent = a happy, focused professional

Whether you're a freelancer, a growing business, or somewhere in between — if your four-legged friend is quiet, calm, and as charming as Abbi, there's a desk (and plenty of belly rubs) waiting for you both.

**Curious about joining our pack?**

Drop us a message or come by for a tour — Abbi might just be on the welcome committee. 🐕✨

19/05/2026

From the stage to the silver screen 🎬

If you were in the room for Mark Sowerby's presentation at Tropical Innovation Festival last year, you'll know exactly why we're hyped.

Mark's story has been made into a feature film: Don't Be Prey. It opens at Event Cinemas Cairns Earlville this Thursday 21 May - one week only.

The film follows his decade-long pursuit of the Oceans Seven: seven of the most punishing open-water channel crossings on the planet. No wetsuit. No cage. The swimming equivalent of Everest - and only 37 people in the world have ever done it. Mark is one of them.

Grab a ticket 👉 https://www.eventcinemas.com.au/Movie/Dont-Be-Prey

See you at the cinema 🍿

Ordinary people doing extraordinary things Don’t Be Prey is an edge-of-your-seat adventure into one man’s fight to reclaim his life by taking on the world’s most dangerous marathon swims, the Oceans Seven.

18/05/2026

Tomorrow! ☕

Startup Social Coffee Meetup, 8–10am at Tropic Tech (254 Mulgrave Rd, Westcourt). Look for the sign outside the GBR Event Space, next to the florist.

Bring yourself, bring a friend, bring whatever you're working on. We'll bring the coffee. ☕

Haven't RSVP'd yet? No stress — register here, we've got enough room for everyone:
https://www.tropictech.com.au/event-details/startup-social-coffee-meetup-2026-05-19-08-00

See you there. 👋

A monthly meetup for startup founders, small business owners and anyone with an entrepreneurial streak.

14/05/2026

This week, Donna Patane from DRIPL Legal joined us at Tropic Tech & Innovation Network for a great session on branding, trade marks, and protecting your business identity.

🎤 The conversation covered everything from Prince changing his name to a symbol, to Jo Malone perfumes, to recent discussions around Taylor Swift protecting her brand and voice in the age of AI — showing just how important brand protection has become.

💬 Between the stories, case studies, and conversations around branding in a rapidly changing digital world, this easily could have been an all-day discussion.

💡 Key takeaways:
✔️ where to start with branding
✔️ how to grow your brand strategically
✔️ why protecting your IP early matters

👏 Thanks again to Donna for such an engaging and insightful discussion with the Cairns business and innovation community.

👀 Missed this one? Keep an eye out for upcoming Tropic Tech workshops and events on our website.

https://www.tropictech.com.au

14/05/2026

☕ Startup Social Coffee Meetup — next Tuesday!

Founders, small biz owners, side-hustlers and anyone with an entrepreneurial streak — come hang out with your people.

📍 Tropic Tech, 254 Mulgrave Rd, Westcourt
🗓 Tuesday 19 May, 8–10am
☕ Free coffee + good chats

Pre-launch, bootstrapping, scaling or just figuring it out — you're welcome. RSVP via the link so we know how much coffee to put on. 👇

A monthly meetup for startup founders, small business owners and anyone with an entrepreneurial streak.

10/05/2026

🚨 2 days to go!

Last chance to grab your seat at Unlock the Power of Your Brand this Tuesday with Donna Patane from DRIPL Legal.

Whether you're just starting out or already trading, understanding trade marks could save your business from some seriously costly mistakes down the track.

🗓 Tuesday 12 May | 10–11AM
📍 Ulysses Event Space @ Tropic Tech
🎟 $35 — Free for Tropic Tech members.

Book now 👇

A hands-on workshop for small business owners to understand trade marks, protect their brand, and build with confidence — hosted by Donna Patane from DRIPL Legal.

05/05/2026

⏳ Have you grabbed your ticket to Unlock the Power of Your Brand yet?

Join Donna Patane from DRIPL Legal for a hands-on deep dive into protecting what makes your business yours — your name, your logo, your ideas.

🗓 12 May 2026 | 10–11AM
📍 Ulysses Event Space @ Tropic Tech
🎟 $35 GA — Free for Tropic Tech members.

Spots are limited — don't leave it too late 👇

A hands-on workshop for small business owners to understand trade marks, protect their brand, and build with confidence — hosted by Donna Patane from DRIPL Legal.