Exhibition Company Enjoys Sporting Limelight

Written on the 2 August 2022 by Marshall Hall

A specialist Gold Coast exhibitions and display company is enjoying the national limelight at some of the nation’s biggest events, but it is still struggling to find experienced workers.

GCD Exhibitions, which specialises in the design, manufacture and installation of custom exhibition displays and company fit-outs, has been involved with the NRL grand final, the Big Bash and the Melbourne Formula One during the past year.

But owner Craig Billett says the business has been forced to turn away work for the first time in its 40-year history because of a lack of staff.

“We have bounced back from the COVID-19 crisis while some of our major industry rivals were not able to survive,’’ said Mr Billett.

“Our market share has increased as a result, but we are really struggling to find high quality employees to meet demand.

“During COVID, we lost quite a few people to the film industry and that situation has not changed in recent times.”

GCD Exhibitions, which counts multinational companies such as Swisse, Cadburys’, Louis Vuitton, and Canon as clients, this week was named as winner of the Manufacturing Award at the Gold Coast Business Excellence Awards for July.

Mr Billett said winning the award was an honour for himself and his team.

“I think it is great recognition for all the team’s hard work in what has been a very challenging period for us,’’ said Mr Billett.

The July winners in the other categories of the Gold Coast Business Excellence Awards were:

• Mayor’s Innovation GC Award: Desygner

• Education, Training and Employment Award: Gold Coast Hospital & Health Services

• Emerging and Micro Business Award: The Audacious Academy

• Family Business Award: Petway Petcare

• Retail, Wholesale and Distribution Award: JSW Powersports

• Construction and Trades Award: Maco Electrics

• Professions and Services Award: GANDEN Engineers and Project Managers

• Health and Wellbeing Award: Medical Rescue

• IT and Digital Business Award: Five by Five

The awards, now in their 27th year, aim to foster pride in the city’s business community and highlight its important as a business hub. Some of the city’s best-known companies can claim to have been winners.