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Summernats may not fit the mould of a traditional export product but Canberra’s annual car festival has been recognised by Australian Trade and Investment Commission for an app that has become popular overseas. As the pandemic hit, Summernats launched its burnout masters gaming app, which is based on the real life competition that happens each year at the festival. It was a pivot for the event organisers who sought to attract online revenue streams, they partnered with developers Road Burn. Summernats managing director Andy Lopez said the app had proved to be popular in the United States. “Americans have always had an immense fascination with Australian burnouts and we’d done a lot of work already to raise our profile internationally,” he said. As well as the app, Summernats has adapted its merchandise into a lifestyle brand that is sold online. “We have influencers and advocates who promote our stuff in America and we are already seeing international sales grow, which is awesome,” Mr Lopez said. “We’ve developed other revenue streams, some of which we were already doing but it became obvious it was more important to generate that income.” It comes as the 2021 festival in Canberra will be scaled back. It has been postponed until the Canberra Day weekend, March 5 to 7. There will also be a festival in Sydney, called Summernats Slam, which will be held on January 8 to 10. This year the commission recognised exporters who adapted to the challenges of 2020. Winners were chosen for their embrace of technology, the development of new products and breaking into different markets. IN OTHER NEWS: One exporter from each Australian state and territory were selected. Others included a South Australian winery that shifted its focus from the overseas market to Australia, a blanket manufacturer that pivoted to making face masks and a small Indigenous art fair that created an online platform to sell works and showcase their program. Australian Trade and Investment Commission acting chief executive Tim Beresford said the winning exporters had demonstrated resilience and a willingness to adapt. “It’s been an extremely tough year for Australian businesses working internationally. Restrictions on travel disrupted global supply chains and increased the cost of doing business,” he said. “The businesses featured in the exporter recognition program are all great examples of Australian ingenuity and determination to succeed in a year of unprecedented challenges.”
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Summernats may not fit the mould of a traditional export product but Canberra’s annual car festival has been recognised by Australian Trade and Investment Commission for an app that has become popular overseas.
As the pandemic hit, Summernats launched its burnout masters gaming app, which is based on the real life competition that happens each year at the festival.
It was a pivot for the event organisers who sought to attract online revenue streams, they partnered with developers Road Burn. Summernats managing director Andy Lopez said the app had proved to be popular in the United States.
“Americans have always had an immense fascination with Australian burnouts and we’d done a lot of work already to raise our profile internationally,” he said.
As well as the app, Summernats has adapted its merchandise into a lifestyle brand that is sold online.
“We have influencers and advocates who promote our stuff in America and we are already seeing international sales grow, which is awesome,” Mr Lopez said.
“We’ve developed other revenue streams, some of which we were already doing but it became obvious it was more important to generate that income.”
This year the commission recognised exporters who adapted to the challenges of 2020. Winners were chosen for their embrace of technology, the development of new products and breaking into different markets.
One exporter from each Australian state and territory were selected. Others included a South Australian winery that shifted its focus from the overseas market to Australia, a blanket manufacturer that pivoted to making face masks and a small Indigenous art fair that created an online platform to sell works and showcase their program.
Australian Trade and Investment Commission acting chief executive Tim Beresford said the winning exporters had demonstrated resilience and a willingness to adapt.
“It’s been an extremely tough year for Australian businesses working internationally. Restrictions on travel disrupted global supply chains and increased the cost of doing business,” he said.
“The businesses featured in the exporter recognition program are all great examples of Australian ingenuity and determination to succeed in a year of unprecedented challenges.”
