PCB Connect Expo Case Study | Sovereign Manufacturing Event

Case Study: PCB Connect

Building a National Conversation Around Sovereign Manufacturing

PCB Connect was never just an event.

It began as a strategic conversation about Australia’s sovereign electronics manufacturing future and grew into a national forum connecting industry, government, education and defence stakeholders.

Working with Regional Development Australia Moreton Bay and Sunshine Coast, Hark Communications supported PCB Connect from early concept development through to campaign delivery, stakeholder communications, event collateral, media visibility and on-the-ground execution.

PCB Connect attendees and organisers at the Queensland Air Museum — PCB Connect brought together industry, government and defence stakeholders.

The objective was clear: bring national attention to the Moreton Bay and Sunshine Coast region’s advanced manufacturing capability and help position the region as an important contributor to Australia’s sovereign manufacturing strategy.

The result was a high-impact forum and expo that brought together more than 200 full-day registrations, 23 exhibitors, 26 speakers, 38 Roundtable participants and national industry attention.

The Challenge

PCB Connect graphic explaining Australia’s printed circuit board manufacturing challenge — Turning a technical supply chain issue into a national capability conversation.

PCB Connect needed to do more than fill a room.

The project needed to bring people into a complex conversation about sovereign manufacturing, printed circuit board supply chains and Australia’s future industrial capability.

The challenge was that the topic was highly technical, but the audience was broad. It needed to speak to defence primes, advanced manufacturers, government representatives, education providers, industry associations, exhibitors, sponsors and future workforce groups.

For many people, PCB manufacturing is not immediately visible. It sits behind the systems, platforms and technologies that support defence, aerospace, automation, medical technology and advanced electronics.

Hark’s role was to help turn that technical issue into a clear, compelling and commercially relevant industry conversation.

This meant developing the message, shaping the event narrative, coordinating communications, supporting stakeholder engagement and building the assets needed to move the project from early discussions to a credible national platform.

By the Numbers

These numbers make it obvious that it was not “just organising speakers”.

PCB Connect event statistics showing registrations, exhibitors, speakers and marketing engagement — Key event highlights and campaign results from PCB Connect.

205 full-day registrations
23 exhibitors
26 speakers
38 Roundtable participants
40 volunteers supporting delivery
123 attendees at the AIDN and MEFSC combined meeting and networking session
300 printed flyers distributed on the day
4 newsletters and 5 direct emails sent to more than 160 subscribers
226 landing page views
3,622 LinkedIn impressions across RDA campaign posts
13.05% LinkedIn engagement rate
42 external account mentions
Channel 7 media coverage with 3,800 views

What We Delivered

1. Strategic Positioning and Event Narrative

Hark helped shape the strategic positioning for PCB Connect, ensuring the event was presented as more than a manufacturing showcase. The messaging focused on sovereign capability, supply chain resilience, advanced manufacturing and the role of the Moreton Bay and Sunshine Coast region in Australia’s industrial future.

PCB Connect event branding for the sovereign capability forum and expo — Strategic positioning helped give PCB Connect a clear industry purpose.

This gave PCB Connect a clear purpose and helped stakeholders understand why the conversation mattered.

2. Stakeholder and Partner Communications

PCB Connect required alignment across a wide range of organisations, including Regional Development Australia Moreton Bay and Sunshine Coast, AIDN, MEFSC, industry partners, exhibitors, speakers and government-adjacent stakeholders.

Channel 7 filming at PCB Connect with industry attendees and aircraft display — PCB Connect attracted industry attention and mainstream media coverage.

Hark supported the communications needed to bring these groups into the same conversation and keep the project moving with consistency and clarity.

This included messaging for industry stakeholders, event partners, speakers, exhibitors, sponsors and attendees.

3. Campaign Planning and Digital Promotion

PCB Connect campaign materials displayed on a digital screen — Digital campaign assets helped promote the event and drive engagement.

Hark supported the campaign strategy and promotional activity across LinkedIn, newsletters, direct emails, website content, registration pages, partner promotions and PR/media activity.

The event report shows the campaign included email campaigns, social media, website and registration pages, partner promotions and PR/media coverage.

Campaign activity helped drive awareness, registrations and stakeholder engagement before the event.

4. Event Branding, Collateral and On-the-Ground Assets

PCB Connect media wall and branded event collateral — Consistent event branding supported a professional forum and expo experience.

Hark developed and supported practical event assets that helped PCB Connect feel credible, structured and professional on the day.

PCB Connect branded feather banners for the forum and expo — Event signage created a consistent branded experience on the day.

This included visual content, email banners, LinkedIn banners, media wall, feather banners, expo and forum flyers, event maps, schedules,

PCB Connect social media tiles and email campaign graphics — Campaign assets supported pre-event awareness and stakeholder communication.

coffee vouchers and meal vouchers. The event report notes 7 visuals, 6 email banners and 12 LinkedIn banners, along with media wall, feather banners, expo/forum flyers and event-day vouchers.

PCB Connect event landing page and registration content — The event landing page supported registrations, updates and stakeholder engagement.

These assets supported both the attendee experience and the broader event identity.

PCB Connect event map, schedule and digital flyer designs — Event flyers helped attendees navigate the forum, expo and program.

5. Event Coordination and Delivery Support

Connect event setup and expo delivery at the Queensland Air Museum — On-the-ground event delivery helped bring the forum and expo to life.

Hark also supported the practical delivery of the event, helping coordinate the moving parts required to bring the forum and expo to life.

This included coordination around attendees, exhibitors, event timing, collateral, communications and on-the-ground support.

The final event included 205 full-day registrations, 23 exhibitors, 40 volunteers, 26 speakers, 5 morning industry sessions, 9 afternoon and evening sessions and an AIDN and MEFSC combined meeting and networking session.

6. Media, PR and Post-Event Storytelling

The PCB Connect story extended beyond the event itself, with media visibility helping take the sovereign manufacturing conversation to a wider audience.

Hark supported the post-event narrative through media and PR activity, helping communicate the significance of the event, the regional manufacturing opportunity and the need for sovereign PCB capability in Australia.

The event received Channel 7 coverage, referenced publicly by Elexon Electronics and recorded in the event review at 3,800 views. The story also gained print media attention through The Courier Mail.

Channel 7 coverage helped extend the PCB Connect conversation beyond the event.

This helped reinforce PCB Connect as more than a one-day forum. It became a platform for broader public and industry awareness around sovereign electronics manufacturing.

The Project Outcome

PCB Connect successfully transformed a complex supply chain issue into a visible national industry conversation.

The project helped Regional Development Australia Moreton Bay and Sunshine Coast bring together government, defence, education and industry stakeholders around a shared sovereign manufacturing challenge.

For Hark, the work demonstrated the depth required to deliver a strategic industry event properly. It was not just logistics. It required early-stage thinking, message development, partner communication, campaign planning, digital promotion, collateral development, event delivery, media engagement and post-event storytelling.

PCB Connect created a platform for future conversations around sovereign PCB capability, regional advanced manufacturing and Australia’s ability to build more resilient industrial supply chains.

PCB Connect forum and expo audience with event branding — PCB Connect created a platform for future sovereign manufacturing conversations.

What’s Next?

PCB Connect created momentum that now needs to continue.

The next stage is about building on the relationships, insights and visibility created through the forum. That includes continuing the communique conversation, supporting further industry engagement and exploring opportunities through national platforms such as Avalon, Electronex and Australian Manufacturing Week.

For Regional Development Australia Moreton Bay and Sunshine Coast, PCB Connect helped demonstrate how a regionally led initiative can contribute to a national sovereign capability discussion.

For Hark, it reflects the role strategic communications can play in technical industries: helping complex ideas become clear, credible and actionable.

PCB Connect future roadmap for sovereign manufacturing engagement — The next stage focuses on maintaining momentum and building industry alignment.

Preparing for Your Next Industry Event

Technical and industry-led events need more than a run sheet.

They need strategy, clear messaging, stakeholder alignment, campaign structure, strong content and communication before, during and after the event.

Hark helps organisations turn complex ideas into clear campaigns, credible industry platforms and meaningful engagement.

If you are planning an industry forum, capability campaign or technical event, Hark can help shape the message and support the delivery.

Contact Hark Communications to discuss your next industry event or capability campaign.