Good 'Advertising and Selling' practices in rural and regional Australia are the focus of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's Competing Fairly Forum broadcasting across Australia on Tuesday 2 October 2001.
The forums are a popular element of the ACCC's program to communicate and work with rural and regional communities.
The third Competing Fairly Forum will be broadcast live via satellite to more than 80 towns across rural and regional Australia. In each participating town, community leaders, business people, advisers and consumers will take part in the forum via the Sky Channel Business Television Network.
The aims of the forum are to provide accessible information to rural and regional businesses and consumers, to present issues that are relevant to these communities, and to obtain feedback about trade practices concerns.
The forum is an initiative of the ACCC with the support of a wide range of business groups, local government and community organisations. Mr George Negus will again act as host and ACCC Chairman, Professor Allan Fels, will head a representative panel.
'Advertising and selling', the topic of a new ACCC publication, will be the focus of the October forum. Honest advertising and selling practices benefit both small business and consumers. Wrong information can mislead and take advantage of the buyer. The Trade Practices Act 1974 sets ground rules for good advertising and selling practices.
ACCC Small Business Commissioner, Mr John Martin, says the Forum gives regional business operators the chance not just to listen, but to also ask questions.
"The encouragement of good advertising and selling practices is important to the majority of businesses which follow ethical business practices and suffer an unfair disadvantage in competing with any businesses which flout this part of the Trade Practices Act".
The term 'advertising and selling' covers a wide variety of commercial activities including media advertisements, oral representations, the Internet and door-to-door selling. The panel of representatives from the ACCC and industry associations will discuss these activities. The discussion will also include recent court decisions and ideas to help businesses to know their rights and responsibilities under the Trade Practices Act.