Hellenic Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

12/10/2026

⭐️ If you have ever been to the annual HACCI Excellence Awards 🏆 Gala Ball, you know that you can expect top-class 🎶entertainment.

⭐️ This year, we’re bringing you one of the most acclaimed modern 🇬🇷 Greek singers, Nefeli Fasouli, flying ✈️ straight from Athens to Melbourne!

⭐️ Equally at ease at the stage of an entekhno - laïkó venue, an open-air 🎵 jazz festival, or a rock club, Nefeli Fasouli has become one of the defining voices of contemporary Athens.

⭐️ A versatile vocalist who made a name for herself 🎙️ working with singer-songwriters like Fivos Delivorias, laïkó champions like Dimitris Bassis, introspective entekhno craftsmen like Antonis Apergis, and the legendary Maria Farantouri, Nefeli has built a unique and ever-expanding songbook 🎶 blending the traditional styles with modern pop, rock, and jazz references.

🎼Her music is in constant conversation with the past 🏺 bringing timeless ideas to the here and now.

🎼Her latest project, ‘Wyrd’, echoes the 1960s soundscape, looking at the Greek and oriental rhythms and modes through a psychedelic 🪩 pop kaleidoscope.

⭐️ On her first visit to Australia, Nefeli Fasouli is making a stop at the Plaza Ballroom on Friday 13 November, to take the stage at the THE 2026 HACCI EXCELLENCE AWARDS GALA BALL 🎉 and take our guests on a musical trip through Athens After Dark.

🌟 Join her and join us: enjoy the music, savour the three-course gourmet meal, and raise a glass of excellent🍷 w**e - from one of Greece's best w**e-makers, Nico Lazaridi Winery - to honour the HACCI Excellence Award winners.

🌟 Celebrate the best and brightest among our vibrant community, and enjoy a night of cultural pride, connection, dancing 💃🏻🕺 and glamour.

⭐️ Book your 🎟️ tickets now 👉https://events.humanitix.com/thehaccis2026

08/10/2026

02/10/2026

🌟 You asked for it - you got it!

🌟 An extension to the 🏆 HACCI Excellence Awards 🏆 Nominations deadline!

🌟 Do you know any exceptional Greek professionals?
🌟 A visionary business leader? A groundbreaking woman of influence? A resilient champion of athletic spirit? A solutions-driven innovator? An inspired and inspirational young achiever?
🌟 Someone who needs to be brought to the spotlight? Whose mind, work, actions, and legacy need to be acknowledged and celebrated?
�🏆 Nominate them for a 2026 HACCI Excellence Award until Monday 5 October, 11.59pm -- this is the final call!

📝 Find the nomination form here 👉https://www.hacci.com.au/nominations-form

30/09/2026

🏆 At the 2025 HACCI Excellence Awards, the Hon. Christopher Kourakis AC SC was presented with the Professional Excellence Award for his ongoing contribution to Australia’s legal field.

🌟 A respected jurist, reformer, and mentor, His Honour is the first Greek Australian appointed Chief Justice of South Australia, serving in the role from 2012 until February 2026.

🌟 In a distinguished career spanning four decades, he has championed inclusion, modernised court processes, and inspired countless legal professionals, particularly those from diverse and migrant backgrounds.

🌟 In January 2026, Justice Kourakis was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia for eminent service to the judiciary and legal reform, social justice and gender equity, and community engagement.

🌟 Since stepping down from the Chief Justice role, His Honour practices as a mediator across South Australia, Victoria, and Western Australia. Last month, he was appointed Royal Commissioner, leading the Victorian inquiry into the Integrity of Major Public and Civil Infrastructure Construction Projects.

🌟 Do you know anyone like the Hon. Chris Kourakis? Someone who makes a distinctive mark on their professional field? Someone whose conduct redefines and shapes what is considered best practice? A remarkable professional who leads by example and inspires their peers?

🏆 Let us know. Nominate them today for the 2026 HACCI Professional Excellence Award.

📝 Find the nomination form here 👉https://www.hacci.com.au/nominations-form

29/09/2026

🌟 Paul Nicolaou has spent most of his long, illustrious career helping businesses thrive while contributing to the vitality and wellbeing of the broader community.

🌟 Currently serving as Executive Director of Business Sydney, Paul has spent decades shaping the nation’s business landscape through roles with the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Australian Hotels Association, the Australian Marketing Institute, and the UNSW Foundation.

🌟 Beyond his professional achievements, Paul is recognised for his deep commitment to philanthropy and advocacy. His work tackling homelessness through the Vinnies CEO Sleepout has raised more than $575,000, directly supporting thousands of Australians in crisis. He has also called for a Commissioner for Homelessness in NSW and led campaigns to convert unused government buildings into housing.

🏆 At the 2025 HACCI Excellence Awards, Paul Nicolaou was presented with the Community Service Award in recognition of his generosity, his limitless energy, and his outstanding contribution to business and community life in Australia.

🌟 Do you know anyone like Paul? Someone committed to supporting others? A dedicated humanist, who values community and understands how all professional activity is first and foremost a contribution to the social fabric? An advocate for issues that matter?

🏆 Let us know. Nominate them today for the 2026 HACCI Excellence Award for Community Service.

📝 Find the nomination form here 👉https://www.hacci.com.au/nominations-form

29/09/2026

Our valued Chamber Partner, Bank of Sydney, explores the current forces shaping Australia’s economic outlook, from the AI investment boom and construction activity to interest rates, as Consulting Economist, Ivan Colhoun, unpacks what it all means for Australian businesses.

👉 Read the full article: https://www.banksyd.com.au/about-us/news/2026/the-ai-investment-boom-construction-and-interest-rates/

28/09/2026

🌟 Born in Anemotia, a mountain village in Lesvos, Eugenia Mitrakas has been making history throughout a legal career spanning over five decades.

🌟 In 1972, just five months after her admission to practice, she became the first Greek female solicitor in Australia. Since then, she established her own firm, EMR Mitrakas, one of the most trusted practices for the Greek Australian community and multicultural clients.

🌟 She has been among the founders of three landmark organisations: the Greek Professionals Association, the Australian Greek Welfare Society (now trading as PRONIA), and the Australian Greek Society for Care of the Elderly (Fronditha); she has been instrumental in the introduction of Modern Greek to Melbourne University.

🌟 Throughout her career, she has mentored generations of female lawyers and advocated for gender equity, flexible work, and diversity in the legal profession. Her service has been recognised with the Medal of the Order of Australia and international honours.

🏆 At the 2025 HACCI Excellence Awards, Eugenia Mitrakas received the HACCI Woman of Influence Award for her incredible professional trajectory and her commitment to uplifting the Greek Australian community.

🌟 Do you know anyone like Eugenia? A woman who does not shy away from challenges? Who fights for gender equity and fairness? A trailblazer who paves the way for women following her footsteps?

🏆 Let us know. Nominate her until Wednesday 30 September, 11.59pm.

📝 Find the nomination form here 👉https://www.hacci.com.au/nominations-form

24/09/2026

Costa Vasili is the founder and CEO of Ethnolink, one the Australia’s largest multicultural communications agencies, delivering services in over 150 languages.

🌟 Raised in the City of Greater Dandenong, Costa was just 20 years of age when he launched Ethnolink in 2011, driven by his Cypriot heritage and community roots, and committed to breaking down language and cultural barriers. His work has ensured millions of Australians can access vital information, from public health updates to emergency services, in their own language.

🌟 Recognised on the Victorian Multicultural Honour Roll in 2024, Costa continues to influence national conversations on language, technology, and inclusion through his advisory roles at Monash University, RMIT, AALC, and Entrepreneurs’ Organisation. His bold vision has redefined how Australia communicates with its multicultural communities and inspired a new generation of socially conscious leaders.

🏆 At the 2025 HACCI Excellence Awards, Costa Vasili was recognised as the 2025 Young Achiever for his leadership in building a more inclusive Australia.

🌟 Do you know anyone like Costa? A young professional making a significant mark on their field? A natural leader, who inspires their peers and never lets their eyes off their vision? Someone who dreams big and acts bigger? Someone who deserves the 2026 Chris Saristavros Young Achiever Award?

🏆 Let us know. Nominate them today.

📝 Find the nomination form here 👉https://www.hacci.com.au/nominations-form

21/09/2026

One of our most loyal, longest-standing members, SalaryMasters has a very special message for you:
You might not need a new car to save on tax - the question most people don't ask.

✅ When people think about salary packaging a car, they often assume they need to find a new car and enter into a traditional novated lease arrangement.
This works well as a tax saving strategy if you are set on getting a new vehicle, but if this isn’t you, there is another question worth asking:

✅ “Can I salary package the family car I already own?”

👍 The answer maybe yes — and the potential difference to your household 💵 cash flow could be significant.

🚘 In simple terms, a Family Car Benefit (also known as an Associate Lease) can allow a vehicle owned by your spouse, partner or adult child to be leased to your employer and incorporated into a salary packaging arrangement, with no finance involved.

✅ Depending on your salary, the vehicle and your household circumstances, the potential benefit 💵 can be thousands of dollars per year.
💰For some families, that could mean $15,000–$30,000+ worth of tax savings over five years.

✅ So the question is: are you leaving money on the table 💸 by simply paying for your family car’s operating expenses from after-tax income?

💵 SalaryMasters have put together a simple guide explaining how the Family Car Benefit works, who should consider one, and what the potential savings could look like.
👉 Read the full article in the latest edition of the HACCI newsletter: https://preview.mailerlite.io/preview/1210390/emails/195650693364713172

💰 If you’re keen to know how much you could save - let’s run the numbers 🧮 now, obligation free.
👉 Get a calculation here: https://wasp.wakefieldtech.net/web/mainportal/associate-lease/welcome/