THE 30 Most Influential People of 2018 in the Gympie region are about to be revealed, starting with a sneak peek this Saturday.

The results could come as a surprise to some, but other will no doubt nod their head and say, "yes". There was plenty of debate and discussion around the final list last year, and there are lots of new faces on this year's Most Influential.

CLICK HERE: Not everyone agreed with who missed out on making last year's list

POWER 30: Big business meets small town

The key to this list is the word "influential". A secret committee comprised of business and political leaders, as well as a senior staff member of The Gympie Times, decided on the final list of 30 and the ranking of everybody on it.

Gympie's most influential No 9-16

Gympie's most influential No 22-30

Who will be the newcomers this year? Who will miss out? Who will you think should have been included? Read the list and have your say. We want to hear it. We know lists like these are subjective and it is impossible to come up with a final result that everybody agrees with.

Maybe you think YOU should be on the list. If you do, please let us know. Comment below this article or send an email to editor@gympietimes.com.

Across sport, education, health, business, politics and industry, the people who have made this year's list are not necessarily famous or well known, or the most hard working or doing the best things for the best causes - they are influencers in various shapes and sizes.

GYMPIE'S POWER 30: The full list of the most influential people of 2017

The very different 2018 list will be progressively revealed starting with a sneak peek at No 30 this Saturday on The Gympie Times website, and next Tuesday in print, with the entire list and profiles on each person in a special liftout in next Saturday's The Gympie Times, September 29.

Email the newsroom at editor@gympietimes.com or post your suggestions on Facebook.