The event takes place in Melbourne in just over ten weeks, from December 3 to December 5, at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
So far, primarily high-profile keynotes from outside the industry as well as beyond-industry subject matter experts have been attached to the program, with plenty more sessions still to be publicly announced.
Leadership and change expert Holly Ransom has been confirmed on the program, as has performance poet, Joel McKerrow, while Australian journalist, Tracey Spicer AM, will MC the conference.
Generational strategist, Scott Millar, will deliver two sessions about multi-generational workforces while AI expert, Dawid Naude, from Pathfindr AI, will return to the conference for a second year, to provide an artificial intelligence update alongside practical AI tips, similar to what was presented in the fascinating Pathfindr sessions from 2024.
Disruption expert, Domenic Thurbon, will close the conference by discussing behaviour change in disruptive times.
From within the industry, Nigel Collin will moderate a cross-industry plenary workshop centred on the conference theme, partnering with impact.
“Partner with impact is more than a theme, it’s an invitation,” said ABEA CEO, Melissa Brown.
“This conference is where meaningful partnerships are formed, future visions are shared and our community comes together to advance a prosperous and sustainable business events industry.”
Sustainability and accessibility are also on the agenda for the conference.
The ceremony announcing the winners of the Australian Business Events Awards, for which entries are currently open to ABEA members, will take place alongside the conference program, on Thursday December 4 at the convention centre.
Conference registration is open to both members and non-members of ABEA, with early bird rates available until October 14.
ABEA’s conference will slightly overlap with Australia Next, Tourism Australia’s international incentive showcase, which is also taking place in Melbourne and wraps up with a final dinner in the evening of December 3. ABEA has programmed its welcome function on December 3 to allow industry to attend both events.
