Engage. Elevate. Lead. – Highlights From Our 2026 Annual Conference

Three days of learning, connection and conversations about the future of community and stakeholder engagement.

From 27–29 October, engagement professionals from across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand came together at Sofitel Brisbane Central for Engagement Institute’s 2026 Annual Conference.

Under the theme Engage. Elevate. Lead., the conference created space to exchange practical insights, challenge established thinking and explore the opportunities and complexities shaping our profession.

Big conversations shaping engagement

This year’s programme brought together diverse perspectives on leadership, community influence and the changing expectations of engagement professionals.

Keynote speakers Dr Kirstin Ferguson AM and Lucy Bloom brought fresh perspectives on leadership, decision-making and navigating change, encouraging delegates to think beyond established approaches.

Across the programme, practitioners explored some of the profession’s most pressing challenges, including:

• Managing community engagement fatigue when multiple projects affect the same communities.
• Responding to misinformation, disinformation and increasingly polarised conversations.
• Strengthening engagement leadership and influencing decisions at a strategic level.
• Building trust and navigating social licence challenges in energy and infrastructure.
• Reflecting critically on engagement frameworks, practices and the profession’s future direction.

Sessions including One Community, Many Projects, Beyond the Brief: Leading from the Engagement Table and The Great Debate: Are We the Problem? encouraged practitioners to question assumptions and consider how engagement can continue to evolve.

Exploring the future with Engagement Cortex

A key conference highlight was the opportunity to explore Engagement Cortex, Engagement Institute’s next-generation model for contemporary community and stakeholder engagement.

Through an interactive session, delegates considered how organisation-led and community-led approaches can strengthen engagement practice.

The discussion formed part of the wider sector testing process, with practitioners invited to help shape the guidance, resources and practical examples that will support the model’s future use.

EXPLORE ENGAGEMENT CORTEX AND SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK

Celebrating excellence across our profession

The conference also provided an opportunity to recognise outstanding community and stakeholder engagement through the 2026 Engagement Excellence Awards.

Congratulations to all winners, Highly Commended recipients and finalists, particularly our major award recipients:

• Australasia Project of the Year: The Social Deck, for From Consultation to Commitment: Designing Australia’s First National Autism Strategy With the Autistic Community.
• Australasia Organisation of the Year: NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.
• Inaugural People’s Choice Award: Transport for NSW and the CPB Contractors and DT Infrastructure joint venture, for the Warringah Freeway Upgrade project.

Beyond celebrating achievement, the awards provide an opportunity to share the experiences, challenges and lessons behind meaningful engagement projects.

EXPLORE THE 2026 AWARD WINNERS AND CASE STUDIES

Connections that continue beyond the conference

While the formal programme offered valuable learning opportunities, the conversations between sessions, shared experiences and new professional connections are equally important.

Bringing practitioners together from different sectors, organisations and regions helps strengthen the relationships and collective knowledge that support our profession.

A sincere thank you to our speakers, facilitators, sponsors, exhibitors, volunteers and everyone who contributed to the conference.

Most importantly, thank you to our delegates for bringing your experience, curiosity and willingness to share ideas.

Together, we’re continuing to strengthen engagement practice and shape what comes next for our profession.

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