Engage. Elevate. Lead. — What’s In Store at the Annual Conference 2026

Two standout keynotes. Big questions for the profession. Practical sessions built around the challenges engagement professionals are facing right now. And three days with people who understand the work.

The Engagement Institute Annual Conference is coming to Brisbane from 27–29 October 2026 — and this year’s program gives you plenty of reasons to be there.

Under the theme Engage. Elevate. Lead., expect fresh thinking from beyond the profession, practical learning from people doing the work, and conversations that could change how you approach it.

Two Keynotes Worth Getting in the Room For

Dr Kirstin Ferguson AM opens the Annual Conference with a rare perspective on leadership. A former Royal Australian Air Force officer, company director and author, she has been named one of Thinkers50’s top management thinkers in the world.

Her work gets into how we lead, how we make decisions and the blind spots that shape our judgement — big questions for anyone whose work depends on people, influence and trust.

Then Lucy Bloom takes the closing keynote. An award-winning leader, author and former CEO, Bloom has led businesses and international aid organisations and built a career on challenging conventional thinking, navigating change and doing things differently.

Two very different leadership perspectives. Plenty to take back to your own practice.

Meet the keynote speakers →

Big Challenges. Practical Conversations.

Choose from breakout sessions tackling some of the biggest challenges and opportunities facing engagement practitioners right now:

• One Community, Many Projects — explore how roads, rail, renewables, transmission, housing and other major projects can engage the same communities without exhausting them.
• Beyond the Brief: Leading from the Engagement Table — learn how to build credibility, influence decisions and become a trusted strategic adviser.
• Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation — dig into what meaningful engagement looks like when misinformation, disinformation and polarisation are shaping the conversation.
• Engaging Communities in the Energy Transition — tackle engagement fatigue, competing messages and the impacts of multiple developments on regional communities.
• The Great Debate: Are We the Problem? — turn the lens on our own profession and ask whether familiar frameworks and processes always help us do better work — or sometimes get in the way.

And that’s only a taste. With First Nations partnerships and practice, community benefit, engagement leadership, award-winning projects and more also on the program, there’s plenty more to discover.

Explore the full 2026 program →

Make the Most of Every Day

• Start early with a pre-conference workshop on Tuesday, 27 October and add focused, practical learning to your conference experience.
• Get behind the scenes of award-worthy engagement as Engagement Excellence Awards finalists share the approaches, challenges and lessons behind their recognised projects.
• Swap ideas with engagement professionals from across Australia and New Zealand — people tackling similar challenges in different sectors, communities and contexts.
• Finish the day together at the Gala Dinner and Engagement Excellence Awards, celebrating outstanding work and the people moving our profession forward.

See the program, workshops and registration details →

Ready to Be Part of It?

Two standout keynotes. Practical learning. Big conversations. Award-winning practice. New connections. All packed into three days with our engagement community.

Join us in Brisbane, 27–29 October 2026.

Learn More  Secure your place