2026 SCA AUSTRALASIA CONFERENCE
PROGRAM

Monday 20 April 2026

1800-2100 - Welcome Cocktail Function

Sponsored by Macquarie Bank

Where: National Wine Centre of Australia

Dress Code: Cocktail Attire

Tuesday 21 April 2026

0700 - Registration Desk

0730 - Exhibition Open

0910-0925 - Welcome by MC

Stephen Yarwood

0925-0930 - Official Conference Opening Welcome

Joshua Baldwin, Australasian President, SCA Australasia

Alisha Fisher, Australasian CEO, SCA Australasia

0930-1030 - KEYNOTE: Leading with Fire

Leadership is tested most when conditions are harsh, expectations are high, and failure is not an option. Drawing on powerful lessons from one of the most extreme and unforgiving environments on earth, this opening keynote uses vivid stories and striking parallels to explore what courageous leadership looks like under pressure. It examines how professionalism and culture are revealed in moments of uncertainty, setting a powerful tone for conversations about leadership and the future of the strata profession.

1030-1110 - Morning Tea

1110-1150 - The Hard Truth About Retention

Staff turnover is rarely just a people problem, it is a business risk. This session cuts through surface explanations to examine how workplace culture directly influences retention, performance, and business strength. Using live polling and global research insights, it explores the hidden costs of turnover, why exit interviews often fail to reveal the truth, and how culture shapes decisions long before resignation letters appear. Honest and evidence-led, this session reframes retention as a leadership responsibility and positions strong culture as essential infrastructure for a stable, resilient, and successful strata management business.

1150-1230 - Long Term Business Strength

Business value is not created at the point of sale. It is built over time through decisions about structure, governance, people, and risk. Exploring the key drivers that influence business value in the strata sector, including financial performance, client concentration, systems, leadership depth, and culture, this session draws on current M&A trends and succession considerations. The discussion examines how owners can position their businesses for transition, growth, or exit. Practical and forward-looking, this session invites leaders to think critically about longevity, resilience, and value creation beyond day-to-day operations.

1230-1340 - Lunch

1340-1350 - The Future of Connectivity

Connectivity is now essential infrastructure in strata communities, shaping how residents live, work, and engage at home. This short update from nbn explores the future of connectivity and the at-home experience for strata residents, highlighting the role resilient digital infrastructure plays in supporting reliability, safety, and long-term community outcomes. The session provides a forward-looking snapshot of what strata leaders need to understand as expectations around connectivity continue to evolve.

1350-1430 - Service Recovery Mastery

Complaints are inevitable in strata, but dissatisfaction doesn’t have to be. This highly interactive session explores how effective service recovery can transform difficult moments into opportunities to build trust, loyalty, and advocacy. Examining common complaint triggers, emotional dynamics, and the behaviours that escalate or defuse conflict; there will be practical and skills-focused discussion to reframe complaints as a leadership and service capability, showing how the right response at the right moment can strengthen relationships and professional credibility.

1430-1510 - What Clients Really Want (But Rarely Tell You)

Clients often share concerns only when something goes wrong and even then, the full truth is rarely spoken. This panel session offers candid insight into what clients value, what frustrates them, and where service expectations are quietly shifting. The discussion explores real client experiences, decision-making triggers, and trust drivers in strata relationships. Honest and unfiltered, this session challenges assumptions and creates space for reflection on how service delivery can evolve to better meet client needs.

1510-1540 - Afternoon Tea

1540-1640 - Small Actions, Lasting Impact

Accountability is rarely demonstrated in policies, frameworks, or statements of intent. It shows up in everyday decisions, small actions, and how responsibility is taken when no one is watching. This end-of-day session explores how individual and collective accountability strengthens businesses and lifts professional standards across an industry. Drawing on case studies from other sectors, it examines how small, intentional actions can create credibility and long-term impact.

1640-1645 - Day 1 Close by MC

Stephen Yarwood

1800-2100 - Street Eats & Beats Social Function

Where: Plant 4 Bowden

Dress Code: Smart Casual

Wednesday 22 April 2026

0800 - Exhibition Opens & Registration Opens for Wednesday Delegates

0930-0940 - Day 2 Welcome by MC

Stephen Yarwood

0940-1030 - KEYNOTE: The Age of Reinvention

The forces reshaping professional services are no longer emerging, they are already here. This keynote confronts the reality that standing still is no longer a viable strategy for strata businesses. Drawing on disruption and transformation lessons from other service industries, The Age of Reinvention challenges leaders to rethink how value is created, delivered, and sustained. With sharp insight and practical provocation, this session reframes reinvention not as a future project, but as an immediate leadership responsibility for businesses that want to remain relevant, resilient, and competitive.

1030-1100 - Morning Tea

1100-1130 - From Service Provider to Powerhouse

The strata sector is evolving beyond administration and compliance. This panel explores how forward-thinking strata businesses are redefining their role. Moving from service providers to strategic partners. The discussion examines how branding, positioning, and trust shape business value and market relevance. Drawing on real experiences from leaders across management firms, this session challenges traditional perceptions of strata management and invites participants to rethink how their business creates, communicates, and delivers value.

1130-1210 - Scaling Without Breaking – Growth That Lasts

Growth is often celebrated but unmanaged growth can quietly erode culture, compliance, and client trust. This session explores what it takes to scale a strata business without breaking the systems, people, and governance that underpin long-term success. This session brings together professional insight and real-world experience to examine the frameworks that support sustainable growth, including governance, resourcing, and compliance discipline. Practical and reflective, it challenges leaders to assess whether their business is truly ready to grow and what must be strengthened before scale accelerates.

1210-1320 - Lunch

1320-1400 - Leading without Authority

Strata managers are required to lead in environments where authority is limited, decisions are shared, and influence matters more than control. This closing keynote explores the psychology behind influence, persuasion, and behavioural leadership, and why credibility, honesty, and trust are more powerful than position or title. Drawing on behavioural insights and real-world application, this session reframes influence as a professional skill that can be learned, strengthened, and used responsibly. It closes the conference by equipping participants with practical tools to guide committees and communities toward better decisions and stronger outcomes.