Connecting up the NFP sector

The Connecting Up Conference will run at Melbourne Convention Centre and Pan Pacific Melbourne in May and features a staggering line-up of high-profile speakers, including the new ACNC commissioner Sue Woodward. 

The Connecting Up Conference will return to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on 10-12 May 2023. 

This three-day interactive event, billed as Australia’s leading not-for-profit technology conference, will empower not for profits to ensure they have the technology, skills and strategies they need to succeed. It includes a full day of masterclass ‘super sessions’ on Wednesday 10 May, allowing delegates to deep dive on two topics from sessions including IT strategy, cybersecurity, marketing, impactful data use and leadership.

High profile plenary and panel presenters already confirmed include: 

• Sue Woodward AM, commissioner of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits  Commission (ACNC), will deliver the opening keynote on Thursday 11 May. 
• Professor Sarah Pink, Professor of Design and Emerging Technologies and Founding  Director of the Emerging Technologies Research Lab, will deliver an innovation keynote. 
• Ally Watson OAM, CEO and founder of Code Like A Girl, will deliver the opening keynote on Friday 12 May. 
• Karen Mahlab AM, founder of Pro Bono Australia, will facilitate the panel session  Purpose, Politics and Pandemics: The Art of Communications in Times of Crisis on Friday 12 May.  
• Cassandra Hatton, COO at St Vincent de Paul Society will deliver the leadership stream on Friday 12 May. 
• Professor Anthony McCosker, Chief investigator in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society at Swinburne University of Technology, will deliver a ‘data maturity assessment’ stream on Friday 12 May.
• Also confirmed are security and marketing presentations by PwC Australia and Alecia Hancock Consulting.

You can read the full program here. 

The conference also includes the annual Australian Not-For-Profit Technology Awards gala dinner, which takes place on Thursday 11 May at Pan Pacific Melbourne.

The Australian Not-for-Profit Technology Awards recognise the most impactful uses of technology by individuals and organisations supporting the Australia not-for-profit sector.

The awards are open for nominations to not-for-profit, government and private organisations and recognise nine categories, including Technology Lifetime Service Award, Best Accidental IT Person, Technology Innovator of the Year, and Best Technology Achievement by a First Nations Person.

Register before 28 February to receive early bird discount on all conference sessions.