Energise, Enhance and Connect at Volunteering Victoria’s 2019 State Conference

With only a few months to go until its second state conference, Volunteering Victoria is thrilled to announce an impressive lineup of speakers that will energise, enhance and connect the volunteering sector in Victoria.  

A two-day event featuring keynote addresses (including by Susan Alberti AC), panel discussions, breakout sessions, a Great Debate and more, the conference is a wonderful opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the outstanding contribution of volunteer leadership in Victoria.

By exploring the best of current and emerging practices, the state conference plays a vital role in providing professional development opportunities to leaders of the volunteer workforce.

Being a leader in the volunteer sector means being able to adapt to change and welcome in new members of the community to the volunteer workforce.

It’s important all those with an interest in a vibrant, inclusive and resilient volunteering sector collaborate to provide a formidable, fearless and representative voice for volunteering. 

Through the lens of energise, enhance, connect, the state conference aims to:

• energise participants in their practice as leaders and managers of volunteering;
• enhance volunteer leadership and management practice, with sessions and activities to boost knowledge and skills; and
• focus on connection and the leading role that volunteering is playing to address social isolation and loneliness.

The conference will also tackle how volunteer leaders can connect inside and outside their organisations to improve their effectiveness.

Who’s speaking?

Susan Alberti AC will give the opening keynote address on day one of the conference, with Sophie Renton from McCrindle featuring as keynote speaker on day two. Sophie is the lead researcher at McCrindle, which has just released the 2019 Australian Community Trends Report.

Other speakers and panellists on the program include Richard Dent (CEO Leadership Victoria), Hang Vo (CEO White Lion), Bashif Kouns (general manager Western Bulldogs Community Foundation), Viv Cunningham-Smith (CEO Eastern Volunteers), and Penny Harrison (director Volunteering at Australian Red Cross).

More speaker and program announcements will be made soon.

About the 2017 State Conference

“It was an excellent conference, we were spoiled for choice. The mix of activities was helpful with maintaining engagement, focus and energy and also promoted mingling. It was great to see representatives from state government volunteer program departments in attendance. This cohort has tended to be absent, and so this appeared to be a positive indicator of stronger relationships that gives cause to be optimistic about the prospects for better collaboration and coordination across the sector in the future. Thanks for all the hard work.” – Attendee from the 2017 State Conference.

To register and/or apply to present

The conference will be held from 20 to 21 June at Pullman Melbourne on the Park.

Early Bird registrations are now open on the conference website. Ensure your register before 30 April to save over $100 on the ticket price.

Volunteering Victoria is also calling for applications from suitably qualified persons to deliver short presentations during breakout sessions.  

For more information about applying to present, registering, or the conference program, please visit: vvstateconference.org.au