EXPLORE THE 2026 PROGRAMME

Wednesday 4 February 2026
8:30 – 10:00

Arrivals and Networking

Location marker Rivershed
8:30 – 10:00

Arrivals and Networking

Location marker Rivershed
10:00 – 10:20

Welcome to Country

Location marker Rivershed
10:00 – 10:20

Welcome to Country

Location marker Rivershed
10:20 – 10:50

From Governance to Game Day: The Chair to Performance Journey

Click for more information

World Rugby

Rugby Australia

Location marker Rivershed
10:20 – 10:50

From Governance to Game Day: The Chair to Performance Journey

Click for more information

  • How alignment looks at the top drives: uncover what approaches ensure boardroom, executive, and performance leadership are pulling in the same direction
  • Turning strategy into action: learn from real examples how vision and priorities are translated into outcomes, what’s worked, what’s not
  • Learning the Language: how deliberate rhythms, trade-offs, and conversations have impacted performance both in Australia and globally

World Rugby

Rugby Australia

Location marker Rivershed
10:50 – 11:20

The Art of Taking the Piss (Professionally): The Shepmates Approach

Click for more information

Leaders

Content Creators

Location marker Rivershed
10:50 – 11:20

The Art of Taking the Piss (Professionally): The Shepmates Approach

Click for more information

Coming Soon

Leaders

Content Creators

Location marker Rivershed
11:20 – 11:45

Coffee Break

Location marker Rivershed
11:20 – 11:45

Coffee Break

Location marker Rivershed
11:50 – 12:25

The QB Way: Learning Environments for and from Young Talent

Click for more information

Queensland Ballet

British Cycling

Location marker Rivershed
11:50 – 12:25

The QB Way: Learning Environments for and from Young Talent

Click for more information

  • No matter which industry, if a young talented performer is starting to show the ability, potential and aspiration for higher performance levels, building a support structure around them is critical to their holistic development.
  • We’ll look outside of sport to learn lessons from other talent development hotbeds, to compare and contrast how they nurture potential in their worlds.
  • From mentoring and reflective practice, to creating pressure and learning from failure, this will be a blueprint on how to develop emerging talent.

Queensland Ballet

British Cycling

Location marker Rivershed
12:25 – 15:00

Sports Marketing in 2026: A Big Bang on a Small Buck

Click for more information

12:25 – 15:00

Sports Marketing in 2026: A Big Bang on a Small Buck

Click for more information

A private, interactive, facilitated session for a select group of senior executives from rights holders, broadcasters and brands, including Tennis Australia, FIBA, Brisbane Broncos, Professional Fighters League and Seven to share ideas and solve mutual challenges, covering:

    • Tactics for maximising the input-to-impact dynamic.
    • Punching above your weight on the world stage
    • A new equation for the reach vs revenue dilemma

This is Invitation Only.

14:00 – 14:45

Pressure Point: Training for Those Critical Moments

Click for more information

Australian Olympic Team

Cricket Australia

Red Bull

Location marker Rivershed
14:00 – 14:45

Pressure Point: Training for Those Critical Moments

Click for more information

  • How do you train for critical moments in sport? How much is luck and intuition, and how much is training or immaculate judgement?
  • It takes a certain type of person to keep calm under that intense pressure and thrive in these intense conditions – and usually the world’s best athletes are these types of people.
  • We’ll hear from one of the world’s best performers on strategic thinking, trusting intuition and managing risk.

Australian Olympic Team

Cricket Australia

Red Bull

Location marker Rivershed
14:45 – 15:00

Q&A & Roundtable: Translating Insight to Practice

Click for more information

Location marker Rivershed
14:45 – 15:00

Q&A & Roundtable: Translating Insight to Practice

Click for more information

  • An opportunity to meet informally with speakers from across the day
  • Ask the experts and go deeper on the key topics of the day
  • A chance to share ideas, challenges and build on the on-stage conversations

Location marker Rivershed
15:00 – 15:15

Afternoon Break

Location marker Rivershed
15:00 – 15:15

Afternoon Break

Location marker Rivershed
15:15 – 16:00

The Future Work Force: Tactics for Leading Teams Today & Tomorrow

Click for more information

Warwickshire CCC

Location marker Rivershed
15:15 – 16:00

The Future Work Force: Tactics for Leading Teams Today & Tomorrow

Click for more information

  • A key role we have as leaders is to help shape a healthy culture within organisations. To do this we need to have a clear vision of the culture we are trying to nurture, and we need to encourage people to speak up about what is getting in the way.
  • We also need to aware of the different ways in which we as leaders can reinforce and help embed the behaviours we want to increase.
  • So, what are Leaders getting wrong about employee motivation?

Warwickshire CCC

Location marker Rivershed
16:00 – 18:00

Drinks on The Riverfront

Location marker Rivershed
16:00 – 18:00

Drinks on The Riverfront

Location marker Rivershed
Thursday 5 February 2026
8:30 – 9:30

Arrivals and Networking

Location marker Rivershed
8:30 – 9:30

Arrivals and Networking

Location marker Rivershed
9:30 – 9:40

Welcome Back

Location marker Rivershed
9:30 – 9:40

Welcome Back

Location marker Rivershed
9:40 – 10:30

City of Winners: Celebrating the Best of Brisbane

Click for more information

Host

Brisbane Lions

Brisbane Broncos

Location marker Rivershed
9:40 – 10:30

City of Winners: Celebrating the Best of Brisbane

Click for more information

  • The ability for coaches to grow and evolve a team is fundamental in building success. But what are the key principles needed to nurture team growth?
  • In this session, we will delve into those essential strategies with two elite coaches, champions of 2025 from the NRL and AFL, touching on the importance of creating safe and inclusive environments, fostering a sense of belonging, promoting a growth mindset, and achieving substantial progress through marginal gains.

Host

Brisbane Lions

Brisbane Broncos

Location marker Rivershed
10:30 – 10:45

Q&A and Roundtable: What Do You Want Your Story To Be?

Click for more information

Location marker Rivershed
10:30 – 10:45

Q&A and Roundtable: What Do You Want Your Story To Be?

Click for more information

  • We uncover narratives that win and how teams and individuals can tell stories that unite teams and fans.

Location marker Rivershed
10:45 – 11:05

Coffee Break

Location marker Rivershed
10:45 – 11:05

Coffee Break

Location marker Rivershed
11:05 – 11:45

Intent Meets Impact: Making More of Multi-Club Strategy

Click for more information

City Football Group

Location marker Rivershed
11:05 – 11:45

Intent Meets Impact: Making More of Multi-Club Strategy

Click for more information

  • We all know there is no silver bullet or magic formula in creating winning environments. But there are people that are committed to making them.
  • This is a definitive conversation with one of the world’s most influential performance architects.
  • We’ll be uncovering what’s behind the greatest performance strategies from inception to execution.

City Football Group

Location marker Rivershed
11:45 – 12:00

Q&A and Roundtable: Making Strategy Stick with Simon

Location marker Rivershed
11:45 – 12:00

Q&A and Roundtable: Making Strategy Stick with Simon

Location marker Rivershed
12:00 – 13:15

Setting a New Global Benchmark in Risk Management, Injury Prevention and Return to Play

Click for more information

Aspetar

Aspetar

Bougainvillea House
12:00 – 13:15

Setting a New Global Benchmark in Risk Management, Injury Prevention and Return to Play

Click for more information

  • Discuss share struggles this season; the biggest injury-related risks, the role of risk management and any challenges currently faced by the audience
  • Learn from real case studies on reducing injury risk through team‑level and player‑level interventions.
  • Identify actionable steps and system‑level improvements relevant to Australian teams and leagues.
  • To enquire to attend, simply email Aidan at [email protected].

Aspetar

Aspetar

Bougainvillea House
13:20 – 13:50

Complexity 101: Seconds, Systems & Staying Ahead of Performance

Click for more information

University of the Sunshine Coast

Location marker Rivershed
13:20 – 13:50

Complexity 101: Seconds, Systems & Staying Ahead of Performance

Click for more information

  • We kick off Complexity 101 with Scott, a recognised global leader in the application of complexity and systems science approaches in sport.
  • Scott’s background and expertise includes sport science, safety science, and human factors, applied across sport, defence, road safety, AI safety and outdoor recreation. As such, Scott brings a diverse set of cross-disciplinary skills and perspectives that directly translate to help solve some of sports most persistent current and future issues.
  • This session offers practical tools for leaders and coaches to recognise hidden patterns within their performance, their teams and anticipate disruption and build adaptable performance systems.

University of the Sunshine Coast

Location marker Rivershed
13:50 – 14:15

Complexity 101: Seconds, Systems & Saving Lives

Click for more information

Queensland Ambulance Service

Location marker Rivershed
13:50 – 14:15

Complexity 101: Seconds, Systems & Saving Lives

Click for more information

  • We go behind the scenes of one of Queensland’s most critical emergency service teams to discover how they operate inside the most complex and volatile environments, where clarity of action matters more than certainty.
  • This decision‑making, system design and team communication that underpin safe, high‑quality care under extreme pressure.
  • We hear from Stephen lessons from frontline medical leadership that translate directly into any field where humans must perform flawlessly when the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Queensland Ambulance Service

Location marker Rivershed
14:15 – 14:25

Q&A: Complexity 101

14:15 – 14:25

Q&A: Complexity 101

14:25 – 14:30

Thank Yous, Connection & Close

Location marker Rivershed
14:25 – 14:30

Thank Yous, Connection & Close

Location marker Rivershed