Our upcoming events
Our events
IABC Queensland hosts a range of events throughout the year, focused on building connections, skills and knowledge. IABC Members also have access to learning on offer from other chapters from across the Asia Pacific, and globally!
IN DEPTH
Keynote events with great speakers, tackling big topics!
IN TOUCH
Smaller, conversation-driven events for Members and their guests.
IN PRACTICE
Shorter, virtual events designed to build practical skills needed by communicators in all sectors.
Sustainability Reporting & You
Changes to legislation in 2024 mean that, from this year, companies must include a sustainability report in their annual reports. What does this mean for professional communicators?
IABC APAC Fusion 2025 Conference
Join us in the Philippines
We’re excited to welcome communication professionals from the Asia-Pacific region to IABC’s Fusion 2025 Conference hosted in the Philippines (Fusion25) for two dynamic days on 17 March and 18 March 2025.
Fusion 2025 is an investment in your career. It’s your opportunity to connect with your Asia Pacific communications community, learn from inspiring speakers, and celebrate the amazing cultures in our region, home to more than half of the world’s population. Join us in the Philippines for an event you won’t forget! If you attended the last Fusion Conference in Bali, Indonesia in 2023, you’ll not want to miss this next Conference.
*EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION OPEN*
Don’t miss out on savings - book your ticket now to IABC APAC Fusion 2025!
Secure your ticket to this unique event and join us in Manila 17-18 March for two days of learning, connecting, and fun!
Our speaker program is shaping up to be one of our best yet - you don’t want to miss this.
Additional discounts are available for communications professionals from low-to-middle-income countries (for both Members and Non-Members).
Check out more info and register here: http://iabcfusionconference.com
IABC Qld Sunshine Coast Mingle
If you're a communications, PR, media or marketing professional based on the Sunshine Coast, then this event is for you!
For the first time, we're bringing together the comms community on the Sunshine Coast for a relaxed, informal mingle.
NOTE - TIME / PLACE TO BE CONFIRMED
It's an opportunity to build your local network, and start to learn from others in your community!
Comms in 2025: Trends, Predictions, & Perspectives
Hear as our panel of speakers shares their insights into trends from 2024, and what we might expect in 2025.
Inaugural End of Year Book Fair
Connect with local communication authors and discover how to become an author yourself.
Cause Communications and Compassion Fatigue
Our expert panel will share strategies for cutting through apathy and forging meaningful connections in purpose-driven communications.
Accessibility Masterclasses!
Learn how to apply best-practice accessibility principles to your content to ensure it’s inclusive and accessible for every audience member.
Building a strong culture in a newly merged agency
Practical tactics and fresh perspectives for any organisation striving to build a thriving culture
Cyber Security Communications
Learn how to navigate the ins and outs of crisis communication when a cyber incident occurs.
Get to know the new Canva experience
Following the super successful Canva Create event in LA, the team from Canva are giving us the 101 on what's new on the platform, including their Magic Studio AI tools, and internal comms kits.
Lift your comms game with Virtual Reality
Get ready to pop on a headset and literally see the world of communications through a new lens as we explore how virtual reality can become a part of your communications strategies!
The ins and outs of ESG: a communicator’s toolkit
Navigating the dynamic terrain of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) is no easy feat for any organisation.
Join this engaging panel discussion to equip yourself with the knowledge, insights, and tools necessary to drive and advance ESG initiatives.
Shifting perspectives on professional networking
Do you have a love-hate relationship with networking but want to embrace it for business and personal success?
Join us to shake-up traditional thinking about professional networking.
Social Media & Website Content Accessibility Class
Learn how to apply best-practice accessibility principles to your website and digital content to ensure it’s inclusive and accessible for every audience member.
Sustainable Event Planning
In this webinar, learn the 101 knowledge and practical tips to host events that positively impact people and the planet!
2024 Kick-Off!
In the Brisbane communications community? Start your year of professional development and networking with our first event of 2024!
IABC Qld End-Of-Year Celebration
Our end-of-year event is here, and it’s exclusively for IABC Queensland members (and their guests)!
Join us for a night of celebration and connection as we toast to our shared achievements of the past year and raise a glass to the exciting opportunities that lie ahead.
Gold Quill Virtual Coaching
Writing a winning IABC Gold Quill entry
Recognized as the ultimate accolade for global communication professionals, the IABC's Gold Quill Awards are both highly sought after and tough to attain.
Don’t miss this chance to gain insights from a Gold Quill award recipient and evaluator, and turn your work to gold.
The Rubik's Cube of Reputation
IABC Qld is thrilled to present this rare opportunity to hear how global companies are using reputation management to create, accelerate, transform, and protect their brand in times of disruption.
Communicating for trust in winning workplaces
In the toughest Australian labour market we’ve seen in over 40 years, the competition around attracting and retaining talent has never been more fierce.
Find out how companies are winning the talent war with communications focussed on building trust as a key differentiator from the pack.
Not your 90s Intranet - Seven proven steps for Mondernised Intranet (Copy)
In the toughest Australian labour market we’ve seen in over 40 years, the competition around attracting and retaining talent has never been more fierce. Find out how companies are winning the talent war with communications focussed on building trust as a key differentiator from the pack.
IABC Asia Pacific Fusion Conference 2023
We’re excited to welcome communication professionals from the Asia-Pacific region to IABC’s Fusion 2023 Conference! Fusion 2023 is your opportunity to connect with your regional communications community, learn from inspiring speakers, and celebrate the amazing cultures within our region. Join us in Bali, Indonesia, from 4-5 September for an event you won’t forget!
Communication disrupted: The impact of generative AI and automation
Artificial intelligence and automation are here to stay, but so far we've just scratched the surface of what's possible. More than simply generating copy, AI and automation can now be used to pull together data points and tell you exactly what you need in your imagery and copy to drive engagement! And there is so much more to come...
Bosco Anthony, Head of Strategy and Growth from GRG will deliver a thought-provoking talk on the future of AI and automation in communication and marketing at IABC Queensland in August.
Communication disrupted: The impact of generative AI and automation (Copy)
Artificial intelligence and automation are here to stay, but so far we've just scratched the surface of what's possible. More than simply generating copy, AI and automation can now be used to pull together data points and tell you exactly what you need in your imagery and copy to drive engagement! And there is so much more to come...
Bosco Anthony, Head of Strategy and Growth from GRG will deliver a thought-provoking talk on the future of AI and automation in communication and marketing at IABC Queensland in August.
Understanding & communicating psychological safety
As communicators, we often work in high-stress situations, and sometimes dealing with high-stress subject matter. It’s not all product launches and junkets! So how do we look after our own mental health in the workplace? And how do we use our talents as communicators to help foster psychologically safe workplaces?
In this In Touch session, Kylee Leota from Elements 4 Success will help us understand and empower ourselves to be our very best in a high-stress industry.
Communication careers: Industry trends & job application tips
Join U&U Recruitment’s Erica Brush as she shares her insights into current trends in communication careers, and her top tips on applying for your next communication job!
IABC World Conference
Join the global IABC community in Toronto, Canada, for four days of learning, networking, and socialising with communication professionals and executives from around the globe!
IABC Queensland AGM & Member Catch-up
Join us for IABC Queensland’s Annual General Meeting, where we’ll induct our new board and enjoy dinner with our Members!
Future-proof your career: AI tools in communication
ChatGPT and other articifical intelligence (AI) tools are here … so what’s available, how can you use them, and how do you future-proof your communication career in this new age? In this webinar our guest speaker will give practical insights you can use right away!
Supporters, Sponsors & Scandals: Inside the locker room of sports media, marketing, and communication
Wednesday, 19 April 2023
Supporters, Sponsors & Scandals: inside the locker room of sports media, marketing & communication
Sports is a massive part of the fabric of Queensland and Australia. Professional sports clubs have avid fans, supported by big-name sponsors. Professional sporting clubs need to balance their communication across a huge range of stakeholders - athletes, fans, sponsors, partners, media, the general public, regulators … the list goes on!
Sponsors have a role to play in selecting a sports partnership that’s the right fit for their brand and the communities they operate in, and that fits within their risk profile.
The Clubs need to give their members the content and information they want and need, and support athletes in their own communication and marketing efforts.
Media need stories! And the sporting realm is a hive of stories - the heroic, the exciting, and the ugly.
In short, it’s a massive, complex communication ecosystem full of interesting nuances and diverse stakeholder interests.
In this event, we’re going to unpack that ecosystem with the help of our panel of incredible guest speakers representing all sides of communication - the sporting clubs, the media, and the sponsors.
What you’ll learn
How professional sports organisations manage their day-to-day communication when dealing with so many stakeholder groups
What the media is looking for in a story, and how they work with sports clubs and sponsors to get the scoop
What sponsors are looking for in a partnership, and how they could leverage the partnerships in their communication with their stakeholders
… and much more!
Our speakers
Steele Tallon, Head of Communications & Media, Brisbane Broncos
As Head of Communications & Media for the Brisbane Broncos, Queensland's biggest rugby league club, Steele Tallon is responsible for driving media relationships across all platforms - digital, social, print, radio and TV. His work ensures clear and consistent communication with members, corporate partners and staff, and maintaining high levels of engagement through quality content. Prior to joining the Broncos in 2017, Steele led the Communications team at the Brisbane Lions AFL club for almost four years. In a former life, he cut his teeth in media working various roles in journalism over a 20-year career including Deputy Editor and Head of News at The Courier-Mail and Editor of The Geelong Advertiser, Australia’s largest regional newspaper.
Chris Garry, Walkley Award-winning former sports journalist with Channel 7 and The Courier Mail
Chris Garry is a Walkley Award-winning former sports journalist, with a media career including five years as a senior sport reporter for five years, and previous roles for The Courier Mail and News Corp. He also featured on Fox Sports, ABC Radio, Radio NZ, and Triple J. He was awarded the Walkley Award for Best Sport Coverage in 2015, following a series of articles on the bullying culture in the NRL, and its relationship to mental health issues. He keeps busy now as a Media Advisor to the Federal Minister for Sport and Member for Lilley, the Hon Anika Wells MP.
Deb Woodford, Head of Marketing, Great Southern Bank
Great Southern Bank is the Principal Partner of both the Brisbane Heat men's and women's teams, and Co-Major Partners of the Carlton Blues AFL Club.
Deborah Woodford is a senior strategic marketer with a passion for customer centricity and insight-led, data-driven marketing and brand building. Deb has led teams of specialists in London, Sydney and Brisbane across all aspects of the marketing mix including brand and acquisition marketing, sponsorships, digital marketing, content, social, CRM and communications. Deb's career spreads both advertising agencies and client-side roles across a diverse range of industry sectors, including automotive, telco and financial services. Working with brands such as Toyota, Volkswagen, Optus, NRMA, British Airways, QSuper and Great Southern Bank. Originally from the UK, she only came here for a year in 2002, having backpacked around South East Asia and NZ, and has never left. Deb is now a passport-carrying Australian citizen, with three Australian children. The family moved to Brisbane 10 years ago, having seen the light. Career highlight – rebranding CUA to Great Southern Bank and our multi award-winning Brisbane Heat and Carlton sponsorships.
As Head of Marketing for Great Southern Bank, Deb oversees the Bank's strategic sponsorships, including the bank's partnerships with the Brisbane Heat cricket teams, and the Carlton Blues AFL Club.
Jenny Hutchison, Executive Manager Sponsorships & Community Response, Suncorp
Suncorp is the Principal Partner of Netball Australia, and Naming Rights Sponsor of Suncorp Stadium; AAMI is Major Sponsor of AFL and AFLW as well as Naming Rights Sponsor of AAMI Park (among other key partnerships).
Jenny Hutchison is a passionate and business-driven marketing leader with a proven record of developing effective brand, sponsorship and customer strategies to achieve great commercial outcomes. Jenny has more than 20 years’ experience in business, marketing and sponsorship roles across a diverse range of brands and industries. As Executive Manager Group Sponsorships & Community Response at Suncorp, Jenny is responsible for managing the Group’s portfolio brands’ sponsorship strategies, identifying and developing sponsorship programs from market scoping, leading negotiation process, budget management through to partner relationships, execution delivery and measurement