Associations Forum Brings National Conference to Canberra

Associations Forum National Conference 2027 will be held at the National Convention Centre Canberra © Visit Canberra

Australia’s associations, charities and not-for-profit sector will gather in Canberra in April 2027, putting leadership, governance and advocacy discussions in the heart of the nation’s policy-making capital.

Associations Forum will hold its 2027 National Conference in Canberra on 28–29 April, bringing together leaders, decision-makers and professionals from across Australia’s associations, charities and not-for-profit sector.

Positioned as a national platform for the sector, the conference will focus on the issues shaping the future of associations and the wider not-for-profit landscape, including governance, leadership, advocacy and the changing environment in which organisations operate.

The choice of Canberra adds a particular relevance to those discussions. As Australia’s national capital, the city is home to key government departments and agencies, as well as embassies and diplomatic missions. Its role as a centre of policy and decision-making makes it a natural setting for a sector whose organisations represent industries, professions and communities and regularly engage with government and policymakers.

Associations Forum General Manager Fatima Sunderji said the organisation was pleased to be bringing its national conference to Canberra in 2027.

“Each year, the national conference gives us an opportunity to bring the sector together, and we’re looking forward to building on the conversations and connections from previous years. Canberra is a particularly fitting place for those conversations, given its role at the centre of Australia’s policy and decision-making.”
 

Delegates at the Associations Forum National Conference Dinner 2026

The timing will also give the event a distinctly national context. Held just days after Anzac Day, the conference will take place as Australia reflects on service and shared history. That theme will extend into the social programme, with the conference dinner scheduled to take place at the Australian War Memorial.

For Associations Forum, the Canberra edition is also intended to reflect the current pressures and questions confronting the sector rather than simply replicate previous conference programmes.

“We also want the conference to feel fresh and relevant to where our sector is today. There are some big questions facing associations around leadership, governance, advocacy and the changing environment we operate in, and we want to continue to provide a space to have those conversations.”

The 2027 National Conference will be delivered in partnership with the Canberra Convention Bureau, National Convention Centre Canberra (NCCC), Trippas White Group at the Australian War Memorial, Encore, and Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts.

Further details of the programme and registration will be announced in the coming months.
 

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