The Vibe
Social impact in the Regions
Social Impact in the Regions is held in small regional communities throughout Australia. Now in Year 3 which will be held in Grafton, NSW our first conference was in Coffs Harbour (2023) and Kempsey (2024).
Could your community be next? Get in touch to find out more.
The Dress Code (2025)
We want you to be comfortable. Grafton NSW has a temperate climate, you can expect the days to be around 18-22 degrees Celsius and the evenings may be a little cooler (bring a light jumper or cardi).
Following the national Pitchfest at a venue to be announced carry on from the conference day or bring your party vibes whether you prefer a bit of bling or boho laid back is your style it will all blend in well at this event. The event will be held in Grafton CBD. You’ll then have the opportunity to eat dinner in one of the local cafes or restaurants open especially for conference delegates. NOTE: If you aren’t staying in Grafton chances are the local cafes won’t be open. Let us know where you are staying so we can put some requests forward in smaller towns.
Who could forget Aunty Vicki Taylor’s stellar performance which took out the 2024 ‘best dressed’ at our conference dinner.
“On the fringes”
There weren’t many dry eyes in the venue when Aunty Vicki announced this year’s theme:
“Your superpowers”
Venue: TBC
Whether wellness means taking a walk, pulling out a yoga mat or sharing a glass of wine with friends time for all options exist within the program. Bring what you need to make sure your wellness is your priority.
What to Expect
We have designed the event to ensure there is a variety of ways for you to connect with the conference content and delegates.Â
We know networking can be daunting for some and have done our best to ensure it’s easy to meet people. All you need to do is turn up ready to soak it all in and we’ll guide you through the rest. If you do have any comments or feedback we can implement in 2025 please reach out.
Walk with us through the conference and venue (2024) - 2025 update coming soon
There is limited parking through the Grafton CBD however there is ample parking at the conference hub, Grafton Showground.
We do want you to be prepared for this. As we are not operating in a traditional conference centre some things just won’t look like a traditional conference. So please turn up prepared for the unexpected. While we will apply our highly tuned event skills to ensuring you have a smooth registration experience the reality is this venue is (a) in a public space and (b) while ‘the barn’ at the Showground has hosted many events it hasn’t been used as a conference venue before and (c) we will only actually realise the extent of the setup the day prior to your arrival.
So please turn up knowing that we are using the venue because it was the best venue to accommodate our audience and also incorporate the broader Grafton CBD.
Just secretly, we are quite confident it will all be just wonderful and if all else fails our volunteers will keep you entertained with local stories on arrival.
On arrival we will also ask you to make a selection for your lunch. We’ve arranged this for numerous reasons (1) it puts more money back into the local economy (2) you have a more real local experience (3) the local community will feel proud as they see you enjoying their town and (4) you get to choose from a range of cuisines avoiding boring old sandwiches.
Heads up – there are limited seats at each local cafe. You will choose (first in best dressed) from options soon to be announced.
Please make sure we are aware if you have any accessibility needs as early as possible. We want you to feel comfortable throughout the event and unfortunately can’t do that via crystal ball (even though we do try). You can add accessibility information when you purchase your ticket and if you have additional requests please email the conference organiser, Kerry Grace directly and they will be discretely accommodated.
To avoid a sore bum from the conference seating (we heard you in 2024!) please bring a cushion. We will have a limited amount of cushions available for you to use.
While we will invest in local suppliers with great equipment and ample local knowledge the reality is we are hosting the event in a big barn. There will be a certain amount of echo in the room.
We don’t expect it will cause inconvenience for most however if you do have challenges with hearing we urge you to ask one of our volunteers to help you find a seat near the front. If it’s a major problem for you on the day please let us know.
Connect with Your Cohort
Our Business For Good Network site is still live. If you are a ticket holder scan your email for your link to join.
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What else to expect 2024
Conference days
SIITR24 will be held at Kempsey Central, a shopping centre located in the Kempsey CBD. While great care has been taken to inform and include the local community in the event chances are there will still be some locals who are delighted and confused about the proceedings. Whether you share information about the conference, or confirm you are boarding a space odyssey is entirely up to you.
The main venue, where plenary sessions will be held each morning is essentially an empty warehouse. While we have worked hard to full any echo in the venue it is unlikely we will be 100% successful and if hearing is a challenge for you we suggest you sit to the centre of the room where the sound will be more coherent.
Our morning and afternoon tea breaks will be in one of three spaces. One will be in the adjoining Country University Centre, an easy walk from the conference room. This room will be contained for conference delegates. The second will be in the makeshift conference foyer which is in the actual Kempsey Central building and the third upstairs (also accessible via a lift) in the Cinema area. All stations will contain the same catering and coffee / tea stations.
We will provide an urn for hot drinks and home baked treats for the breaks. If you want barista coffee you will need to duck across the road to one of the local cafes, or make your way to the Depot Cafe or bakery in Kempsey Central (we are sure you will queue appropriately in doing so)
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