The Vibe
Social impact in the Regions
Social Impact in the Regions is designed for Regional Practitioners by Regional Practitioners. The event will incorporate a range of activities to enable you to learn, connect, rejuvenate and contribute.
The Dress Code
We want you to be comfortable. Kempsey 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 Kempsey Central (Theatres) 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 back in our conference centre at Kempsey Central. You’ll then have the opportunity to eat dinner in one of the local cafes or restaurants open especially for conference delegates.
Theme TBC
Teddy Loveny won the 2023 best dressed award and has since been anointed the 2024 Gala Dinner Theme convenor. Teddy’s announcement is imminent.
The conference will be held in the grounds of the Anglican Church precinct in West Kempsey. It will be a fusion of incredible local food, music and live performance and a few bevvy’s to wash down the busy conference days.
Stay tuned for more.
There will be various wellness activities throughout the program so pack your joggers, yoga mat, hat, sunscreen and if you’re feeling adventurous (and have a car) throw in your surfboard – whatever wellness means to you it’s quite likely there will be opportunities.
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 designed the conference to make meeting people really easy. All you need to do is turn up ready to soak it all in and we’ll guide you through the rest.
Walk with us through the conference and venue...
There is limited parking through the Kempsey CBD with the venue, Kempsey Central being easily accessible on foot from all public parking in the Kempsey CBD. We recommend (if possible) walking from your accommodation or car pooling to ensure you don’t have to walk too far from your park.
Parking at the conference dinner is also limited and we are currently working on ride sharing opportuities for you. You may also discuss carpooling arrangements with a designated driver.
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) has never, ever been used as a conference venue before (and may never be again) 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 Kempsey CBD.
Just secretly, we are quite confident it will all be just wonderful and if all else fails we have engaged some interpretive dancers (that’s you Tegan Swan) to keep you entertained on arrival.
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.
Connect with Your Cohort
In 2024 we have a conference app provided by Business For Good Network. If you are a ticket holder the information will be sent to you mid August with plenty of time to start networking with other conference delegates.
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What else to expect
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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