2023 BCCM Leaders' Summit

The full program for the 2023 BCCM Leaders’ Summit and Taste of Australia dinner is now out, with an exciting line-up of national and international industry leaders in plenary sessions and interactive panel discussions on 25-26 October in Brisbane.

We have a strong program for this year’s summit, looking at the challenges and opportunities co-operative and mutual enterprises face as they work towards building a better Australia against the backdrop of cost of living pressures and the impact of climate events.

The annual Taste of Australia Dinner and BCCM Honour Roll Awards has become a must-attend networking event for CME leaders. Join us to celebrate the achievements of retiring leaders and enjoy some of the best produce and wine from the country’s co-operative sector.

Delegates enjoy plenary sessions and panel discussions that feature international and national speakers, including:

• Nathan Schneider, author and assistant professor of media studies, University of Colorado Boulder, will join us from the US with a virtual keynote presentation on member engagement in co-ops and mutuals.
  
• Mary Nirlungayuk, Corporate Secretary and Vice President, Corporate Services with Arctic Co-operatives Ltd (Canada), will give a keynote address on the experience of Indigenous empowerment through co-operatives in Canada. 
• Ang Hin Kee, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore National Co-operative Federation, will share the secrets to Singapore’s flourishing co-op sector, based on a unique relationship between retail co-ops, trade unions, and youth and aged care.
• Nina Schindler, Chief Executive Officer at the European Association of Co-operative Banks, will join us virtually to contribute insights from her experience across the mutual, corporate, ratings and geopolitical spheres.
• Saul Eslake, independent economist, speaker, company director and Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow at the University of Tasmania, will join our Business Leaders in Conversation. 
• Peter Watts, Director of Watts Sustainability and author of our Sustainability Strategy for Co-operatives and Mutuals course, will bring his global consultancy experience to advise members on strategies for avoiding greenwash.

This year we will feature five Leaders Dialogues, expanding on what has become one of our most popular sessions. These deep-dive discussions based on industry case studies will cover the importance of innovation, the dangers of greenwashing, the future of discretionary risk mutuals, worker well-being, and how to reinvigorate strategy and drive performance using the Mutual Value Measurement (MVM) Framework©. Check out the Forums on retail, agriculture and communication campaigns below.

Places are filling up fast, so secure your spot at the country’s only cross-sector business summit for leaders of co-operative and mutual enterprises.

The BCCM Leaders’ Summit, held on 25 and 26 October 2023 in Brisbane, will feature highly regarded national and international speakers in plenary sessions and interactive panel discussions.

Member forums

The Summit will host the following BCCM member forums on Wednesday, 25 October:

At the CME 100 Chairs’ Forum, invited member Chairs will share their governance processes under the Chatham House Rule, as well as hosting a guest speaker.

At the Retail and Buying Groups Co-Operative Forum, you will hear from Qian Xiaodong, Chief Information and Analytics Officer, NTUC FairPrice Singapore, a co-operative that is the island country’s largest supermarket chain; and Mary Nirlungayuk, Vice President Corporate Services, Arctic Co-operatives Ltd (Canada), who has extensive experience with indigenous co-operatives. 

The Agricultural Co-operatives Roundtable will feature Ross Verry, CEO, Syndex, and Kate Hage, Country Manager, Australia, Syndex, who will talk about how they help agricultural co-ops enter the digital age. Listen to our recent podcast with Kate Hage to find out more.

Our new Communications Group Forum, led by digital marketing consultancy The Measured Marketer, will examine public awareness and attitudes to CMEs and discuss how the sector can capitalise on consumer interest in socially purposed businesses.

Taste of Australia Dinner

Wednesday, 25 October 2023, 6:30 pm – 10:30 pm AEST, The Emporium Hotel, Southbank, Brisbane

The Summit will begin with the Taste of Australia Dinner and the BCCM Honour Roll Awards (nominations close Friday, 25 August 2023).

This is a special evening to celebrate the achievements of our retiring leaders and enjoy co-operative produce. Enjoy the very best produce and wine at our renowned Taste of Australia Dinner.

Breakfast on the Hill

Thursday, 26 October 2023, 7:00 am – 8:45 am AEST, Premiers’ and Speakers’ Room, Queensland Parliament House, Brisbane

This is the opening event of the BCCM Leaders’ Summit, where BCCM members, community stakeholders and political representatives meet to discuss the role of co-operatives and mutuals in building a better Australia.

BCCM Leaders’ Summit

Thursday, 26 October 2023, 9:00 am – 5:15 pm AEST (with drinks following until 6:30 pm), Brisbane Convention Centre

The BCCM Leaders’ Summit is the only CME leadership event uniting C-Suite attendees and directors from organisations across the CME sector.

Designed as a thought leadership forum, our members share ideas, network and discuss best practice at a series of closed-door CEO roundtables, where attendees challenge prevailing norms and explore new ways of doing business.

Delegates enjoy plenary sessions and panel discussions that feature international and national speakers. Our popular Leader Dialogues will offer five facilitated, deep dive discussions based on industry case studies:

1. Innovation Masterclass with Professor Josserand
2. Avoiding greenwash – strategies for true carbon mitigation on and off the farm
3. The future of insurance – Discretionary Risk Mutuals
4. Working on wellbeing – CME strategies for supporting employee mental health
5. MVM Masterclass – Measures that matter for mutual performance

Please note: Numbers are strictly limited and allocated at online booking and registration. 

Ticket prices – full price, discounts apply

• BCCM Dinner, Breakfast and Summit – BCCM member: $2600 + GST and booking fee
• BCCM Dinner and Summit – BCCM member: $2400 + GST and booking fee
• BCCM Summit only – BCCM member: $2150 + GST and booking fee
• BCCM Summit only – non-member: $3500 + GST and booking fee
• BCCM Dinner only – BCCM member: $295 + GST and booking fee
• BCCM Dinner Table of Ten – BCCM member: $2750 + GST and booking fee

Ticket sales close at 6 pm, 20 October 2023

Next steps

Download the BCCM Leader’s Summit and Industry Dinner program.

Purchase your tickets online today and save.

2023 Leaders’ Summit partners