IFA’s 23rd National Conference is the place for the Interior Fitout industry to be from 9-12 September 2022, on Queensland’s glorious Gold Coast. From our welcome dinner at Australia’s tallest building, SkyPoint, to our inspiring keynotes and plenary sessions, fun social activities, and our prestigious Gala Awards Dinner on Saturday night, this is the Australian interior fitout industry’s most exciting event of the year. Click on the tabs below for more information.
Brimming with spirit and infectious energy, the Gold Coast offers an unrivaled blend of world-class facilities and activities and down-to-earth hospitality. From its sun-kissed location to its internationally-acclaimed hotels, ultra-modern venues, and uber-cool creative spaces, it’s no wonder the Gold Coast has huge appeal for not only family holidays but also business events. And with easy connectivity via two international airports, the Gold Coast is ready to welcome you!
Check in to the new luxury. QT Gold Coast is your glowing ticket to the epicentre of a cultural gold rush, taking a cool left-hander to stardom by way of music, fashion, food and art done the easy way. Along the famous poolside, a sun-kissed renaissance is blooming at QT GC, paradise for more than the surfers. Stay, drink and dine in style. This is the beachside destination everyone’s waking up to.
Arrive at your 5-star hotel on Friday afternoon and settle in for an exciting weekend of relationship-building, networking, and fun!
From 5pm onwards, wander 1.5km up the main street of Surfers Paradise or jump on a tram to SkyPoint. The lift to SkyPoint Observation Deck takes you to the highest point above the Gold Coast for stunning 360-degree views from the surf to the hinterland and beyond. Rising 230 metres into the sky, SkyPoint is located on levels 77 and 78 of the magnificent Q1 building, located beachside in Surfers Paradise. Head back to level 78 and grab a drink and enjoy the sunset whilst reconnecting with industry colleagues at our casual welcome function.
After a hearty breakfast, head to the QT’s newly-renovated conference space for the start of our plenary sessions.
8.50am
MC Announcements
Kat Davidson
9.05am
Official Opening
IFA National President Mick McLoughlin
9.15am
KEYNOTE: Demographic Insights & Future Trends
Mark McCrindle
10.15am
Morning Tea
10.45am
KEYNOTE: Personal & Organisational Resilience
Glenn Azar
12pm
Lunch
1pm
Group Team-Building Activity (offsite)
Details to be confirmed
3pm
Presentations, drinks and nibbles
Meet in the exhibition & trade display area
7pm
Pre-dinner drinks
QT Ballroom Foyer
7.30pm
Gala Dinner / Awards Night
QT Ballroom
The highlight for many, the Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony will not disappoint. Hosted by Kat Davidson, this celebration dinner will see the extraordinary calibre of creativity and workmanship of our industry celebrated when winners of our Interior Fitout Awards and Design Awards are announced. This evening will also, no doubt, include plenty of great food, wine and entertainment.
After a hearty breakfast, head back to the QT’s conference rooms for the start of our plenary sessions. Grab an early coffee and chat to our exhibitors again before our sessions start, and again during the breaks.
9.30am
Welcome Back
Kat Davidson
9.45am
KEYNOTE: Mindset and Performance
Tony Wilson
11am
Conference Wrap
Kat Davidson
11.30am
Optional Activities
Cruise: Enjoy an afternoon cruise around the Gold Coast on our SeaWorld Cruise; or
Golf: Relax with a round of golf at one of the Gold Coast’s best courses, Palm Meadows
6.30pm
Farewell Dinner
MovieWorld
Kat has over 25 years’ experience as a comedian and host. With a background in improvisation, Kat easily adapts her approach to suit the audience. She is an experienced broadcaster after spending countless years at ABC Radio and a comedian capable of keeping a lively IFA crowd focused and well and truly entertained.
Mark is a social researcher with an international following. He is recognised as a leader in tracking emerging issues and researching social trends. As an award-winning social researcher and an engaging public speaker, Mark has appeared across many television networks and other media. He is a best-selling author, an influential thought leader, TEDx speaker and Principal of McCrindle Research. His advisory, communications, and research company, McCrindle, counts among its clients more than 100 of Australia’s largest companies and leading international brands. Mark’s highly valued research and reports, presented through infographics, data visualisations, videos, media input, resources, and blogs, have developed his regard as an expert demographer, futurist, and social commentator.
Glenn is a former professional soldier having served full-time in the Australian Army for 17 years where he commenced his career as an Infantry Soldier before changing to the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps (RAAMC) and qualified as an Aviation Evacuation Specialist Medic and later completed his Registered Nursing Degree. He has served on Operational and non-Operational Deployments around the world and led troops in a variety of different environments and through some challenging times. Upon leaving the military Glenn set up an adventure travel company, Adventure Professionals, where he trains and leads people from all walks of life on adventures to Papua New Guinea, Nepal, Russia, Canada, Africa and Australia. He has led 79 treks across the Kokoda Track in PNG and climbed Mt Kilimanjaro 13 times and lead 12 trips to Everest Base Camp and Dog Sledding in the Yukon. When he’s not adventuring, Glenn shares his passion and knowledge for teamwork, leadership, and building resilience.
Performance Lab founder, Tony Wilson is a motivational speaker who delivers keynotes aimed at challenging the way we currently think about Leadership and Performance in the 21st Century. Tony’s focus on the science of high performance provides a fascinating look at what makes us, and our people, do their best work. Originally a performance coach for elite athletes and sporting teams throughout Australia and the USA, Tony Wilson combines his degrees in performance science(BSc) and contemporary management theory (MBA) to put a unique slant on high performance in and out of the office. An inspirational speaker with a focus on the science of high performance, Tony Wilson helps team performance by working with leaders around the world to create an environment for their people to thrive and works with individuals on managing their own performance and productivity. He is changing the way people work and lead.
IFA’s conference attracts a large number of the interior fitout industry’s most important people from across Australia. This gives manufacturers and suppliers to the industry an exciting and broad range of opportunities to increase awareness of their brands and product range. To ensure your business remains top of mind amongst your clients and prospects, see our exciting sponsorship options here.
Come and say hello to our trade exhibitors:
Our conference brochure contains more information about the conference, including costs.
To download a copy, click on the image below.
