The Serious Women’s Business conference began life in 2002 as the Ladies Masters of Business conference, held on the Gold Coast in concert with the Australian Ladies Masters golf, at the time the largest women’s professional sporting event in the Southern Hemisphere. After two years, the conference evolved into what it is today: a strictly business event, held in a major capital city, where the only item on the agenda is business – serious women’s business.
The conference grows each year by continually reviewing the needs and aspirations of women in business; by listening to participants’ feedback and by developing relevant and challenging new topics that both provide information and open up new horizons.
Conference themes
2002 Leading the way
2003 One of a kind
2004 Inspiring Leaders of tomorrow
2005 Women Impacting Change
2006 Unleashing Potential
2007 Defining Success
SWB is now guided by its Foundation Partners, a select group of progressive companies who came together in 2004 to form Serious Women’s Business and who continue to guide the agenda and evolution of the conference.
Nothing else like it... We offer our delegates:
Unique access to business & political leaders with the ability to ask questions
Mentoring workshops with people such as former Victorian premier Joan Kirner.
High level briefings from leading experts on key challenges for Australian society. Phil Ruthven and Bernard Salt on demographics and the challenges of Gen Y. Sharan Burrow on the future of the workplace. Diane Grady on the bottom line impact of diversity.
Extraordinary insights from high quality facilitated panel discussions with topics such as ethics, work/ life balance, workplace culture and being a woman at the top.
Off the record All conference sessions are closed to the media and Chatham House rules apply to delegates, meaning nothing that is said inside the conference leaves the conference. These two principles have operated since the inception of the conference and have enabled SWB to become a unique forum where CEOs of major corporations and leading women in business and politics can express their views freely and frankly and discuss sensitive issues without fear of these being misrepresented or misinterpreted. Women sign up for SWB because they know they will receive insights and information via the frank and open discussesions that are a hallmark of SWB and that are not provided in any other forum. This is one of the things that makes SWB very special.
Unprecedented networking with leaders, mentors, peers and women from other companies and industries
Unique format Our numbers are strictly controlled to maintain an intimate feel.
Continuity is provided by a single expert facilitator, Anne Summers. Engaging and energized discussion from panels and participants are interspersed between high level keynote speeches from renowned national and international experts.
This conference is a unique experience each year that builds on its past as it moves forward. Many participants choose to return year after year.
SWB Policies & Procedures
Off The Record
All conference sessions are closed to the media and Chatham House rules apply to delegates, meaning nothing that is said inside the conference leaves the conference. These two principles have operated since the inception of the conference and have enabled SWB to become a unique forum where CEOs of major corporations and leading women in business and politics can express their views freely and frankly and discuss sensitive issues without fear of these being misrepresented or misinterpreted. Women sign up for SWB because they know they will receive insights and information via the frank and open discussions that are a hallmark of SWB and that are not provided in any other forum. This is one of the things that makes SWB very special.
Media interest
Closing the conference sessions to the media does not mean that journalists cannot interview our speakers and panelists outside the conference. We have always allowed this and do our best to assist by facilitating suitable times with the speakers and providing a private area for interviews to take place. News organizations are welcome to photograph conference speakers and we also have an experienced and well regarded photographer available onsite to provide supporting imagery if required.
Media inquiries
If you would like more information regarding SWB or are interested in interviewing one of our speakers or alumni please contact: Taren Hocking taren@championevents.com.au
SWB Foundation Partners
SWB is guided by its Foundation Partners, a select group of progressive companies who came together in 2004 to form Serious Women’s Business and who continue to guide the agenda and evolution of the conference.
Foundation Partners are organisations who each:
- Send a minimum of twenty delegates to the Conference.
- Select a woman from senior management from within their organisation to participate as a member of the Conference Planning Committee.
- Support and promote the SWB Conference where possible, to encourage diversity in attendance.
SWB Foundation Partners receive:
- Special discounted rate per person for all employees and invited guests of the organisation.
- Acknowledgement as a Foundation Partner on all conference promotional material.
- Acknowledgement as a Foundation Partner on all advertising and public relations initiatives.
- Acknowledgement as a Foundation Partner throughout the event.
- Opportunities to suggest speakers from within the organisation in turn providing exposure through addressing the conference.
SWB Foundation Partnership is open to organizations that wish to:
- Demonstrate to their women employees that they and their development are a priority to the organisation.
- Join a group of Australia’s leading corporations to support women in business.
- Provide extensive and unique opportunities for the organisation to collectively and individually promote their involvement in this positive and tangible event for women.
- Create broader networks and a wider set of role models for women within their organisation.
- Establish tangible relationships with other like-minded organisations which can carry through into other areas of their operations.
Foundation Partner Chairperson
Each year the Foundation Partner Committee is led by a representative from the Foundation Partner group who is selected by the conference owner,Champion Event Management Pty Ltd. The usual term is two years.
The Chair is rotated between the Foundation Partner organizations.
Current Chair
Megan Dalla-Camina – Director Strategy and Marketing IBM Australia and New Zealand
Previous Chairs
Christine Bartlett – CEO Jones Lang LaSalle
Alison Watkins – ANZ senior executive at the time of being chair; now Non Executive Director
Become a SWB Foundation Partner
If your organisation is interested in becoming a Foundation Partner please contact: Taren Hocking taren@championevents.com.au
Each FP nomination will be presented to the committee for approval to ensure there are no conflicts of interest amongst the existing Partners. If the nominated Partner is deemed to be in direct competition with one of the existing Partners they will not be able to join the group until a position within that industry sector becomes available.
Event Management SWB is owned and operated by Champion Event Management Pty Ltd
ABN: 83 072 501 154 272 Melbourne St
North Adelaide SA 5006
