Taking Leadership to the Next Level
The HRIA’s inaugural business leadership conference was held from 25–26 of September at the RACV Royal Pines resort on the beautiful Gold Coast.
Supporting the professional growth and capability of people in the Hire industry is a cornerstone of the HRIA’s strategic objectives.
The Business Leadership Conference was designed for current and emerging leaders of the hire industry, affording participants an all-too-rare opportunity to take time out to focus on growing their leadership capability.
The conference program addressed key leadership topics through a series of punchy presentations from subject matter experts, A non-negotiable was that each presentation had to provide practical takeaways that could be taken back and implemented in the real-world hire environment.
With approximately 30 delegates across a broad range of businesses attending, the RACV Royal Pines Resort provided a scenic backdrop to embark on 1.5 days of learning and networking with industry peers.
With three 18-hole course combinations available, participants enjoyed the traditional networking, bragging and frustration of chasing a small white ball for a round of golf. An informal welcome cocktail function provided delegates the opportunity to further solidify connections and hear about the day ahead.
Recognising the healthy body/healthy mind link, several participants braved an early morning mobility session facilitated by performance coach, Mitchell Woods. The session featured movements to loosen the limbs and open the body in preparation for a full day of learning.
“The icing on the cake was closing out the session with a facilitated breathwork exercise,” said Kayla Shadbolt, Swan Hill Hire General Manager.
“This left me mentally energised and clear for the day ahead.”
The formal conference kicked off with an excellent keynote presentation from Sean Gordon OAM, addressing healthy culture and personal empowerment in leaders. Further high-quality presentations focused on Time Management (Paul De Martin, Priority Management), Brand Value (Nick Foley, Director, Intangify), Recruitment and Retention (Jo Brown, Beaumont People) and Building Business Value (Gary Radford, MYNT).
The program closed out with a lively and informative expert panel discussion that covered everything from ESG reporting legislation, new technology, innovation and practical leadership insights. With each presentation featuring practical tips and takeaways, delegates left a very full day of learning armed with new information and new strategies.
The conference concluded with a formal dinner at the Royal Pines signature restaurant on the 21st floor, which afforded spectacular views of the Gold Coast skyline. With the conference officially closed, a healthy number of delegates continued their discussions informally well into the evening.
“The HRIA leadership conference was a fantastic opportunity to gather with colleagues from our industry, share experiences, build networks and learn from the excellent keynote speeches presented by true leaders in their fields. I’d like to thank Nicolas and the HRIA for putting real thought and effort into this inaugural event and look forward to future programs,” said Omar Al-Khayat, Technical Operations Lead at Select Plant Australia.
“Networking is a feature of our HRIA events,” remarked HRIA National President, Jeremy Shaw. “The late night discussions are typically a good indication of a well run and well received event!”
With both informal and formal feedback from the conference being overwhelmingly positive, the HRIA National Office team are optimistic that the HRIA Business Leadership Conference will return in 2025…bigger and better!
