Connecting Careers, Skills and Practice Conference, AGM & Patron’s Dinner

Wednesday, 2 December 2026

Sofitel Melbourne on Collins

The Industrial Relations Society of Victoria is pleased to announce its inaugural Connecting Careers, Skills and Practice Conference.

Conference program

Sessions include:

• Mapping Interests, Not Positions: advanced bargaining strategy through real-world scenarios and Q&A
• What Are Courts and Tribunals Doing About AI?
• Inside the Room: the skills of conciliation, persuasion and resolution
• From Instructions to Argument: how an industrial case is built
• No Single Way In: building a career in industrial relations
• The Long Career: choices, turning points and professional courage
• A 2026 industrial relations round-up.

The program brings together perspectives from across the profession, including the bench, Bar, legal practice, unions and academia, with speakers currently confirmed including:

• Judge Johns
• Judge Bromberg
• Josh Bornstein
• Professor Anthony Forsyth
• Natalie James
• Herman Borenstein KC
• Tess Hardy
• Jack Tracey KC. 

More speakers and full program to be announced!

Patron's Dinner

The evening continues with pre-dinner drinks and the Patron’s Dinner, featuring a keynote address from Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC reflecting on a lifetime of industrial relations and the future of the profession. 

Annual General Meeting

We will also be hosting our Annual General Meeting in between the Conference and the Dinner.

Please see the Notice of 2026 AGM and Nomination Form.docx for further information or to get involved with the IRSV.

Event details

Date: Wednesday, 2 December 2026  

Venue: Sofitel Melbourne on Collins  

Time:

12.00pm: Conference registrations and networking

1.00pm: Connecting Careers, Skills and Practice Conference commences

5.00pm: Annual General Meeting

6.00pm: Pre-drinks and Patron's Dinner

Ticket information

We are offering IRSV members rates for the conference and dinner which reflect excellent value for money:

• IRSV members for the Conference and Dinner: $400
• IRSV members for Conference only: $300
• IRSV members for Dinner only: $180

The cost for non-IRSV members is:

• Conference and Dinner: $520
• Conference only: $420
• Dinner only: $300

We will also have options to ‘sponsor’ another ticket to ensure that all community legal centres, small firms and unions who won’t otherwise be able to attend can share the experience.

If you work in industrial relations, this is a rare chance to spend an afternoon learning from people across the profession, sharpen the practical skills you use in your own work, meet colleagues outside your usual circles, and then continue those conversations over dinner.