New year, new challenges, same inclusive community
Patrick Armstrong’s welcome message for 2026
Welcome to 2026 with IABC NSW! I hope you enjoyed the holiday season and now feel fresh and revitalised for the year ahead.
The new board held our kick-off meeting last week. It was energising to hear these passionate volunteers share ways they can help bring value to you, our members.
We have 13 board members spanning all career stages. From a student Board Associate to early career professionals and seasoned practitioners, there is a breadth of industry experience. It’s important for us as a Chapter to ensure these diverse voices are represented on the board to reflect our inclusive culture.
As I reflect on 2025 in my first year as President, what really stood out is the level of engagement from our IABC NSW community. Across each of our wide-ranging events, there were some wonderful conversations held with communication professionals at all stages in their career on how they can gain professional development opportunities, build their career, expand networks, and contribute to our profession through IABC.
We have listened. So, this year you can expect an exciting program of events, workshops, mentoring, GCCC certification study group, thought leadership, practical communications resources, networking and industry leading speakers, both in Sydney and our growing community in Newcastle/Central Coast.
If you’re interested in certification, our IABC APAC colleagues are holding a 1 hour webinar information session, featuring one of our own board members, Lucy Hose, who became certificated in 2025. Find out more by visiting LinkedIn. This session is an exclusive benefit for IABC members.
As always, if you have ideas and thoughts on what we can do to enhance your member experience, reach out to me any time at president@iabcnsw.com. I’m always up for a coffee and a chat.
Putting the ‘I’ in IABC
On top of your experience with our IABC NSW community, there is something you’ll often hear me say. Don’t forget the ‘I’ in IABC.
IABC is a truly international organisation. Beyond our NSW Chapter, there are many opportunities to build your career globally. This includes the IABC World Conference being held this year in Toronto, Canada from 14-16 June. If you haven’t been to a World Conference, add it to your professional bucket list. It’s a world-class event for our profession.
There are also Shared Interest Groups (SIGs) where you can join global communities to develop your interests across a range of subject areas.
Closer to home, this year’s Asia-Pacific Fusion Conference is coming to Brisbane in 2026! After a sold-out event in The Philippines last year, it’s exciting to have Fusion return to Australia. Save the date for 19-20 October.
So, an exciting year ahead. Keep a look out in your email and on LinkedIn for our first event of the year. Looking forward to seeing many of you soon.