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We Had to Rethink Everything… | Dean’s Desk 19

1. A New Format, and a Big Success!

This morning we wrapped up our reimagined Leadership & Innovation Workshop Series, and I couldn't be happier with how it's gone.

When Disney came to town and we found ourselves unable to use the MECC for our traditional conference, we had to rethink a few things.

As it turns out, that might have been a blessing in disguise!

The feedback we'd received over previous years was that the real value came from the practical breakout sessions. So rather than trying to recreate the same event somewhere else, we took the opportunity to build something new around what people loved most.

Four mornings, four key themes and a whole lot of practical knowledge.

The response has been fantastic, and the new format has been incredibly well received.

It's been particularly rewarding to see people walk away with ideas, tools and insights they can actually take back to their businesses and put into practice. That's exactly what we were hoping to achieve.

I'm also incredibly proud of the local expertise we've been able to showcase. I say it often, but the capability sitting right here in our region is second to none, and this series has been another great reminder of that.

A huge thank you to all our speakers, sponsors and everyone who attended. Particularly those sponsors who took a chance on a completely new format!

We've learned plenty along the way, and there are already some ideas floating around about how we can make it even bigger and better in 2027.

It's fair to say this Disney-inspired detour has worked out better than we could have hoped!

2. Our Last Industry Briefing of 2026

Our final Industry Briefing for the year is coming up on Friday, 13 November, and as usual, we're wrapping things up with our Annual General Meeting.

Now, before you see the letters AGM and suddenly remember you've got somewhere else to be, don't worry. We'll keep things moving!

It's still very much our regular Industry Briefing Breakfast, with plenty of networking and industry insights, including an update from North Queensland Bulk Ports and a presentation from our event sponsor.

It's also one of my favourite opportunities to reflect on everything we've achieved together throughout the year.

We'll be releasing our 2026 Annual Stakeholder Report, which the team is busy pulling together now. And looking back over the past 12 months, there's certainly no shortage of things to include!

We'll also unveil our 2027 Sponsorship Prospectus and events calendar, giving everyone a first look at what's coming up and how businesses can get involved next year.

A big thank you to North Queensland Bulk Ports for sponsoring the morning, and to Harrup Park for another fantastic year as our venue sponsor. They've been a great supporter of our Industry Briefings throughout 2026.

So, plenty of reasons to join us for one last breakfast before we wrap up the year!

Join us from 6:45am at Harrup Park on Friday, 13 November.

Book your November Industry Briefing & AGM Breakfast

3. Let's Talk Energy

In my last Dean's Desk, I mentioned some of the work we've been doing behind the scenes to explore more affordable, reliable and sustainable energy options for businesses across our region.

Well, we've now got a date to bring that conversation to the table!

Next Wednesday, 28 October, we're hosting our Energy Cost Roundtable at the Resources Centre of Excellence from 1pm to 3pm.

We're keen to share what we've been investigating, hear directly from businesses and discuss what could work in practice.

If you're a Paget business in particular, I'd really encourage you to come along. Your input will help shape where we go from here.

Registrations close tomorrow, Friday 23 October, so please get your name down if you'd like to be involved.

Register for the Energy Cost Roundtable

And as always, if you'd like to know more beforehand, feel free to email me at dean@rin.org.au.

4. One Last Round of Committees

While our signature events are wrapping up, our committees still have a little work to do before the year is out.

Our Organisational Culture Committee meets next Tuesday, followed by our final Health, Safety & Environment Committee meeting on 2 December.

These groups might not always get the same attention as our bigger events, but they're an incredibly valuable part of what we do at RIN.

They bring together people from across industry to share experiences, discuss challenges and help identify where we can make a difference.

In fact, many of the conversations that happen around these tables directly influence our events, initiatives and priorities. Our Leadership & Innovation Series is a great example of that.

If you're interested in contributing, I'd really encourage you to get involved.

You can find more information on our committees page, or simply send me an email and we'll make sure you're included in future invitations.

Looking Ahead

And just like that, we're getting ready to close out another big year at RIN.

There's still plenty happening over the next few weeks, but we're also excited to start sharing what's in store for 2027.

For now, another huge thank you to everyone who helped make our Leadership & Innovation Series such a success. It's been a fantastic way to round out our signature events for the year.

I look forward to seeing plenty of you at our upcoming roundtable, committee meetings and November Industry Briefing.

See you out and about.