The main Conference program has begun, with delegates arriving at the Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre.
A record number of club industry delegates have gathered on the Gold Coast as the 2026 ClubsNSW Conference officially commenced on Thursday morning.
“Thank you all for making the journey to be here on the Gold Coast for what is always the biggest, and certainly one of the best, events on the club industry calendar every year,” said ClubsNSW CEO Rebecca Riant in her opening address.
“I’m thrilled to announce that we have a record turnout this year, with more than 760 delegates registered for this year’s Conference.”
Rebecca used her address to reflect on the significant progress made by the industry in recent years, particularly in rebuilding relationships with government and regulators and advocating for practical, evidence-based reform.
“We made a deliberate decision to engage constructively, provide credible evidence and pursue reforms that would minimise gambling harm while protecting jobs, community support and the long-term viability of clubs,” she told delegates.
Rebecca also highlighted the breadth of work undertaken by ClubsNSW on behalf of members over the past year, including workplace relations support, club visits, education initiatives and media engagement.
She also announced the inaugural ClubsNSW Leadership Summit, to be held in April next year, and pointed to the continued investment being made in education, governance and compliance resources for clubs across the state.
A key focus of her address was the release of the new 2026 Economic and Social Impact Report, which found the club industry contributes more than $13 billion in economic and social value to NSW each year.
“The value of a club cannot be measured solely through its hospitality operations or its balance sheet,” said Rebecca.
“It must also be measured in the sporting teams that have somewhere to train, the charities that receive funding, the people who have secure local career opportunities, the volunteers who keep community organisations running and the families and older generations who have an affordable place to gather and stay connected.”
The morning began with ClubsNSW Chair Sallianne Faulkner formally welcoming delegates to what she described as the industry’s most important annual gathering.
“The ClubsNSW Annual Conference is always an important opportunity to step away from the day-to-day challenges of running a club and spend time focussing on the bigger picture — where our industry is heading, the issues we need to prepare for and the opportunities we can tap into,” she said.
She also acknowledged the strong culture of collaboration that exists across the club industry and thanked those clubs participating in the Clubs Helping Clubs initiative, which has helped smaller clubs attend this year’s Conference thanks to the generosity of larger clubs.
Delegates will spend the next two days hearing from an impressive line-up of keynote speakers, industry experts, regulators and policymakers, with sessions covering a range of issues including governance, regulatory reform, artificial intelligence, diversification and changing consumer expectations.
Today’s lineup includes NSW Minister for Gaming and Racing David Harris and AUSTRAC CEO Brendan Thomas, with the ClubsNSW Annual General Meeting to follow in the afternoon and the Keno Conference Party tonight.
The Conference will conclude tomorrow with a closing conversation between sports journalist Danika Mason and actor, author and television personality Matt Nable, as delegates come together to raise funds in support of the fight against Motor Neurone Disease.
