4th Financial Inclusion Conference – Roads to Resilience

The 4th Financial Inclusion Conference - Roads to Reslience, hosted by NSW Financial Inclusion Network, in partnership with Northern Rivers Community Gateway and UNSW's Centre for Social Impact, will be held on 16+17 February 2022 in Sydney and live online.

If the current COVID situation persists, Roads to Resilience will still go ahead and be delivered virtually.

More than ever, now is the time to pursue and expand conversation around financial resilience, in order to shape policies and practices that steer Australia in the direction of positive financial wellbeing.

The 4th Financial Inclusion Conference – Roads to Resilience aims to take a deep dive into financial resilience and explore the various roads to it. The conference is particularly relevant now, following the social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Accordingly, we have expanded our program to examine the impacts of this pandemic on our communities. With more sessions, speakers and an additional fourth breakout stream, Roads to Resilience will explore the major challenges of disasters affecting Australia and the world today, including the Australian climate change events of 2020.

This conference will bring issues of financial exclusion and financial vulnerability to light, expanding conversation around financial resilience. By deepening conversation around our central themes, we hope to illuminate the developments of innovative programs and service delivery. We will showcase relevant research findings and celebrate the person-centred approach of NGOs, government initiatives and highlight perceived funding gaps in the sector. Roads to Resilience provides us with opportunities to draw on some real data and experiences facing our communities and sector at this time.

The NSW Financial Inclusion Network recognises the value of seeing each other in person and the importance of networking in the work we do. Our decision to postpone this conference to October 2021 was made to ensure the safety of all our speakers and delegates, and to enable us to come together in a face-to-face environment.

Roads to Resilience will go ahead as planned at SMC Conference & Function Centre in Sydney and will be a COVID-Safe event. The expanded conference program will also be delivered live and online through our event app.

The NSW Financial Inclusion Network formed in 2015 as a social policy think tank, engaging the community sector, government and peak organisations for the purpose of working towards a more financially inclusive future for NSW.

Conference theme – Roads to Resilience

There is growning evidence that financial resilience is an important layer for achieving financial inclusion. This conference aims to take a deep dive into financial resilience and explore the various roads to it. Accordingly, conference content will centre around the building blocks of financial resilience, those being:

• Economic resources

• Financial products and services

• Finance knowledge and behaviour

• Social captial

The conference will deepen conversations around these central themes, the development of innovation programs and service delivery. It will showcase current research, findings and celebrate the person-centred approach of NGOs, government initiatives and highlight perceived funding gaps in this sector.

Who should attend?

This conference will provide a thought provoking opportunity for researchers, policy makers, students, regulators, advocates, executives, managers and front-line staff working in the NGO sector to address the needs of Australia’s most financially vulnerable people, as well as managers and executives working in the finance, energy and telco industries.

For more information about this conference including keynote and guest speakers, program, sponsorship opportunities, conference dinner and more click here.

2nd Financial Inclusion Awards and conference dinner

The 2nd annual Financial Inclusion Awards will be presented at the conference dinner. 

Time: 6:30pm. Date: 16 February 2022. Venue: SMC Conference & Function Centre

The awards include the following categories:

1. Best Practice (Indiviudal)

2. Good Practice (NGO)

3. Good Practice (Corporate)

4. Contribution to Innovative Solutions (Individual or organisation)

For more information on awards criteria and how to nominate, click here.

Accommodation

Delegates will have access to special rates and packages at hotels within walking distance from the conference venue. Delegates will need to book and pay for accommodation separately. For more information on accommodation options, click here.

Virtual delivery

Roads to Resilience will take place physically at SMC Conference & Function Centre in Sydney. All our conference sessions and activities will be available in this way. In addition, all program sessions will be available, interactive, live and online through our conference app, which will be accessible to all registered conference delegates closer to the date.

Registration refunds

Registration cancellations and fee refunds will be considered on a case by case basis. If you would like to cancel your registration and receive a fee refund, please email financialinclusion@nrcg.org.au.