The convention program is designed to meet the needs of attendees who hold varying roles in our community. There is relevant content whether you are a volunteer working in any role within AMBA member-club community organisations, a professional who works in a healthcare capacity with an interest in multiple birth, someone looking for fresh ideas from people who understand your challenges or a parent who needs a weekend of inspirational content to reconnect you to our cause.
While Facebook groups and webinars are great, there is a limit to how much you can learn and implement from those remote methods. The convention experience is invaluable. You will:
- unite with committee members, club volunteers, board directors and community leaders
- discover more about the NFP sector, build a better club and enjoy your volunteering more
- build your network with volunteers who are aligned on values and put members before themselves
- develop with your team and take time out of the whirlwind for a weekend to refresh, realign and refocus.
Most importantly, you will create connections.
Plenary sessions are designed for all attendees. The expectation is that all attendees participate in the plenary sessions and then move on to selected breakout sessions.
Friday awards dinner
- 4.00 - 6.00pm
- Convention Registration
- Lobby
- 6.30 - 7.00pm
- Pre-dinner Drinks
- Atrium
- 7.00 - 11.00pm
- AMBA Appreciation Awards dinner
- Ballroom
- MC: Amelia Haddock (Canberra and Region Multiple Birth Association, former AMBA Board Director)
- Keynote Speaker: Joyce Keating (Multinet, Illawarra South Coast MBA, Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai Hills MBA)
Saturday conference
- 8.00 - 8.30am
- Convention registration. Arrival coffee and tea.
- 8.30 - 8.45am
- Introduction and Acknowledgement of Country
- Convention Planning Committee
- 8.45 - 9.00am
- Welcome address
- Larissa Jordan, AMBA Chairperson
- 9.00 - 9.30am
- Group Activity
- Get ready to learn more about your fellow volunteers!
- 9.30 - 10.30am
- Recent developments in multiple birth pregnancy research
- Prof Mark Umstad AM MBBS FRANZCOG | AMBA Patron
- Outcomes to be defined.
- 10.30 - 11.00am
- Morning Tea
- 11.00am - 11.45am
- Why do twins run in families?
- Dr Brittany Mitchell | QIMRT Berghofer Medical Institute
- Learn about Brittany's research on the causes and inheritance of twinning.
- 11.45am - 1.00pm
- AMBA Plenary Session
- AMBA Board of Directors
- This plenary session enables the directors to generate discussion with member-clubs to continue paving the way for change. Come prepared with topics that you'd like to discuss and/or questions that you want to propose in an open forum.
- 1.00 - 2.00pm
- Lunch - Atrium
- 2.00pm - 2.15pm
- Sponsor Spotlight
- Dobek Bociarski, UCC Lead Asia Pacific | GoTo
- 2.15pm - 2.30pm
- Sponsor Spotlight
- Isaak Dury, CEO and Founder | TidyHQ
- 2.30 - 3.45pm
- AMBA Annual General Meeting
- All member-clubs are invited to participate in the general meetings of AMBA through the appointment of an official delegate or the provision of proxy authority. Delegate appointments or proxy authorities are to be forwarded to the AMBA Secretary as specified in the notice of meeting.
- 3.45pm
- Afternoon Tea
- 4:00 - 5.00pm
- AMBA Club Unite
- This innovative session is a club sharing opportunity where centres of knowledge excellence will be showcased. There are common pain points and areas of strength across all member-clubs and AMBA Club Unite offers the opportunity for attendees to discuss their toughest challenges with experienced clubs who have a track record of success. This session aims to connect people to knowledge, thereby creating stronger clubs and enabling volunteer committees to focus on servicing their families with proven programs and support.
- Our sponsors will also be featured and will be exhibiting the whole weekend.
Program and times are subject to change.
Saturday night dinner
- 6.30 - 7.00pm
- Pre-dinner Drinks
- Atrium
- 7.00 - 11.00pm
- High School Reunion / Blue Light Disco Dinner event
- Join us for a fabulous evening of dinner, dancing and creating fantastic memories!
Sunday conference
- 8.30 - 9.00am
- Convention registration. Arrival coffee and tea.
- 9.00 - 9.15am
- Welcome to Convention Day 2
- Convention Planning Committee
- 9.15 - 10.15am
- The Accidental Counsellor - How to listen and respond without burning out
- Rocky Biasi | Founder, Human Connections
- 10.15 - 10.45am
- Morning Tea
- 10.45am - 1.00pm
- Breakout Session Streams
- STREAM 1
- CONNECTING MINDS, CONNECTING PARTNERS
- 10:45am
- Breaking Down Depression
- Christine Lopacinski | Black Dog Institute
- 11:50am
- Dad Stress
- Steven Kennedy | Prepare Foundation
- 12:05pm
- SMS4Dads and Father Inclusive Practice
- Brendan Bennett | SMS4Dads Program
- 12:30 - 1:00pm
- Panel Q&A
- STREAM 2
- CORE CONNECTIONS
- 10:45am
- My experience of Rectus Diastasis and advocating for change
- Ms Kerrie Edwards | Patient Advocate
- Kerrie will be talking about her decision to lodge a petition with the Australian Federal Parliament to reinstate Medicare cover for rectus repair for postpartum women that gained a lot of attention and amassed 13,022 signatures.
- 11:20am
- Dr Siobhan Fitzpatrick | Plastic Surgeon
- 11:55am
- Movement connections: Integrating movement habits into your busy life
- Trisha Ching | Sydney Women’s Physio
- Trisha will be talking about the importance of strengthening connections throughout the body to improve the pelvic floor and core muscles for women during pregnancy and the years following birth.
- 12:30pm
- Panel Q&A
- 1:00 - 1.45pm
- Lunch - Atrium
- 1.45 - 2.15pm
- Red Cross Milk Bank
- Chris Sulfaro | Red Cross Milk Bank
- 2.15 - 3.15pm
- Understanding and responding to big emotions
- Sarah Wood | Counsellor and Accredited Mental Health Social Worker
- 3.15 - 3.30pm
- Closing remarks
- Convention Planning Committee
- 3:30 - 4.00pm
- Optional afternoon tea and networking
Program and times are subject to change.