Conference/Event Name: SNAICC ‘23 – the 10th SNAICC National Conference
Dates: 5-7 September 2023
Host organisation: SNIACC – National Voice for our Children
Number of delegates & origin: 1624 delegates
NT location: Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
Conference venue/s: Darwin Convention Centre
Professional Conf Organiser: Agentur Events & Professional Conferences
Event Overview
The 10th SNAICC National Conference held in Darwin in September 2023 was hosted by SNIACC – National Voice for our Children.
SNAICC is the national peak body in Australia for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families and the sectors that support them. Formally established in 1981, SNAICC has a dynamic membership base of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-based early education and child care agencies – these include multi-functional Aboriginal Children's Services, creches, long day-care services, pre-schools, early childhood education services, family support, kinship care agencies and services for young people at risk.
SNAICC also has a network and subscriber base of over 15,000 individuals from mainstream and Aboriginal community-based organisations, as well as State and Federal government agencies.
The biennial SNAICC National Conference was last staged in the Northern Territory in 2010 when it was held in Alice Springs. The most recent in-person SNAICC national conference was held in Adelaide in 2019, with the 2021 conference an online version due to the Covid pandemic.
The 2023 conference theme, “Voices at the Top – our children, our rights, our way”, reflected the event being held in the region known as the Top End of the Northern Territory. The three-day Darwin conference provided delegates with an opportunity to learn, share and network regarding early childhood education and care and other issues that impact Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Attendees included representatives from early childhood education, care and development sectors, social services, Aboriginal community-controlled organisations, government and other peak bodies.
More than half of the delegates identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, representing over 430 different organisations, associations and entities. It was estimated that more than 90% of attendees travelled to the NT from other Australian States and Territories.
Why Darwin and the Northern Territory for this event?
The attraction of the conference to Darwin was a joint partnership between the Darwin Convention Centre and NT Business Events (NTBE), the official convention bureau which sits within the NT Government’s Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade. Strong support was provided by NTBE to assist with the planning and staging of the conference.
The SNAICC Board strives to host each SNAICC National Conference in a different location across the country. Darwin and the NT were selected for SNAICC’23 due to being a regional location with a vibrant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population providing cultural connections.
Approaches undertaken, particularly in the NT, in addressing economic, social and community factors that impact the safety and wellbeing of Aboriginal children and young people were a focus of the conference. The event attracted significant media attention with 374 stories published across local and national television, radio, newspapers and online media, with an estimated reach of approximately nine million people.
The event execution
The Darwin event was the biggest SNAICC National Conference ever held, with over 110 concurrent sessions staged across three streams – Children and Families, Child Protection and Early Learning and Development. The diverse sessions included a range of paper presentations, panel discussions, yarning circles and workshops.
Attendees heard directly from children and young people on their lived experiences and the issues that impact them, as well as of stories that celebrated the strength and resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
The conference opened on the first day with a Welcome to Country presentation provided by Aunty Bilawara Lee on behalf of the Larrakia People of Darwin, Traditional Owners of the land. The conference had a strong cultural program with performances staged each day at sessions or during conference lunch breaks. Performers included NT organisations such as The Youth Mill, Maningrida Dance Group, Tony Lee, Garramilla gulwa dancers and the Manunda Terrace Primary School Choir.
SNAICC’23 also featured a ‘Market Hall’ exhibition which was located in Hall One of the Convention Centre - it showcased more than 30 Aboriginal artists and makers, retailers and services.
Social Program
Social events included a function for conference sponsors, staff and VIPs at the award-winning Wharf One Food and Wine restaurant which is situated in the vibrant Darwin Waterfront Precinct.
The Welcome Reception for all delegates was designed as a relaxed and casual event. It was staged at the outdoor Harbour Boardwalk area adjacent to the Darwin Convention Centre and enjoys a beautiful location overlooking the Darwin Waterfront.
The Reception function also commenced with a Welcome to Country by Aunty Bilawara Lee on behalf of the Larrakia People of the Darwin region. This was followed by a Smoking Ceremony provided by Trent Lee from Saltwater Cultural Tours, whose company focusses on First Nations practices and the Larrakia connection to the land.
Casual street-food style cuisine created by the Convention Centre’s catering team was served from a range of food stalls and enabled roving-style dining for delegates throughout the evening. Renowned Aboriginal singer/songwriter Shellie Morris AO and the ladies from Groote Eylandt performed throughout the evening.
The Conference Gala Dinner was held at the Darwin Convention Centre and was attended by 800 delegates. The dinner featured a selection of dishes from the Convention Centre’s renowned ‘Seven Seasons Dinner’ menu which showcases the special flavours, unique produce and seasonal cuisine of the Larrakia People. Entertainment for the gala evening included performances by the NT Dance Company and Aboriginal singer-songwriter Emily Wurramara.
About the Darwin Convention Centre
SNAICC’23 conference organisers noted that the Darwin Convention Centre staff were very attentive, especially with regard to the food and beverage service. The staging at the Centre was also deemed to be “fantastic”, bringing the conference vision to life.
Stand-out features noted by the organisers and delegates related to the Darwin Convention Centre’s waterfront location and views, plus convenient access to the nearby bars, restaurants and attractions at the Darwin Waterfront Precinct. With a key focus of the conference being networking and bringing people in the sector together, organisers said that the venue’s location had greatly assisted to achieve this objective, enhanced by Darwin’s beautiful weather.
Most memorable aspect of the event
A shared purpose and strong sense of community prevailed throughout the conference, with many delegates commenting that SNAICC’23 was the best conference they had ever attended. The opportunity to showcase culture and Aboriginal community-controlled solutions and services was seen as another highlight.
Pre and post touring in the NT
With the SNAICC Conference being held from Tuesday to Thursday, it offered an opportunity for interstate attendees to participate in pre and post event tours. Delegates were encouraged to take advantage of the special transport and touring discounts on offer from organisations such as Northern Territory Indigenous Tours, Spectacular Jumping Crocodiles, SeaLink NT and Budget Australia.
With many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community agencies based in Darwin, some delegates also participated in pre and post conference visits with their NT organisation associates and partners.
The Verdict
The results of the post-conference survey distributed to delegates showed that SNAICC’23 attracted highly favourable feed-back, with a rating of 4.5 from a total of 5 stars. The survey also indicated that almost 90% of delegates would plan to attend a future SNAICC Conference, based on their very positive Darwin conference experience.
In their words
The organising team at SNAICC – National Voice for our Children were very complimentary about their Darwin conference experience.
“SNAICC – National Voice for our Children held its biennial conference in Garramilla/Darwin on the lands of the Larrakia people. The SNAICC'23 conference was our largest and most successful to date. We were very excited to be able to have our conference at the Top End, allowing us to connect with our colleagues and the sector up north and to the Traditional Owners and culture of the saltwater people. We’re very grateful for their warm welcome, hospitality and openness to share their culture with us.”
“The feedback we received from delegates was overwhelmingly positive and supportive. Delegates loved the location, being able to explore the surrounding Darwin area and Top End, visiting waterfalls and waterholes. They enjoyed the balmy weather, access to attractions and restaurants, and the opportunity to engage with and learn about local Aboriginal culture. The Darwin Convention Centre met all our conference needs. The location was ideal and the service and support was wonderful.”
Fran Whitty
Director of Operations
SNAICC – National Voice for our Children
A traditional Welcome to Country and cultural performance at the SNAICC’23 conference