Spot Talks and Jan Pentland Prize

Some people slow down at this time of year, but it’s full steam ahead here at FCA conference headquarters. We’re excited about next year’s event which will be held at the Cairns Convention Centre.

If you needed any convincing about Cairns being a fantastic destination, check out this video showing some highlights of the area.

The important conference dates to pop in your diary are:

Pre-conference	Tuesday May 5 and Wednesday May 6
Conference	Thursday May 7 and Friday May 8
Jan Pentland Dinner	Evening of Thursday May 7

Remember, you’re more likely to secure cheap flights if you book early, so we encourage you to get onto that ASAP. Cairns has plenty of accommodation, but as usual we have set aside room blocks with an external booking company, which you can access here. 

Today we want to highlight the Spot Talks, Jan Pentland prize and scholarships and the conference creche.

Spot Talks

These are an annual crowd favourite.

Do you have an idea you’re burning to share or something you think people working in financial hardship should know about? And do you want to learn how to deliver your message so that it really cuts through? Then you should consider giving a Spot Talk. Check out this video for a teaser.

The information pack has all you need to know but, in a nutshell, a Spot Talk is a bit like a TED Talk only it’s seven minutes long. The speaker is centre-stage, with a spotlight and microphone. No notes and no slides.

It sounds a little daunting, but fear not – speakers will be mentored by our speaking guru, Jon Yeo. Jon is the licensee of TEDxMelbourne and a past national president of Professional Speakers Australia. He does a fantastic job every year guiding the speakers. 

So what are you waiting for? Throw your hat in the ring and fill out the application form.

Applications close on January 19. 

If you’re not quite ready to apply yet but you’d like to flag your interest, please fill out the expression of interest form.

There’s an online information session TONIGHT at 6pm AEDT, details below.

Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/94554205575?pwd=apzk2cbX2Pwte9vwAV4aTAKRpxg5aA.1Meeting ID: 945 5420 5575Passcode: 304802

Jan Pentland prize and scholarships – set yourself a reminder to apply on December 8!

The Jan Pentland prize is our sector’s most prestigious award and is bestowed annually at the Jan Pentland dinner. It’s awarded to an individual or organisation that is achieving great things in the financial counselling and capability sector, consumer advocacy, law reform, campaign work, community development, and/or community education.

If you have someone who deserves some recognition, why not nominate them? The nomination form opens on Monday December 8. It can be found here, along with more information about the prize.

The Jan Pentland Scholarships are also awarded at the dinner. These provide financial assistance to individuals who are undertaking study or are intending to undertake study in financial counselling. They are worth up to $5,000 and cover study-related costs. This could include the cost of the course and/or related costs such as travel, accommodation, stationery, technology, childcare or supervision. Applicants will need to show that costs are directly connected to their study.

Applications will also open for the scholarships on Monday December 8. For more information and to apply when the time comes, head to the Jan Pentland Foundation website.

Conference creche

We hope to be able to provide day care during the conference. Before we organise anything, we need to gauge if there is enough demand. Please let us know if you would use this service should it be available by filling out this form.

That’s it from me for now.

Have a great break (if you’re lucky enough to be getting one). We will be in touch with more conference news in the new year.

Dom

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their living cultures and to Elders past and present.