Home | Member Updates | AHEIA Conference 2026: Program Highlights
"The AHEIA Conference is where the people who shape higher education's workplaces come to think, connect, and be challenged. And this year, it's on the beach."
Imagine wrapping up a morning of insightful and inspiring keynotes and walking out to the Adelaide beachfront, the hills behind you, a few colleagues beside you. That's the texture of the AHEIA Conference 2026 - intellectually rigorous but also genuinely enjoyable. A two-day experience designed for those who need more than a packed agenda: they also need space to think.
This year's program tackles the questions keeping HR, IR and workplace relations leaders up at night. Geopolitical instability and its ripple effects on higher education. The evolving landscape of enterprise bargaining. psychosocial safety and what it actually takes to build high-trust cultures when everything feels uncertain. These aren't panel topics chosen for comfort. They're the real conversations the sector needs to have.
Day two features three dedicated tracks, IR & Bargaining, Workplace Health and Safety and Culture, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, so you and your team can go deep on what matters most to your universities. Workshops and case studies led by subject matter experts mean you leave with more than ideas; you leave with things you can actually use.
And yes, there's an awards dinner at Longview Vineyard in the Adelaide Hills. There's a new conference app. There's optional beach walks and guided meditation. There's even a lolly bar. The AHEIA Conference takes its subject matter seriously but it also knows that the best professional connections happen when people are enjoying themselves.
Don't miss early bird pricing
Early bird tickets close at 5pm AEST on Thursday 24 April. AHEIA members also receive special group discounts. It's a great reason to bring your broader team and make the most of the three-track program.
The Stamford Grand is 12 minutes from Adelaide Airport and right on the beach. The program is strong. The people in the room will be exactly who you want to be talking to. Secure your place, and your rate, before Friday.