Swarm Webinar and Live Event Schedule

  • 8:00 am - 8:30 am

    Swarm Registration and Check In

    For those attending live at Melbourne Zoo it’s time to: Check in. Grab your name badge and a coffee. And get started on your Swarm bingo card.

    We’ll have people working the Zoo entry to bring you through to the Leopard Lounge.

  • 8:30 am - 8:50 am

    Welcome & Housekeeping

    Speakers: Matthew Cox & Annie Pistikakis

    Our live event and streaming event opens for the day, with Annie and Matt as our humble MCs.

  • 8:50 am - 9:00 am

    Welcome to Country

    Welcome to Country with Ian (Warrend-Badj) Hunter, an elder of the Wurundjeri people of Melbourne (Naarm).

  • 9:00 am - 10:00 am

    The Importance of Anti-Racism

    Speaker: Luke Pearson

    In our opening keynote session, Luke will talk about the catalysts behind the changing  conversations about race and racism in Australia and the importance of moving beyond ‘non-racism’ into tangible anti-racism.

  • 10:05 am - 10:25 am

    Morning Tea

    Time for a break to refresh and prepare for the late morning activities.

  • 10:30 am - 11:25 am

    Building communities with a product mindset

    Speaker: Hugh Lashbrooke

    With his background in software development before entering the community industry over 10 years ago, Hugh has always instinctively managed communities and programs like a software product. He has found product development practices and methodologies to be the ideal format for developing effective community strategies and programs.

    This talk will be all about how to use product management processes to build and grow a community. Hugh will look at common product management principles and ideas such as goal-setting, backlogs, roadmaps, prioritisation, and cross-functional collaboration, to show how they can unlock powerful ideas and allow you to build communities logically and effectively. The talk will be practical with audience participation and takeaways.

  • 11:30 am - 12:25 pm

    Battlelines: The fight for control over online communities and UCG

    Speaker: Paul Gordon

    In this year’s legal update, Online Law expert Paul Gordon (Partner, Wallmans Lawyers) will delve into the various battles being waged by business, governments and the community for control and regulation of the latest frontiers of online discourse.

    Covering attempts to ban people under 14 from using social media, attempts to censor content worldwide, the use of AI, and whatever it is that happens to be imploding on ‘X’ on the day of the presentation.

  • 12:30 pm - 1:15 pm

    Networking: Scavenger Hunt

    Race around the Zoo or your desk.

    We “network” differently at Swarm. This year we’re hosting a scavenger hunt to bring attendees together. You’ll learn more on the day, but come prepared to compete.

  • 1:15 pm - 2:15 pm

    Lunch Break

    It’s time to grab some sustenance before we head into a busy afternoon of Swarming.

  • 2:15 pm - 3:15 pm

    Swarm Panel: Communities of Practice

    Speakers: Matthew Cox, Danielle Roberts, Jeevan Joshi & Rebekah Lambert

    Hosted by MC Matthew Cox, this panel brings together Danielle Roberts, Coordinator Regional & AgTech from LaunchVic, Jeevan Joshi, Community & Research Manager from LearningCafe, and Rebekah Lambert, Founder & Community Manager from Freelance Jungle. They will engage in a lively discussion about Communities of Practice.

  • 3:20 pm - 3:50 pm

    Short Talk: Women & WhatsApp

    Speaker: Yohana Jury

    Yohana Jury, Festivals and Events Coordinator from the City of Greater Dandenong,  is community community-minded CALD woman who has worked in grassroots level organisation, not-for-profit and government. Passionate about multicultural communities, she works to improve and enhance community organisations through her full time work but also through her volunteering capacity.

    This short talk from Yohanna will focus on creating safe spaces for CALD women to thrive through a WhatsApp group. She will share her life experiences using a case study approach to impart what her experience have taught her.

  • 3:50 pm - 4:15 pm

    Afternoon Tea Break

    Our last break of the day and a chance to grab your late afternoon coffee.

  • 4:20 pm - 5:10 pm

    What Taylor Swift can teach us about Community Management

    Speaker: Georgia Carroll

    Dr Georgia Carroll’s research looks at fandom communities, with a specific emphasis on Taylor Swift’s fandom. The Taylor Nation team have a super interesting method of community management that Dr Carroll believes could make for a fun way of looking at how brands engage on social media and how norms and intra-fandom behaviour management are produced and reinforced.

    While not your standard “here’s what I did” kind of case study, we’ll take an interesting and topical deep dive into the community practices of one of the world’s biggest fandoms

  • 5:10 pm - 5:20 pm

    Event Closing & Farewell

    We wrap up our day and say thanks to our sponsors and hosts.

    (Please note the Zoo will be closed, so everyone will be escorted to the exits)

  • 11:00 am - 12:30 pm

    Becoming an Authentic Leader at Home & at the Workplace

    Speaker: Victoria Cumberbatch

    ☝🏾 *Authenticity in leadership paves the way for trust, respect, conscious collaboration, self improvement and stellar communication.*

    In the workplace, being a conscious leader is simple, yet not easy. Authenticity often takes risking courage, psychological safety, trust, belonging, and solid relationship foundations in order to progress forward in each of these areas. It ain’t easy, but it is simple. HR teams have been working tirelessly, hoping they can curate a culture of belonging, inclusivity, and honesty in the workplace. My view is that YOU and I need to take some onus in this leveling up of the employment culture by doing the personal work necessary to improve the space.

    In this workshop, we will discuss ways of being that directly correlate to an improved work culture, like authenticity, worth, belonging and why they’re vital. **We will discover ways to take back our seats at the table, the art of giving & receiving feedback, as well as a format for how to have hard conversations**.

    In a survey of 6,725 people in 2021, some interesting stats were revealed: 71% felt more confident at work & 35% felt better about themselves when they were authentic at work, 53% felt their work impact was in building stronger relationships when they were authentic, 44% and 43% felt their work impact was less productive & less creative respectively when not employing authenticity.

    A study on the importance of authenticity in the workplace performed by the Simmons University Inst. for Inclusive Learning found this as their bottom line, “Our study on authenticity in the workplace clearly shows that it’s good for organizations to cultivate cultures where both managers and team members are able to show up as their real selves. Over time, these organizations benefit from increased team loyalty, job satisfaction, and productivity.”

    We will find ways to stretch yourself into unleashing how to be the authentic and honorable leader that you can choose to be. This is a small portion of a potentially larger, multi hour workshop that can always be discussed at a later date.

  • 11:00 am - 12:30 pm

    Maintaining Quality Communities at Scale

    Speaker: Evan Hamilton

    Lessons from Reddit and HubSpot

    Evan’s Swarm Conference 2024 presentation, titled “Maintaining Quality Communities at Scale: Lessons from Reddit and HubSpot”, will focus on:

    • How you handle volume at scale
    • How you don’t lose what’s special about your community as you grow
    • How you keep order
  • 11:00 am - 12:30 pm

    Building Inclusive and Purposeful Communities in the Australia Pacific Ecosystem: Lessons from the World

    Speaker: Sasmini Bandara

    Sasmini’s presentation, “Building Inclusive and Purposeful Communities in the Australia Pacific Ecosystem: Lessons from the World,” explores the nuanced challenges and unique opportunities presented by the Australia-Pacific region’s diverse cultural landscape. This region, rich in multicultural communities, stands at a critical juncture where inclusivity is not just a value but a fundamental pillar for sustainable community development.

    Drawing upon global best practices, the presentation will delve into how various communities worldwide have successfully navigated the complexities of inclusivity, offering valuable lessons for the Australia-Pacific ecosystem. The focus will be on adapting these global insights to the local context, highlighting the importance of cultural sensitivity, engagement strategies, and policy frameworks that resonate with local communities.

    The core of this presentation revolves around a comprehensive framework designed to guide community builders in creating more inclusive environments. This framework, enriched by global case studies and tailored to the specific needs of the Australia-Pacific region, will provide actionable strategies for fostering a sense of belonging, promoting equitable participation, and ensuring that communities are purpose-driven.

    Sasmini’s presentation will underscore the transformative potential of building inclusive communities. By adopting a global perspective while navigating local nuances, community builders in the Australia-Pacific region can lead the way in creating spaces where diversity is celebrated and every member feels valued and engaged.

Swarm is looking for sponsors for our 2024 event

If you're interested in learning more, please reach out by completing the following enquiry form:

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