On Friday 15 August 2014, 800 early childhood professionals and industry peers and partners from across Australia came together at the Melbourne Convention Centre for another hugely successful Beyond Tomorrow conference.
The conference theme, Inspiring Journeys, was explored in many forms throughout the day.
The audience was touched and entertained by conference openers, the talented Choir of Hope and Inspiration, who set the mood for an uplifting and memorable day.
‘I was very much moved by the choir, they were a joy to watch and listen to,’ commented one delighted attendee.
World champion Ariel skier, Jacqui Cooper, inspired attendees with her keynote address – a story of self-belief, passion, triumph, tragedy and the ability to overcome adversity.
‘Jacqui's presentation was fantastic, the highlight of my day. It was inspirational and so relevant to the theme,’ enthused one attendee.
‘Jacqui Cooper and the choir were both positive and inspirational examples of how we can overcome diversity and obstacles in life. Both examples of the power of people becoming masters of their own destinies,’ said one attendee – a sentiment shared by many.
Twenty expert speakers from across Australia inspired attendees with stories of quality, innovation, leadership and wellbeing in the early childhood sector in a range of practical and informative sessions. Speakers used contemporary research and evidence-based best practice to examine key topics, which were linked back to the seven quality areas of the National Quality Framework.
Attendees were impressed with the high quality conference program.
‘All sessions were great - I gained ideas at every part of the day and sharing it with our team was great,’ commented one satisfied attendee.
When not attending sessions, attendees took the opportunity to visit the 50 exhibitors at Beyond Tomorrow’s extensive trade fair. Exhibitors showcased a diverse range of products and services relevant to the early childhood industry and many offered discounts to conference attendees.
Attendees celebrated the achievements of the 2014 ECMS Leadership Award recipients and connected with peers at the post-conference drinks, held in a space overlooking the Yarra River. This was the ideal conclusion to another highly successful Beyond Tomorrow conference.
The Beyond Tomorrow conference experience was perfectly summarised by one attendee as ‘Awesome speakers, awesome venue, awesome everything!’
The 2015 Beyond Tomorrow conference will be held at the Melbourne Convention Centre on Thursday 7 August 2015. ECMS invites all those with an interest in the early childhood education and care sector to attend Beyond Tomorrow. To discover more please email beyondtomorrow@ecms.org.au or call 03 8481 1124.