Chapter President’s Welcome
Dear WA Chapter Members
What a fantastic year it’s been so far, and there’s still so much to look forward to!
The WA Chapter Committee recently gathered for a planning session to fine tune the events for the remainder of 2024, and to look forward to 2025. It was an afternoon full of energy, creativity and fantastic ideas! I am so grateful for such a dedicated and action-oriented Committee, and I am really excited about the plans we have in store for you, our members. As a Committee, we are committed to providing opportunities for our members to network, learn and grow. I encourage you to make contact with myself or any of the Committee members to share your needs so we can tailor our program to suit our members.
Our online Special Interest Groups (SIGs) have also been a great success, with recent online sessions focusing on Marketing and Admissions. These gatherings provided a valuable platform for members to dive deep into industry-specific challenges and share best practices. Responding to member feedback, we’ve offered a mix of in-person and online SIGs and events this year to engage as many members as possible from both metro and regional areas.
A standout event was the Tertiary SIG, attracting over 20 attendees with representation from three of the five universities in the area. The event brought together Heads of College, Fundraisers, Registrars, Marketing Professionals and Alumni team members. The discussions were particularly engaging, with a strong focus on equity and partnerships across the sector. We look forward to providing more Tertiary SIGs in the future.
Additional to the SIGs, we have hosted two national webinars: “Digital Dynamics: Optimising ROI in Growth and Retention Campaigns,” led by Glide Agency, and “A Deep Dive into Deepfakes,” presented by imageseven. Both sessions provided really topical and valuable professional learning for not just our WA members, but nationally. These events have enriched our professional knowledge and equipped us with tools to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving landscape.
Upcoming events
We’re getting closer to the highlight of our year — the Educate Plus International Conference! We can’t wait to see many of you there, ready to soak up the knowledge, connect with peers, and enjoy all that this event has to offer.
I encourage you all to join us at the Chapter Gathering on Wednesday 11 September at The Station in South Perth.
WA Chapter Gathering
Wednesday 11 September
The Station, South Perth
7.00pm – 9.00pm
Tickets $50 (includes drink on arrival and finger food)
To register, RSVP here.
Everyone is welcome to join us at our Chapter Gathering regardless of whether you’re attending the Conference. It will be a great opportunity to catch up with familiar faces and meet new ones.
Beyond the Conference, be on the lookout for promotions of our upcoming events to end the year. We’ve got something special in store for our marketers and graphic designers, thanks to our partnership with Scotts. We’re also gearing up for our final professional development session, which will be a fun networking event combined with our AGM. It will be the perfect chance to learn, connect and wrap up the year on a high note.
We bid a heartfelt farewell to Clare Underdown, who has resigned from the Committee due to her impending move to Canberra for her husband’s work. Clare’s contributions have been nothing short of extraordinary, particularly in her role overseeing some of our Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and her steadfast support of our events. She has been a passionate advocate for Educate Plus, especially in championing the needs of our regional members. This isn’t the last we will see of Clare, she will be in attendance at the Conference so we will be able to farewell her then.
I look forward to connecting again with lots of our members at the International Conference and using that momentum to continue our member engagement.
Kind regards,
Laura Kendall
WA Chapter President, Educate Plus
Director of Community and Sustainability
Guildford Grammar School
