9:00 am
ArrivalLive Stage Sessions
Arrival, badge collection, and expo floor open
Start the day with check-in, coffee, and a first pass through the supplier floor before the SmallBiz Sessions begin.
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Program
Come with a problem. Leave with a plan to move your business forward.
Two days of expo conversations, keynotes, panels and roundtables built to help small business owners and teams to engage with industry experts.
29-30 July 2026MCEC Melbourne, Door 10
Session type
9:30 am
NetworkingRoundtable
Meet the Experts Roundtables Session 1
Participate in an interactive session with industry experts and government agencies in a small and exclusive group conversation-style session designed to answer your specific business questions.
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10:30 am
PeoplePanel
The People Equation: Hiring, Leading and Upskilling Without Breaking the Business
Great teams aren't built on big budgets - they're built on better decisions and the right approach. Get the playbook for hiring, leading and upskilling on small business terms.
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11:00 am
AI serviceKeynote
AI for Service: Automate Your Operations and Scale High-Value Support
Learn about lasting customer growth. This session unpacks how small businesses are automating routine service work to make room for the high-value support that keeps customers coming back, and what it takes to scale without losing the personal touch.
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11:20 am
AI in practiceKeynote
AI Real Talk: Change Management, Real Lessons, and How To Get Started
The gap between AI ambition and AI adoption is where most service teams are stuck right now and closing it takes more than the right platform. Drawing on real client implementations, hear a case study about what it takes to embed AI inside a service operation.
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11:50 am
CommunityAnnouncement
Future Drive Australia and SmallBiz 2027 announcements
Stay tuned for exciting updates on what's next for the SmallBiz community, including a first look at 2027 and Future Drive AutoShow Melbourne.
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12:00 pm
NetworkingRoundtable
Meet the Experts Roundtables Session 2
Participate in an interactive session with industry experts and government agencies in a small and exclusive group conversation-style session designed to answer your specific business questions.
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1:00 pm
CybersecurityKeynote
AI and Cyber-Security: Navigating the New Threat Landscape
AI isn't just transforming business - it's transforming cybercrime. This session will unpack how AI-powered attacks are outpacing traditional defences, and what businesses need to do to keep up.
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1:20 pm
Incident responsePanel
Hacked, Scammed or Breached? What To Do Before, During and After a Cyber Incident
Are you worried about cyber incidents? We discuss a practical playbook for protecting your business, and knowing exactly what to do if the worst happens.
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1:50 pm
Future of workPanel
What's Next: AI, People and the Business of Tomorrow
What does tomorrow actually look like for Melbourne's small businesses, and who's shaping it? We speak with the city's most forward thinking leaders on AI, innovation and the opportunities hiding in plain sight for small business owners right now.
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2:20 pm
CommunityKeynote
Future Drive Australia and SmallBiz 2027 announcements
Stay tuned for exciting updates on what's next for the SmallBiz community, including a first look at 2027 and Future Drive AutoShow Melbourne.
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2:30 pm
NetworkingRoundtable
Meet the Experts Roundtables Session 3
Participate in an interactive session with industry experts and government agencies in a small and exclusive group conversation-style session designed to answer your specific business questions.
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3:30 pm
ConnectionsNetworking
Supplier meetings and networking close
Use the final hour to revisit shortlisted exhibitors, meet speakers and partners, and turn session notes into follow-up conversations.
SpeakersSpeakers and exhibitors
Register for this session2026 speakers
Speaker profiles from the current SmallBiz Sessions lineup.
SmallBiz Expo
Walk the floor and meet exhibitors ready to help you solve the problem that's been sitting on your desk.
Find innovative solutions and new partnerships in one walkable floor.
SmallBiz Roundtables
Practical sessions help owners sharpen finance, hiring, marketing, sales, tech, and ecommerce decisions.
Meet the experts. Small-group sessions where you can ask the specific question you came with and hear how peers in your position are actually tackling it.
SmallBiz Keynotes
An exclusive drinks function connecting entrepreneurs, industry leaders, exhibitors, sponsors, and potential partners.
Hear directly from the leaders and operators shaping what's next for small business - the trends, the risks, and the moves worth making before your competitors do.
SmallBiz Live Stage
Keynotes, panels, and fireside chats designed around practical advice, future-focused insight, and real operating challenges.
Different topics, different playbooks. Sit in as industry experts discuss and compare practical notes about what works for them.
SmallBiz Melbourne 2026
Use the program to learn, compare, and connect.
Register interest now and receive program updates as speakers, exhibitors, and sponsored sessions are announced.