Connect is Supply Nation’s annual flagship event for the Indigenous business sector. The event brings together Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses, corporate organisations and government departments to foster strategic opportunities and celebrate supplier diversity excellence.

Indigenous businesses and attendees from some of Australia’s leading organisations will gather on Gadigal Land to conduct business, learn, engage and celebrate at Connect 2026.

Connect 2026 will take place on Tuesday 11 and Wednesday 12 August 2026 at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, on the lands of the Whadjuk people in Boorloo (Perth).

Stay up to date via the Connect website. You can also sign up for Connect updates using the form at the bottom of this webpage or follow our social media channels, so you don’t miss important event announcements. 

Connect tickets are now on sale. Purchase your tickets here.

This year’s theme, Journey, reflects progress, growth, and resilience. It honours the enduring foundations of trade and entrepreneurship that sustain Indigenous economies and represents the legacy being built for future generations.

Tuesday 11 August 2026 

Knowledge Forum | 8:30am – 4:30pm
Knowledge Forum Networking Reception* | 4:30pm – 6:30pm
*Access to the Networking Reception is exclusive to Knowledge Forum ticket holders only. 

Wednesday 12 August 2026 

Indigenous Business Tradeshow | 8:00am – 3:30pm
Gala Awards Dinner | 6pm – late

No. You can purchase individual tickets for each day of Connect 2026. The Two-Day Pass includes access to the Knowledge Forum, Networking Reception and Tradeshow.

The Gala Awards Dinner is not included in any other ticket type; this must be bought as a single ticket as the Gala Awards Dinner tickets do not grant access to any other part of Connect 2026.

The Connect 2026 app will be available in the lead up to the event. The Event app will include the event program, participating businesses, sponsors and important information.

Children under 12 years are welcome to attend the Indigenous Business Tradeshow only on Wednesday 12 August 2026 and must be accompanied by a paying adult. Children under 18 years will not be permitted entry to the Knowledge Forum and Networking Reception, and Gala Awards Dinner, where alcohol is served.

Visit the Tickets page to select your ticket type and proceed to the registration platform.

Discounted tickets are exclusive to Supply Nation Registered and Certified Indigenous businesses and corporate and government members. Codes can be applied to all ticket categories except exhibitor booth tickets.

On the ticket registration platform, suppliers and members must add the discount code to each individual ticket in their order before finalising their purchase e.g. group of 5 will require the same code entered on 5 tickets.

The Indigenous Business Tradeshow on Wednesday 12 August is the only event with tickets available on the day (unless sold out prior). You will be able to purchase tickets outside the Tradeshow Halls at full price, no discounts are available on the day.

All orders submitted through our webform must be paid by credit card. Please note that a 2.25% credit card processing fee applies to all credit card payments.

The Knowledge Forum brings together pioneers of supplier diversity with leading Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander entrepreneurs and business voices – creating a space for important conversations relevant to the Indigenous business sector and the broader Australian landscape.

The Indigenous Business Tradeshow provides the opportunity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses to showcase the calibre, diversity and vibrancy of their products and services to some of Australia’s leading corporate organisations and government departments. The Tradeshow is a hub where passionate entrepreneurs and buyers from across the country will come together to conduct business, engage and learn.

All Tradeshow exhibitors must be Supply Nation Registered or Certified Indigenous businesses.

There is no cost for Indigenous businesses to become registered or apply for certification. Supply Nation Indigenous businesses receive access to discounted tickets to Connect. If you are interested in registration, contact our team here.

Exhibitor booth tickets for the Tradeshow can be purchased here.

Supply Nation is committed to keeping costs as low as possible for Indigenous businesses that are registered or certified with us. We offer an exclusive discount code to Supply Nation Indigenous businesses. This unique code can be applied AFTER selecting tickets, and BEFORE proceeding through the check-out questions and submitting payment.

No, booths are exclusively for Supply Nation Registered or Certified Indigenous businesses. Members that are interested in participating may do so by securing attendee tickets, or by sponsoring the event. If you are interested in sponsoring, email us.

In the lead up to Connect, a list of exhibitors by industry will be shared with ticket holders and available in the event app.

The Tradeshow floor plan will be shared with ticket holders and on the event app in the lead up to the event.

There are three exhibitor booth sizes available:

• First-time exhibitor booths (2m x 2m or 4m2) – only available to businesses who have never exhibited at Connect before
• Standard exhibitor booths (3m x 3m or 9m2)
• Large exhibitor booths (6m x 3m or 18m2)

Supply Nation cannot accommodate any bespoke requests for booth sizing or combine booths together.

• $425 – First-time exhibitor booths (2m x 2m or 4m2)
• $715 – Standard exhibitor booths (3m x 3m or 9m2)
• $1220 – Large exhibitor booths (6m x 3m or 18m2)

All exhibitor booth tickets include two team members to staff your booth, two staff lunches, wall panelling, lighting, power and fascia signage with your business name. Staff names will be confirmed at a later date once exhibitor is approved.

No, business details for all exhibitors must match their profile on Supply Nation’s Indigenous Business Direct. This information will be verified and cannot be modified.

Exhibitor registrations are restricted to one booth per ABN registered on Indigenous Business Direct.

Exhibitors may not reserve multiple booths or combine booths under a single business entity. Should business owners desire to exhibit multiple businesses listed on Indigenous Business Direct, they will need to register and pay for these separately. 

Each exhibitor booth includes two staff tickets. Any additional staff will be required to purchase an Exhibitor Attendee ticket when registering for a booth.

Yes, all exhibitor staff will receive a staff lunch at the Tradeshow.

Exhibitors are authorised to bring food and beverage samples, as long as approval is obtained from PCEC before the event. Exhibitors without prior approval will not be able to provide samples. Once permission has been granted, exhibitors must comply with legislative requirements, included in the Food Act 2008, Part 9, Section 107 – all exhibitors with intent to sample, give away or sell food and beverage items within the City of Perth must complete and submit a Food Business Notification Form.

For further details please visit www.perth.wa.gov.au or contact 9461 3218.

Exhibitors:

• All exhibitor booth ticket registrations close on Friday 29 May 2026 (unless sold out prior)
• All exhibitor staff attendee ticket registration close on Friday 29 May 2026 (unless sold out prior)

Attendees:

• All final names for attendee tickets across the Tradeshow and Gala Awards Dinner must be amended / entered into your ticket registration order by Thursday 9 July 2026

Yes, hot and cold food, beverages and coffee will be available to purchase within the Tradeshow Hall.

Only exhibitors and select sponsors are permitted to distribute marketing or promotional materials, in line with their agreements. Non-exhibitors and the general public are not authorised to share promotional materials with attendees on the Tradeshow floor.

Yes. If you need to update your industry prior to Connect, please email our Customer Care team, customercare@supplynation.org.au and CC connect@supplynation.org.au.

The Gala Awards Dinner brings together the Indigenous business sector in recognition of the achievements of outstanding individuals and organisations through the Supplier Diversity Awards. Guests will gather to celebrate the success of the supplier diversity community with live performances from First Nations artists.

The Gala Awards Dinner includes networking and photo opportunities on arrival, official opening and Welcome to Country, three-course meal, announcements of the Supplier Diversity Awards winners, as well as incredible live performances from First Nations artists.

Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre is located at 21 Mounts Bay Rd, Perth WA 6000.

View the venue entrance and levels map here.

Exhibitor access (including bump in/out) will be included in your Exhibitor Manual.

Transport to PCEC:

• Taxi / rideshare drop off: Venue entrance, off Mounts Bay Road.
• Trains: Run to Elizabeth Quay station, which is only a few minutes walk away.
• Bus: Perth runs free bus routes (CATS) in the CBD between 6 am and 12 am. The public transport system can be navigated using Google Maps or the Transperth website and app.
• Ferry: Ferries run to Elizabeth Quay Wharf, which is a short walk to the venue.

There is direct access from Perth’s main freeway, Mitchell Freeway. Paid parking is available directly beneath the centre, operated by the City of Perth.

Nearby car parks include multiple Wilson Parking sites on Mounts Bay Road.

Supply Nation is not able to recommend businesses to PCEC for Connect 2026. As part of the venue’s agreement, only PCEC management and its representatives are entitled to bring into, provide or sell food and/or beverages inside the event space.

The following accommodation options are within walking distance of PCEC:  

• Adina Apartment Hotel Perth – 33 Mounts Bay Rd, Perth WA 6000 
• Quay Perth – 18 The Esplanade, Perth WA 6000 
• Parmelia Hilton Perth – 14 Mill St, Perth WA 6000 
• The Melbourne Hotel – 33 Milligan St, Perth WA 6000
• Oaks Hotel Perth – 305 Murray St, Perth WA 6000
• Aurea Hotel – 166 Mounts Bay Rd, Perth WA 6000 
• Mountway Holiday Apartments – 36 Mount St, West Perth WA 6005
• Citadines St George’s Terrace – 185 St Georges Terrace, Perth WA 6000
• The Ritz-Carlton Perth – 1 Barrack St, Perth WA 6000
• The Criterion Hotel Perth – 560 Hay St, Perth WA 6000
• Hyde Perth – 37 Pier St, Perth WA 6000
• Rydges – 621 Wellington St, Perth WA 6000

Yes, see next FAQ section for more details.

Yes, please refer to PCEC accessibility and inclusion information here.

a. In the event of a cancellation by you, and subject to clause (b) below, the following applicable cancellation fee will apply:

i. Cancellation notified more than 50 days prior to the event – Nil cancellation fee. Full refund applied (including GST, excluding booking fee).

ii. Cancellation notified 50 days or less, prior to the event – 100% of the total amount of event fees paid (including GST). No refund applied.

b. All cancellations must be made in writing to Supply Nation. The effective date of cancellation is the date the cancellation notification is received by Supply Nation.

c. Supply Nation reserves the right to make changes to the corporate event program at any time. Should Supply Nation postpone the event due to unforeseen circumstances, Registrants will not be entitled to a refund and such fees paid will be applied to the rescheduled corporate event unless otherwise agreed in writing with the Registrant.

Full T&C’s can be found here. 

We understand that circumstances arise that may prevent you from attending or exhibiting at Connect 2026, including illness, family emergencies, natural disasters or Sorry Business.

Attendees and exhibitors can cancel their tickets any time before 12:00am Tuesday 23 June 2026 without penalty. Cancellation notified within 50 days prior to the event – 100% of the total event fee will be charged (including GST), as per our event terms and conditions.

All Connect sponsors must be Supply Nation corporate, government or non-profit members, or Registered / Certified Indigenous businesses. To express your interest in sponsoring, contact us here.

Nominations for the Supplier Diversity Awards 2026 are open. Visit this page to learn more and start your nomination. 

Nominations close at 11:59pm AEDT on Sunday, 22 March 2026.

The Supplier Diversity Award finalists will be announced online in May 2026.

The Supplier Diversity Award winners will be announced at the Connect 2026 Gala Awards Dinner on Wednesday 12 August 2026 at PCEC. 

If an individual or organisation won an award in 2024 or 2025, they are not eligible to be nominated for the same category in 2026. Please note criteria, weightings and judges can change over time so there is no guarantee that the same individual or organisation will be a finalist or win in different years.

Nominations for each category are reviewed by an independent judging panel and scored against the published criteria. The top three entries in each category are declared ’finalists’ and the recipient of the highest score is declared the ‘winner.’ 

For each category, the judges review the list of nominees and declare any conflict of interest. They are then recused from judging that category. A minimum quorum of two judges must judge each category. 

The judges’ decisions are final, and no correspondence or discussion will be entered into after the judging. Due to the number of entries and privacy reasons we are unable to give feedback on why an entry has not been included as a finalist or winner. 

The entire judging process is audited by BDO, a global audit firm, to ensure a fair and balanced process is adhered to.

No. It is not possible for individuals and organisations to win multiple awards outside of the Dr Dean Jarrett Award. Each category is judged separately. 

The winner of the Dr Dean Jarrett Award recognising Outstanding Impact is selected from the winners of all other award categories. 

As part of the nomination process, entrants are required to upload content to the awards platform. The materials provided may be used for marketing purposes to promote finalists or winners unless otherwise specified. 

Finalists must not disclose the outcome of their nomination to anyone (including Supply Nation staff) until the official public announcement is made. 

All finalists are strongly encouraged to: 

• Purchase ticket/s to the Gala Awards Dinner 
• Prepare a 30 second speech in the event that they win 

Yes. Sponsors may enter a category that they do not sponsor. 

To express your interest in sponsoring the 2026 Supplier Diversity Awards, contact us at sponsorship@supplynation.org.au.

The Supplier Diversity Awards are awarded to Supply Nation Registered Suppliers and members only. Check the ‘Category Description and Criteria’ on each category to see who the award is targeted towards.

Yes, you can self-nominate as an individual and self-nominate your business / organisation. You can also nominate another Supply Nation Registered Supplier and/or member. 

To keep the process fair and avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest, Supply Nation and the judges are not able to provide any guidance on completing your nomination form. 

The judging panel comprises of well-respected business leaders across diverse industries. All members of the judging panel are independent of Supply Nation, our membership and businesses listed on Indigenous Business Direct. This year’s judging panel consists of: 

• Michael McLeod – Proud Ngarrindjeri Monaro and Yorta Yorta man, inaugural Patron of Supply Nation, and Founder and Co-Chair of Message Stick Communications and Message Stick Foundation. A member of the Stolen Generations, Michael is a successful businessman and entrepreneur who proudly sponsors and convenes the National Apology Breakfast.
• ‌Julie-Ann Lambourne – Proud Wagedagam woman from Mabuiag Island and Samsep woman from Erub Island. Julie-ann has a wealth of experience with over 30 years specialising in innovation, business strategy and advisory, workforce development and community development. Julie-ann is a co-founder and Co-chairperson of Queensland Indigenous Business Network (QIBN). QIBN is an independent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisation being led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to assist First Nations owned small businesses grow and thrive in Queensland. ‌
• Ryan Sims – WA Procurement Leader at Laing O’Rourke, with over 20 years’ experience in contract and commercial management. Ryan leads work winning project teams across various sectors and is committed to sustainable local industry participation and meaningful Indigenous engagement.

Supply Nation is proud to present a judging panel that reflects a diversity of voices, perspectives, geographic locations and expertise. The awards process is independently audited by world-leading advisory firm BDO to ensure fairness and integrity.