SAVE THE DATE 25-26 NOV 2026
Preliminary Agenda Topics
25-26 November 2026 | ICC Sydney
We're currently sifting through dozens of great submissions for speaking at FACTS 2026 and will come out with our final agenda later this Winter. We'll have some cracking sessions, covering as many of the Preliminary ideas we've listed below.
And a reminder that there will be ZERO sponsored content on the FACTS stages. No-one is speaking at FACTS because they've paid to do so. Our content team and committee choose the hard-hitting, essential topics and speakers that will deliver value - without the eye-rolling sales pitches or marketing spin.
After all, the event is called 'FACTS' - not FLUFF!
Human Travel Managers vs AI Agents: Will your next travel coordinator be artificial, and can it be trusted?
Buyer-only session - Putting corporate travel costs under the spotlight in 2027. How important are ‘budgets’ in a constantly moving environment? ‘Is your travel budget defending its ROI promise?’
Up, down or sideways - Fares / Rates Outlook for 2027: The outlook for air fares, accommodation rates and more
Loyalty is Dead. Long Live Loyalty. Do airline and hotel status programmes still influence corporate behaviour? Is there a missing Loyalty play in business travel? Ie, is there something that someone could / should be offering to drive better buying behaviour?
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Live Debate: The End of the TMC or the start of something new? Can a global travel programme operate without a travel management company? If technology becomes commoditised, what are companies actually paying TMCs for? Are services v fees the last true differentiator? The Rise of the Mid-Market TMC – Is This an Industry Turning Point? As traditional global models collide with agile, high-touch providers, the mid-market TMC is emerging as a serious force in the industry.
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Traveller Experience - A snapshot mirror into the future 2030: How biometrics, agentic AI and digital identification WILL have completely transformed the way we travel
Data Theft: How secure is your data, how vulnerable are you, and what cybersecurity measures should organisations and individuals take by 2027?
Compliance: How are you addressing Modern Slavery, inclusivity, Indigenous procurement, Accessible (disability) in your travel program
RFP Transparency - The more You Give, The More You Get. Are outdated RFP processes holding organisations back? This session challenges the status quo, exploring how greater transparency from buyers can unlock stronger partnerships, sharper commercial outcomes, and more meaningful solutions from TMCs - delivering far more than just rate reductions.
Supplier-only session: Partnership vs Procurement – What Do Clients Really Want?
Every supplier claims to be a ‘partner’ - but procurement processes often treat them like a number. This session, led by procurement experts, cuts through the rhetoric to examine what true partnership actually looks like, why it’s so difficult to achieve, and how organisations can strike the right balance between commercial discipline and strategic collaboration.
The End of the Expense Report: What are the new efficiencies on the horizon will for example AI eliminate expense claims forever?
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The Battle for the Wallet: Best Value Product for Business Travel ie Cards vs virtual cards vs bank payments vs digital wallets.
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Agent-to-Agent Commerce: When AI books, approves and pays for travel. Who controls the transaction?
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The Corporate Card’s Identity Crisis: Why the value proposition of ‘plastic’ cards is being challenged.
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Who Owns the Payment?: The Payment Cycle simplified and how it impacts on business travel : Banks, fintechs, card schemes or AI platforms?
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Dynamic Virtual Cards in Action: How payment innovation is changing travel procurement.
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Payment Friction: Why is the Travel Expense So Hard to Acquit and Move on? The hidden complexity behind every travel transaction.
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Fraud in the Age of AI: Deepfakes, synthetic identities and the next generation of payment threats.
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The Death of Surcharging: What happens after the RBA changes?
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Buy Now, Fly Later: Will BNPL enter mainstream corporate travel?
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Who Wins the AI Payments War? OpenAI, Google, Mastercard, Visa, Alibaba or somebody else?
Events Have an ROI Problem: Why most event organisers are measuring the wrong things.
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Attendance is a Vanity Metric: What actually determines event success?
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Experience vs Content: What do delegates really remember six months later?
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Stop Treating Entertainment as an Afterthought: How world-class events use emotion as a business tool.
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AI Event Planners Are Coming: What happens when event technology replaces entire planning teams?
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The Future of Learning at Events: Why attendees are abandoning passive sessions.
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The Incentive Travel Arms Race: How far should companies go to motivate employees?
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Event Tech Overload: Are we drowning delegates in technology?
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The Olympics Effect: Will Brisbane 2032 transform Australia’s events industry or disappoint expectations?
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Designing Events for Human Connection: Can events help solve loneliness and social disconnection?
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The Sustainability Reckoning: Do delegates still believe your ESG claims?
Western Sydney, networks & Start-ups: Will the once-in-a-generation new Western Sydney Airport give rise to new air networks - and another round of start-up airlines - including short and long-haul low cost carriers?
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New and emerging airlines - The new airline contenders in the top 10 global airline rankings and how they are offering alternative routes and services for business travellers ex AU.
Aviation’s Next Oil Shock: What happens if fuel prices spike again? The Airline CEO’s Impossible Job: Balancing profitability, sustainability and customer expectations. The Middle East Effect: How geopolitical conflict is reshaping airline networks.
Air Charters: Navigating the (vital) role of aircraft brokers and air charter providers for your travel programs
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SAF Reality Check: Are we closer to net zero or further away than ever?
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Airports as Cities: The transformation of airports into destinations and Australia’s Airport infrastructure boom: Perth, Avalon, Newcastle and beyond.
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Project Sunrise and the End of Geography: How ultra-long-haul flights will change travel behaviour.
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The Future of Airline Retailing: Will airlines become retailers that happen to fly aircraft?
The New Aviation Powerhouses: How India, the Gulf and China are changing the balance of power.
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Who Pays for Net Zero Aviation?: Airlines, corporates, governments or travellers?
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Urban Air Mobility: Finally Real or Forever Five Years Away?
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Airline Resilience Under Pressure: When disruption becomes the norm, not the exception.
Content
Our obsession with high quality content is unmatched.
None of our Summit speakers are ‘pay-to-play’ and we have zero sponsored content in our summits. Just quality, current expert insights that elevates education and drives strategic outcomes.
Education
Education seminars are offered to differing levels of industry experience.
The FACTS program offers education sessions tailored to delegates' level of industry experience - from fundamental '101' training to expert exploration, enabling delegates to customise their event experience.
Format
100% free flow meetings - no annoying speed-dating!
Buyers are not locked into exhausting ‘hosted buyer programs’ or wasting valuable time in pointless 1:1 meetings. Instead, all attendees are free to connect with the most relevant exhibitors and buyers they wish to meet and engage with.
