14 events checked
Small business conferences and expos in Australia and New Zealand
Where small business owners gather, and where speakers can get in front of them. Each event was checked on the organiser's own website.
Every listing gives the next date and who the event is for. It also says how speakers get onto the program. Most event lists leave that out, and it varies more than you'd expect.
Three of these publish a way to put your hand up. Two book their presenters through partner organisations instead, and one is built entirely from invited speakers.
Australia 11
NSW Small Business Month
A month of free and low-cost events for small businesses across NSW, run each October by the NSW Small Business Commissioner. Partner organisations host hundreds of events around the state and online.
The Bookkeeper Event
A national conference for bookkeepers and BAS agents on the Sunshine Coast, run by the Australian Bookkeepers Network. More than 300 people are expected.
CCIWA Small Business Summit
A one-day summit in Perth run by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia and held to mark Small Business Day.
The Business Show Australia
A two-day expo at ICC Sydney for owners growing past $2 million in revenue. About 300 exhibitors, with 150 seminars and masterclasses across the two days.
Start Your Own Business Expo
A free expo for people starting or buying a business, held in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne each year alongside the Franchising Expo.
Retail Fest AUS
A three-day retail and ecommerce conference on the Gold Coast, known until recently as Retail Global and running since 2008. About 2,000 attendees and more than 100 exhibitors.
Online Retailer Conference & Expo
An ecommerce and retail conference run by RX Global at ICC Sydney. Two days, about 4,000 attendees, more than 200 speakers and more than 150 exhibitors.
COSBOA National Small Business Summit
The annual summit of Australia's small business peak body. Most of the program is ministers, regulators and small business commissioners, and much of the audience runs industry associations.
Geelong Small Business Festival
A week of free and low-cost business events and workshops in Geelong. The 2026 festival was its 16th.
Queensland Small Business Month
The Queensland Government's May program of events and workshops for small businesses, with one-day expos on the Gold Coast, in Brisbane and in Cairns.
SmallBiz Melbourne
A two-day small business expo at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, with more than 150 exhibitors and a program that runs from keynotes to roundtables.
New Zealand 3
FANZ National Franchise Conference
The annual conference of the Franchise Association of New Zealand. The 2026 edition was held in Wellington and the 2027 edition moves to Queenstown.
Hospitality New Zealand Conference
Hospitality New Zealand's annual conference and trade show for hospitality and accommodation operators, which the organiser describes as the largest in the country.
NZ Franchise & Small Business Expo
A two-day expo in Auckland for small business owners and people exploring a franchise. Its first edition in 2026 drew more than 1,800 people and about 80 speakers.
In summary
Speakers Bureaus Directory lists 14 small business conferences, expos, summits and statewide programs: 11 in Australia and 3 in New Zealand. Each was checked on the organiser's own website on 21 September 2026, and each listing gives the next date and audience, plus how speakers get onto the program. 3 publish a speaker application route. Nobody pays to appear.