Mainstreet Australia Centre Managers Summit & Awards 2025

Join Us at the Mainstreet Australia National Centre Managers Summit 2025: Shaping Vibrant Precincts for the Future

Thursday 18 September 2025
North Melbourne, Australia

Join centre managers, place leaders business associations, economic development professionals and policy makers for a focused one-day summit exploring the big questions facing our precincts today - and how we resource and reimagine them for tomorrow.

Designed for those at the coalface of precinct management, this summit will deliver fresh insights, practical tools, and inspiring conversations on topics ranging from funding models and retail trends to placemaking strategies and business resilience.


Who Should Attend?

This 2025 Summit is for:
• Centre and precinct managers navigating real-time challenges and change
• Business and trader associations seeking fresh ideas and support
• Economic development and place practitioners from local and state government
• Retail consultants, urban designers, and tourism leaders working with main streets


Why Attend?

• Learn what matters now: Hear from local and international experts on what’s working in main streets - backed by data, experience, and global trends.
• Shift your mindset: From managing outputs to building ecosystems, explore how to do more with less - and do it smarter.
• Connect with peers: Share ideas, challenges, and inspiration with people who get what it means to manage a main street day in, day out.


Program Highlights
• Keynote (Live via Zoom): Ryan Smolar (USA) on building ecosystems, not just events
• Retail Insights: Sue Anderson on adapting to new retail expectations and supporting traders with practical tools
• Data-Driven Decision Making: David West on what 15 benchmark reports reveal about business needs
• Panel Discussion: Funding the Future - exploring levies, BIDs, and other funding pathways