WA Defence Industry 2026 Gala Dinner

FAQs

• Which gate do we enter at Optus Stadium?

  Gate D near Matagarup bridge.

  Security will open the gate at 5.15pm

• How to get to the Gala Dinner?

  🚖 Uber (Recommended)
  Uber is the easiest way to get to the Gala Dinner. We will have two gophers operating between the Uber drop-off area and Gate D before the event.

  Guests wearing heels will be given priority access to the gophers (yes, that includes the gentlemen too! 😉).

  🚆 Train
  Trains will be running throughout the evening, with services stopping at Stadium Station, just a short walk from the venue.

  🚌 Courtesy Bus to Crown
  To make your journey home easier, we have arranged a Kinetic bus service at the conclusion of the event. The bus will operate from 11:15pm to 12:30am, departing from the Stadium Bus Bays and dropping guests at Crown Perth for convenient Uber pick-up, taxis, accommodation access, or for those wishing to continue the celebrations.

  🚗 Parking
  Parking is available at Optus Stadium in the Stadium Bus Bay parking area. Guests parking onsite can also utilise the gopher service to travel between the parking area and Gate D before the event.

  💡 Top Tip: If you're planning to enjoy the evening festivities, we recommend leaving the car at home and travelling by Uber, taxi, rideshare or public transport.

• Where are the pre-Dinner Drinks?

  There are two pre-dinner functions taking place before the Gala Dinner. Once you have entered the Optus Stadium foyer through Gate D, all guests should head left, where venue staff and Henderson Alliance volunteers will direct you to the appropriate location.

  Most guests will attend the Bankwest Terrace Pre-Dinner Drinks, while invited sponsors and VIP guests will attend the Sponsor & VIP Pre-Dinner Drinks in the Sports Lounge.

• Where are the Bankwest Terrace Pre-Dinner Drinks?

  The Bankwest Terrace Pre-Dinner Drinks will be held on Level 3 at the Bankwest Terrace.

  After entering through Gate D, turn left and follow the directions provided by venue staff. You will be guided to the escalators and lifts that take you up two levels to the Bankwest Club and Terrace.

  This pre-dinner function includes:

  📸 Photo opportunities with sponsor logos rotating on the Optus Stadium screen

  🎺 Entertainment by the Royal Australian Navy Band

  🥂 Networking with fellow guests before the Gala Dinner

• Where are the Sponsor & VIP Pre-Dinner Drinks?

  The Sponsor & VIP Pre-Dinner Drinks will be held in the Sports Lounge on Level 3.

  After entering through Gate D, invited guests should turn left and continue along the lower concourse. Venue staff will direct you to the dedicated lifts and escalators leading to the Sports Lounge.

  This exclusive function provides sponsors, VIP guests and key stakeholders with an opportunity to network prior to the main event.

  📸 Photo opportunities with sponsor logos rotating on the Optus Stadium screen and Stadium ribbons

  🎺 Entertainment by the Royal Australian Navy Band

  🥂 Networking with fellow guests before the Gala Dinner

• Who is attending the Sponsor & VIP Pre-Dinner Drinks?

  Attendance at the Sponsor & VIP Pre-Dinner Drinks is by invitation only.

  Invited guests include:

  ⭐ Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze Sponsors

  ⭐ VIP guests

  ⭐ Event dignitaries and special guests

  ⭐ Selected Henderson Alliance representatives

  If you have been invited to this function, this will have been communicated to you prior to the event.

  If you have not received an invitation, please make your way to the Bankwest Terrace Pre-Dinner Drinks, where the majority of Gala Dinner guests will gather before the main event begins.

  🔒 Please note: Due to security requirements and guest management protocols, access to the Sponsor & VIP Pre-Dinner Drinks is strictly limited to invited attendees whose names appear on the official guest list. Unfortunately, additional guests cannot be accommodated and the guest list is now closed.

• Can I purchase member tickets for non-members?

  No. Member-priced tickets are reserved for current financial Henderson Alliance members and their genuine guests.

  As a not-for-profit association, member funds are used to provide benefits to members, including access to exclusive member pricing. Non-members are welcome to attend the Gala Dinner, however they are required to purchase tickets at the applicable non-member rate.

  We ask members not to purchase tickets on behalf of groups of non-members or use member pricing to reduce the cost of a shared table that includes attendees who are not eligible for member benefits. This is unfair to fellow members and is inconsistent with the intent of our member pricing structure and governance obligations.

  A genuine non-member guest attending as part of your table is perfectly acceptable. However, where it is identified that member-priced tickets have been used to secure places for non-members who should have purchased non-member tickets, Henderson Alliance reserves the right to:

  • Require the difference between the member and non-member ticket price to be paid

  • Cancel or reallocate additional tickets

  • Review future access to member ticket allocations

  We appreciate members respecting these requirements so that all Henderson Alliance members have fair and equitable access to this highly sought-after event.

  📋 By purchasing member-priced tickets, attendees acknowledge and agree to these terms and conditions.

• How many tickets to a table?

  Our Gala Dinner tables seat 10 guests only, so unfortunately tables can't be stretched to fit 11, 12, or "just one more person". Optus Stadium was unable to source expandable Defence Industry-grade tables for us! 😉

  To help as many organisations as possible attend this popular event, organisations are capped at one table (10 seats) during initial ticket sales.

  🤝 This allows more Henderson Alliance members to participate and ensures fair access across our membership.

  If additional tickets become available after the initial allocation period, we will advise members accordingly.

  💡 Top tip: Before purchasing, make sure you've finalised your guest list and counted carefully. We've found that 10 is still 10, no matter how creative the maths gets! 😅

• Why can I only buy one table?

  With a maximum of 95 tables available, organisations are limited to one table (10 seats) so that as many organisations as possible can attend the Gala Dinner.

  🤝 This approach helps maximise participation across the defence industry and ensures fair access to one of the most sought-after events on the calendar.

  💡 We'd rather see 95 organisations represented in the room than a handful of organisations filling multiple tables. The more organisations attending, the greater the networking opportunities for everyone. 🚀

• Dietary Needs

  Attendees provide and can update their dietary needs in their Humanatix Order.

  Dietary requests can NOT be accommodated if not advised 7 days prior.

  Although every possible precaution has been taken to ensure that those menu items labeled as such are allergen free, certain items may still contain traces of allergens as they are prepared in facilities that also process products containing Almond, Barley, Brazil nut, Cashew, Crustacean, Egg, Fish, Hazelnut, Lupin, Macadamia, Milk, Mollusc, Oats, Peanut, Pecan, Pinenut, Pistachio, Rye, Sesame, Soy, soya, soybean, Sulphites, Walnut, Wheat.

  We will endeavour to accommodate requests for customers with allergies. However, traces of allergens may be unintentionally present in food due to cross-contamination during normal kitchen operations. We, therefore, cannot guarantee that our products or ingredients are completely allergen free.

• What if we haven't paid our renewal invoice or paid our new member invoice?

  Member Gala Dinner tickets are reserved for financial Henderson Alliance members.

  If your renewal invoice or new member invoice remains outstanding, please contact membership@hendersonalliance.org.au to advise when payment will be made.

  New members will be provided with the standard payment terms to formalise their membership and complete payment.

  😊 We understand that invoice approvals can take time and, occasionally, emails can be missed. If your membership payment is still outstanding, this is a great opportunity to touch base with us and get everything up to date before the event.

  To ensure fair access for financial members, the Gala Dinner Committee reserves the right to review ticket allocations. Where memberships remain unpaid, ticket allocations may be released for sale to other financial members.

  📧 Membership enquiries: membership@hendersonalliance.org.au