Held over two days in Sydney, the conference enabled ELT providers to network and attend talks from industry leaders; about half of attendees completed feedback forms afterwards. Hits with delegates included Rob Brown’s session on marketing for international students in the age of social media, which 97% of respondents said was good or excellent.

80% of respondents indicated that their overall impression of the event was either good or excellent

Another was Young Australian of the Year, Marita Cheng, who closed the conference with an emotional account of growing up learning English as a second language. English Australia executive director, Sue Blundell’s industry status-quo was also well received.

“We are more used to giving the tick of approval to providers, so it’s an immense pleasure to be getting the same positive tick back about our own performance,” said Holmes.

Some providers said that they would have liked more opportunities to network; others responded that sessions they wanted to see clashed on the schedule. However, around 80% of respondents indicated that their overall impression of the event was good or excellent, with many happy about this year’s larger venue.

NEAS also used the event to launch new support services for members including endorsement of TESOL courses which meet strict criteria, best practice papers, and online forums to provide transparency in Australia’s fluctuating regulatory sector.