Day one of Next Level 2026 may just be the best opening day this conference has ever had. It was fantastic to see so many familiar faces alongside so many new ones, our delegates and sponsors packing out the venue. This year, Next Level has a brand-new home at the Western Sydney Convention Centre, and the move has paid off: more room, more sponsors, more energy, and a whole new community of Technology Service Providers (TSPs) and vendors from one of the fastest-growing business regions in the country. If day one is anything to go by, we are in for the best conference yet.
The value was clear from the first minute
Why do hundreds of TSPs clear two days in their calendar for this? Scott Attkinson, Vice Chair, SMBiT Professionals answered that question the moment the conference opened. Welcoming the crowd, Scott, set out exactly what this community stands for: a place where TSPs stop competing in isolation and start growing together. That is the real value of being in the room at Next Level 2026, and of being an SMBiT Professionals member. You do not have to have every answer, because someone in this community usually does, and they are happy to share it.
The businesses that thrive from here are the ones that stay curious, stay connected, and refuse to go it alone. For the new members, it was a first taste of what SMBiT Professionals membership really unlocks. For the regulars, it was a reminder of why they keep coming back. Either way, the tone was set for two days built to challenge thinking and sharpen strategy, and it carried through every session that followed.
Keynote: Dr Sherman Chan on making sense of a complex economy
Economist Dr Sherman Chan, Chief Economist at the Australian Property Institute, Lecturer in Economics at UNSW and Principal at Sherman Chan Economics, opened the main stage with a keynote on reading a complex landscape. Asked ahead of the event to sum up the economy in a single word, she chose “complex,” explaining that “businesses are often seeing mixed signals in the economic environment right now,” and that her aim was to help them “interpret what is going on so that they can make informed decisions.”
Her message was to hold onto perspective when the headlines turn negative. “Businesses often get nervous when most people are talking doom and gloom, and then they miss the opportunities that are still present,” she said, before leaving the audience with an encouraging note: “The TSP sector is one that I consider to be best positioned to thrive under the current economic trends.”
And good news: the Technical Services industry is one of the highest growth industries in the March quarter of 2026!
Sponsor quick fires
Few sessions generate as much energy as the sponsor quick fires. The format is deceptively simple and genuinely electric: each sponsor has just 30 seconds on stage to make their mark, with the clock running and no room for a wasted word. The result was a fast, sharp and often very entertaining run through the vendors in the room, delivering the entire lineup in a single, high-tempo burst. It is the ideal introduction to the vendor hall, and every sponsor who took the stage rose to the challenge in style.
Panel: Industry Professionalism
A highlight of the day was the Industry Professionalism Panel, a frank conversation about the standards, trust and accountability that separate a good TSP from a great one. Commercial litigator Jacky Li, who has advised on some of Australia’s largest data breaches, hosted a lineup that included Mitch Colton, Founder and Managing Director of Colton Computer Technologies and Chair of SMBiT Professionals; Luke Irwin, Founder and Principal Consultant at Aegis Cybersecurity; and Ryan Ettridge, Founder of CyberCert and Unstuckable.ai and former PwC cybersecurity Partner. Governance, cyber resilience and how we look after our clients were all on the table, and it was exactly the kind of honest discussion this community does well.
Around the vendor hall
The vendor hall was buzzing all day. Between sessions, delegates grabbed a coffee, caught up with peers and got hands on with the latest from our sponsors. There was plenty of friendly competition too, with stands running games, giveaways and demos throughout the day. If you did not get around to every stand, day two is your chance.
Wrapping up day one
Day one is being wrapped up in style with our Awards Dinner. Music, trivia, drinks and great food, and a room full of the people who make this industry what it is. It is the perfect way to celebrate a big day and unwind before we do it all again tomorrow. Keep an eye out for all of our award winners, revealed on the night.
Thank you to our sponsors
None of this happens without the vendors and partners who show up as part of the community. A huge thank you to our room sponsors Coro and Atmos, and to the sponsors behind the touches that make the days run: bag sponsor Gorelo, water bottle sponsor GTIA, massage sponsor Turbineers, lanyard sponsor Netvault, coffee sponsor Kaseya, and our bar sponsor Cyber Drain.
And thank you to every exhibitor and sponsor backing Next Level 2026, including Acronis, Arcserve, Auscomp, Bluechip Infotech Cambium Networks, Cyber White, Dolphin Electrics, Dijital Team, Halo, Huntress, Inception Marketing, LastPass, Manage Protect, Morphability, N-Able, NinjaOne, Siege Cyber, Sophos and The CSP Edge
See you at Day 2
Day two brings entrepreneur Gus Balbontin to the keynote stage and the return of the Mega Panels. See you there.