It has been another busy period across QLD, NSW and the ACT, with a strong focus on connection, collaboration, recognition and sharing best practice across our community. The past few months have provided some fantastic opportunities to bring members, supporters and industry colleagues together, and it has been particularly rewarding to see the continued growth and engagement of our Branch.

2026 Hospitality in Healthcare Excellence Awards. A major highlight was the 2026 QLD/NSW Hospitality in Healthcare Excellence Awards, held at the QA Hotel on Friday August 7. The awards attracted 53 nominations from across QLD, NSW and the ACT, recognising the outstanding individuals, teams and projects delivering exceptional hospitality services across health and aged care. More than 100 guests attended the awards night, providing a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our industry.

It was wonderful to catch up with familiar faces, meet new members and hear about the amazing work being delivered across the sector. The quality of the nominations highlighted the innovation, dedication and passion within our industry.

Thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination, attended and supported the awards including our Supporters that provided lucky door prizes: PFD, Nestle, Birch & Waite and Smooth Dining – along with our committee and event partners who helped make the evening such a success.

We are continuing to hold events in NSW, with the latest being an Industry Breakfast at St Vincent's Private Hospital Sydney in partnership with the Maggie Beer Foundation. Their presentation explored the role of food, hospitality and dining experiences in improving health and wellbeing and was followed by a tour of the hospital. We are also planning an industry session with the NSW Food Authority for later in the year to discuss recent audit findings and share learnings around food safety, compliance and continuous improvement.

The 2026 Hospitality in Healthcare National Conference is almost here and is shaping up to be another exciting event featuring respected industry experts and thought leaders. Hobart will provide a beautiful backdrop for learning, networking and connecting with colleagues from across Australia. We are looking forward to catching up with members, supporters and industry colleagues.

We are also looking forward to the revamped Hospitality in Healthcare Culinary Competition. Following the success of last year's event, we are building on the competition to create an even stronger experience and showcase the skills and creativity of healthcare hospitality teams.

Looking forward

The QLD/NSW branch continues to build strong momentum, with growing engagement from members, supporters and the broader healthcare hospitality community. We would like to sincerely thank our Committee, Platinum and Gold Supporters, members and industry partners for their ongoing commitment and support. Together we continue to build a strong and connected industry focused on excellence, innovation and collaboration.

We look forward to seeing everyone at our upcoming events and continuing what has been a very successful year for Hospitality in Healthcare.

BRENDAN & KEVIN