ECEC operations, scaling & development insights on the agenda at Owners and Landlords Forum

Jason Roberts

Feb 04, 2025

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With less than five weeks to go to the inaugural ECEC Owners & Landlords Forum, to be held in Brisbane on 7 March 2025, The Sector founder and event host Jason Roberts continues to work with his partners to ensure maximum impact for delegates.

Having profiled the highly anticipated Policy Panel last week, this week he turns his attention to the Business Owners Panel which will feature three highly successful early childhood education and care (ECEC) business leaders all of whom have been primed for a ‘no holds barred’ discussion on all things development, operations and scaling of early learning businesses.

“As we enter 2025, ECEC business owners across the country are busy making plans for the year ahead,” Mr Roberts said.

“Given the substantial cross currents facing the sector right now, including policy uncertainty ahead of the election, concerns about rising supply as interest rates fall and the impact of the cost of living crisis on enrollment demand, making plans really is not that easy right now.”

“Against this backdrop the idea for the ECEC Owners and Landlords Forum was born and has driven us to work so hard to gather together a collection of strong and proven ECEC owners that are prepared to share their experience wherever possible to support delegates to better understand the current operating environment.”

“As such the Business Ownership in ECEC - Development, Operations & Scaling Insights Panel will be a must attend experience for aspiring ECEC business owners from across the sector with questions such as What does it take to build a successful business? How do you compete effectively? Is brand important? What are the benefits of building versus buying? and When, if ever, is the right time to consider an exit? the types of questions on the agenda."

Lynda Salvo, Explorers EL - Adrian Fonseca, Oxanda EL - Simon Morris, Story House EL

To guide us through the operating landscape Lynda Salvo, Founder of Explorers Early Learning, Adrian Fonseca, Founder of Oxanda Early Learning and Simon Morris, co-Founder of Story House Early Learning will be joining accomplished principal at Collins Sacre Consulting, Sean Collins on stage to unpack the central questions relevant to ECEC business ownership right now.

Ms Salvo brings almost two decades of experience in the ECEC ownership and development space having founded Explorers Early Learning in 2006 and guided it through multiple business and policy cycles to be one of the most recognised, and respected, owner operated brands in the sector.

Mr Fonseca brings nearly a decade of ownership experience to the panel but also multiple other highly relevant experiences including coordinating a high value exit of a significant portion of his network to G8 Education as well as five years as a Board Member of listed provider Evolve Education and five years as a Board Member of leading ECEC comparison site Care for Kids.

Mr Morris, as a co-Founder of Story Park Early Learning, a business that has successfully grown to over forty centres in just under six years, has first hand insights into what it really takes to scale a business quickly in the highly competitive world of ECEC.

“I think its safe to say that the collective experience and track record of our panel is second to none and more than qualifies them to speak across just about every aspect of ECEC business ownership today and its many opportunities and challenges,” Mr Roberts said.

The ECEC Owners & Landlords Forum - A unique opportunity to engage with experts

The ECEC Owners and Landlords Forum, an innovative new event format launched as part of the Connect+ series by The Sector, aims to offer business owners and landlords the opportunity to engage with leading subject matter experts and proven, high profile ECEC leaders via carefully curated, moderator-led panel discussions combined with extended delegate-led Q&A.

Session 3 “Business Ownership in ECEC - Development, Operations & Scaling Insights” will be the third panel of the event and aims to address some of the many questions that current and aspiring ECEC owners are grappling with now.

“Our intention at The Sector has always been to ensure that owners are sufficiently informed about their sector in a way which helps them to navigate their day to day roles and responsibilities,” Mr Roberts said.

“We feel strongly we will be able to deliver on this important objective and are super excited to welcome all of our delegates to the event,” Mr Roberts said.

To find out more about the Owners and Landlords Forum and to register click here or contact Anna Boshell via email at anna@thesector.com.au for more information.

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