01.07.2021Future Focus Group Program – 25 years on and back for more!

During these COVID-constrained times, motivating our emerging leaders by connecting them to a Melbourne leadership network, mentors and the opportunity to shape Melbourne’s future becomes even more important.  The Future Focus Group Program (FFG) – Melbourne’s own emerging civic leaders’ program – provides such an opportunity.

FFG is a unique offering for selected emerging leaders in Melbourne to better understand, connect and contribute to Melbourne while building their leadership capabilities. Quite simply, the FFG creates new generations of networked Melbourne leaders.

Expressions of interest in, and nominations for, the FFG 2022–2023 Program are now welcome. It will be the Program’s seventeenth cohort, with 15 completed cohorts since FFG was first offered by the Committee in 1996, and the sixteenth running until next May.

The next Program starts with an Induction Event on Friday 11 and Saturday 12 February at a CBD or CBD fringe location. It will be followed by 10 evening FFG Workshops between March and December, and another five between January 2023 and May 2023, with a mix of guest speakers, panellists and leading experts. The Program concludes with a Graduation Dinner for all participants in June 2023.

One of the distinctive elements of FFG is the group projects undertaken over more than 12 months. Participants will be placed into three or four diverse Project Teams for the duration of the Program to identify and develop projects that can make a tangible contribution to Melbourne’s ‘Road to Recovery’. This will be complemented by each participant having a FFG Mentor with whom he or she will meet one-on-one, at least three times during the course of the Program.

Given the impact of the ongoing lockdown conditions in Melbourne, the deadline for completed nominations has been extended to Friday 12 November.  Interviews with nominees will be conducted within two weeks of their nomination packages being received and participants will now be confirmed in late November.  A cohort of between 20 and 24 is being sought.

All gatherings will be conducted in accordance with prevailing Victorian Government COVID-19 restrictions and the COVID-Safe protocols of the hosting venue, with selected gatherings switching to a virtual format if required.  While we all look forward to a return to in-person monthly Workshops and Project Team meetings for FFG at the earliest possible opportunity, we are seeing some real benefits for participants with virtual meetings.  They are providing more ready access to special guest speakers and giving participants from all over Melbourne equitable access to Project Team discussions. These FFG Projects are tailored at Melbourne’s post COVID recovery, and, despite lockdown constraints, have powered ahead, such as the Melbourne International Student Week Project.  This is testament to what can still be achieved from willing and engaged participants.

The fee for the Program has remained at $9,500 plus GST for Foundation and Corporate members of the Committee and $6,500 plus GST for Not-for-Profit members. Up to six places in the program are available for nominations from organisations that are not currently members of the Committee, for a fee of $9,500 plus GST.

Please contact Matt Gaffney, General Manager Future Focus Group, for more information on the Program.


Contact us

Related information

Alumni in Focus

Read More

Future Focus Group 2022 – 2023

Read More

The Secret Garden Melbourne

Read More

Future Focus Group – Emerging projects and a looming nomination deadline

Read More

Men’s Shed Opening at Peter Mac Cancer Centre

Read More

Future Focus Group – Women Leaders in Diplomacy and the 2022 FFG opportunity to chase those COVID blues.

Read More

Sign up for Committee for Melbourne’s Communiqué

  • *Mandatory fields