The Indigenous business ecosystem inside the AEMEE Indigenous Business Network already turns over more than $1 billion a year and employs close to 3,000 people across civil construction, heavy freight, drilling, electrical, environmental services, energy and waste management. Seventeen of those enterprises turn over $10 million or more. These are operators absorbing the full weight of modern resource development and delivering.
The framing that has followed Indigenous businesses for decades (participation, consultation, inclusion) no longer matches what the sector actually looks like. Traditional Owners and Indigenous enterprises are already operating as decision-makers, owners, investors and operators at scale. The question is whether the structures around them will catch up.
That is what The Next Era is about, and today we've released a first look at this year's program for the 2026 AEMEE Annual Conference and National Awards.
The Next Era charts a direction the sector has been moving in for years and is now ready to name plainly: from procurement to ownership, from consultation to authority, from participation to leadership. The two days in Rubibi (Broome) run as a single conversation across nine stages: Reality, Pressure, Capability, Next Gen, Wealth, Ownership, Frontier, Systems and Future.
Day 1 opens with Country as Foundation, grounding the two days in Country, knowledge and enterprise. From there it moves through an honest read on where Indigenous business participation actually stands, the pressures the industry is working under, and the capability and next generation already leading at scale.
Day 2 turns to the architecture. It looks at how the Indigenous capital market has shifted since 2025, what genuine ownership over Country and decision-making really looks like, partnerships told by both sides, landmark rights and compensation decisions being turned into commercial opportunity, and a frank conversation on the policy and legislative changes the sector needs. The day closes with the AEMEE Awards Night, celebrating national Indigenous excellence in resources.
Choosing Rubibi (Broome) for 2026 reflects our commitment to holding the conference where the work actually happens. The Kimberley has significant resource projects on Country, a growing Indigenous business ecosystem, and Traditional Owner communities already shaping how development happens in the region.
Take a look at the Program Snapshot to see the shape of the conversation we're building this year.
Tickets available here.