SOCIAL PROGRAM

Date: Sunday 3 May 2026
Time: 17:00-19:00
Venue: il Mercato Centrale
Dress Code: Smart casual
Cost: Tickets are included for full and accompanying person registrations. Additional tickets can be purchased for AU$95 inc GST

Kick off the Congress in style at the first official social event, where colleagues and friends come together to catch up, connect and celebrate. Hosted at the buzzing il Mercato Centrale, the evening promises great company, vibrant flavours and a warm welcome to the city.

Date: Wednesday 6 May 2026
Time: 18:30-23:00
Venue: Plaza Ballroom
Dress Code:‘Op-Shop Couture’ or Cocktail - refer below for further information
Cost:AU$170 inc GST

Enjoy an unforgettable evening of sophistication and elegance at the Congress Gala dinner, being held at Melbourne's iconic Plaza Ballroom. This lavish and grand venue offers grandeur and ambience for you to network with old and new colleagues at this free-seating event. Don't miss this perfect occasion to unwind, connect with colleagues, and celebrate in style.

Dress code
Guests are invited to don any glamorous, sparkly, avant-garde, or unusual outfits with an extra challenge: nothing new! This means borrow, re-use, make, re-purpose or buy second-hand. This theme is a celebration of Melbourne's adventurous fashion landscape, its penchant for environmentalist causes, and its love of op-shopping (the term "op shop" was actually invented in the 1920s by a former Melbourne showgirl, Lady Millie Tallis!).

The theme is Optional - feel free to wear cocktail wear of your choosing and opt out of op-shop couture if you prefer.

Some tips for finding your perfect gala dinner outfit:
1. Revisit your closet
This is the perfect chance to re-wear your favourite dress, saree, hanbok, tuxedo, jumpsuit or even your wedding / formal outfit. Have something you never get to wear anymore? Something you bought but always felt was a bit too loud or out there for you? Something that makes you feel glamorous, gorgeous or really comfortable in your skin? This is the night to pull it out!

2. Borrow from friends
Pick your most stylish friend and ask if they have anything your size.

3. Op-shopping
If you're in Melbourne before the conference, the gala dinner is a great excuse to peruse Melbourne's famous op shops in search of the perfect 'fit. There are op-shops galore, but some stellar ones in the city are included below.

4. Online shopping
If you're time-poor and don't want to take any time away from sampling Melbourne's coffees and galleries in between conference sessions, try online shopping for secondhand clothes. Download the Depop app on your phone or use Facebook Marketplace to buy secondhand directly from the people who own the items. You can search for items you want (red silk shirt size 14), explore the formalwear category, or look for brands you know or like. Just make sure you leave enough time for delivery if you're using Depop or asking a Marketplace seller to post.

5. Hire / rent a dress.
This is a great option if you want to wear a gorgeous outfit that you may not ever wear again, without the cost or waste of buying new. These companies will post you a garment to wear and post back to them afterwards (postage and dry cleaning is included in the price). Some have options to order more than one size or to try on and mail back if it doesn't fit. Some also have the option of buying previous rental outfits, which means you keep the item but still don't contribute to garment waste.

6. Tailor and accessorize
There are so many ways to make secondhand finds or preloved items work for you. One of the best is to take the item to a tailor and get the garment fitted exactly to your measurements. Another is to style with accessories like belts, brooches, or mix and match two-pieces to suit your taste.

7. Enjoy yourself
The idea of the theme is to invite congress delegates into the fun, culture and environmental consciousness of Melbourne without having to spend a fortune. The goal is NOT to create additional stress. Take part in the theme if it brings you joy, otherwise, wear whatever you want!

Directory

• Tailoring / alterations
• Second Stitch Melbourne Based in Collingwood Yards not far out of the city, Second Stitch is a social enterprise that empowers women from diverse backgrounds economically and socially through textiles. They do alterations and sell items from talented local artists and designer.
  
  
• Op-shops
• Brotherhood of St Laurence - Brotherhood City Basement (Royal Arcade, CBD)
• Vinnies, Save the Children, and Salvos across town
  
  
• Consignment / preloved stores focusing on local labels and good quality clothing
• Goodbyes (Brunswick/Collingwood/Prahran)
• Swop (Collingwood)
• Mutual Muse (Brunswick/Northcote)

• Vintage stores (more curated selection but often more pricey)
• Vintage Sole (CBD and Fitzroy)
• OTC / Out the Closet (CBD) - one of Melbourne's original vintage stores
• Hunter Gatherer (CBD) - a curated collections of the best finds from Brotherhood of St Laurence op shops (check out the op shop downstairs in the arcade too)
• Dot Comme (North Melbourne) - designer preloved fashion in Curtin House
• Lost and Found (Fitzroy) - a collection of stalls from various secondhand vendors
• Vintage Garage (Fitzroy)
• Chapel Street Bazaar (Prahran) - eclectic, curated vintage and home items
• Retropolis (Preston) - further out from the city but one of the best

• Online options
• Depop
• Facebook Marketplace

• Hire/rental companies
• HerStyle - based in South Yarra, has express/overnight delivery, and back up sizes option
• One Night Stand - based in Hawthorn and has the option of visiting the boutique store in person
• DressHire - based in Eltham and has the option of visiting the warehouse in person to try on or to trade sizes
• The Volte
• All the Dresses
• RK Rentals - offers complimentary try-ons in person and $25 round-trip postage Australia-wide
• Suit hire: Try Ferrari Formalwear, or visit the directory here 
• Something more unusual / outlandish? Rose Chong Costumiers store has fabulous outfits to hire from their iconic store in Fitzroy