Australia’s customer-owned banking sector will take centre stage in 2026, with Sydney announced as the host city for the World Credit Union Conference. This marks the first time the international event will be held in the harbour city.
The conference, which will mark its 21st year in 2026, is the premier global gathering for credit unions, mutual banks, and other cooperative financial institutions. It will take place at the International Convention Centre (ICC) Sydney from 19-22 July 2026, jointly hosted by the Customer Owned Banking Association (COBA) and the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU).
COBA CEO and WOCCU Chair Michael Lawrence expressed his excitement about welcoming mutuals from across the globe to Australian shores.
“On behalf of Australia’s customer-owned banks, we’re thrilled to welcome our international colleagues to Sydney,” Mr Lawrence said.
“This event is a unique opportunity for our sector to collaborate across borders, strengthen our purpose-led banking model, and drive purpose-led innovation across the global financial landscape,” he added.
WOCCU sees it as a great opportunity to expose the global credit union movement to a strong system in an amazing location.
“There is no question COBA is a world-class organization based in a world-class city. I have no doubt they will help us attract a large gathering of industry professionals who will get to experience an amazing World Credit Union Conference,” said Paul Treinen, WOCCU Interim President and CEO.
The World Credit Union Conference brings together customer-owned banking leaders and decision makers from the world’s largest credit unions, mutual banks and building societies. Over 2,000 delegates are expected to attend the four-day event, which includes keynote presentations, interactive workshops, and global networking opportunities.
The conference location was announced on the final day of the 2025 World Credit Union Conference in Stockholm on Wednesday receiving enthusiastic applause from the more than 1,900 credit union professionals from 60 countries attending.
Although the conference has been held annually for two decades, this will be only the second time is has taken place in Australia, with the first being in 2014 on the Gold Coast.
COBA represents 52 customer-owned banks, which includes credit unions and mutual banks. Globally, WOCCU represents over 75,000 credit unions that serve more than 280 million members in over 70 countries.
Registrations and sponsorship applications for the World Credit Union Conference in Sydney will open in spring 2025 and will be available on the event website.
For further information or to arrange interviews, please contact media@coba.asn.au.
The Customer Owned Banking Association is the industry body for mutual banks, credit unions and building societies. For almost 180 years our sector has put customers first, returning profits to more than 5 million Australians who put their trust in customer-owned banks.
The World Council of Credit Unions is the global trade association and development platform for credit unions. World Council promotes the sustainable development of credit unions and other financial cooperatives around the world to empower people through access to high quality and affordable financial services. World Council advocates on behalf of the global credit union system before international organizations and works with national governments to improve legislation and regulation. Its technical assistance programs introduce new tools and technologies to strengthen credit unions’ financial performance and increase their outreach.