Events and Conferences
The Centre runs two major conferences each year, addressing key topics and bringing together credit union and trade association leaders, policy-makers, regulators and other stakeholders from Ireland, Britain and internationally. From time to time we convene webinars or seminars focused on our research outputs. The details for upcoming events and the proceedings and other materials for previous events are shown below.
If you would like to sponsor a conference or seminar, please contact enquiries@swobodacentre.org
Previous events
ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL CONFERENCE, 8TH MAY 2026 IN BLANCHARDSTOWN
Swoboda Research Centre hosted its most recent conference, themed ‘Strategic Resilience’, on 8th May 2026 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Blanchardstown, Dublin. The event brought together over 120 delegates from credit unions across Ireland and Great Britain - the 15th...
SWOBODA CREDIT UNION CONFERENCE: ‘LEADING INNOVATION’ LIVERPOOL 21ST NOVEMBER 2025
Swoboda Research Centre hosted its most recent conference, ‘Leading Innovation’, on 21st November 2025 at The Royal Liver Building, Liverpool. The event brought together over 140 delegates to discuss the evolving role of credit unions in Ireland and Great Britain,...
Conference Agenda for ‘Leading Innovation’, Liverpool, 21st November
The agenda for Swoboda's next conference, 'Leading Innovation', is now available! Swoboda's conferences bring together the leaders of credit unions and their stakeholders to hear new ideas, meet contacts and friends (old and new) and come away inspired and...
Innovation with George Hofheimer
The keynote at our Liverpool conference on 21st November 2025 is our regular guest and inspiration George Hofheimer, renowned credit union strategist and founder of Hofheimer Strategy Advisors in the US. George has dedicated his career to helping credit unions...
Swoboda Credit Union Conference: ‘Future Horizons’ Dublin 23rd May
Swoboda Research Centre hosted its most recent conference, 'Future Horizons: Preparing for What’s Next', on 23rd May 2025 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Blanchardstown, Dublin. Over 100 delegates attended to explore the future direction of credit unions in Ireland...
Conference May 2025: Future Horizons
We are excited to announce that booking is now open for Swoboda’s highly anticipated Spring Conference 2025, taking place in Dublin from May 22nd to May 24th. Over the course of three days, we will bring together credit union leaders, industry experts, and key...
Swoboda Credit Union Conference: Leadership, Strategy and Transformation, Manchester
Swoboda Research Centre hosted its most recent conference on Leadership on 22nd November 2024 in Manchester. 120 delegates attended to listen, learn and share ideas about leadership, including the roles of the board and the CEO, relations between board and CEO and...
Swoboda Credit Union Conference November 2024
Leadership, Strategy and Transformation, Manchester, 22nd November 2024 Join credit union leaders and stakeholders from across Britain and Ireland for Swoboda's autumn conference in Manchester. Focusing on how credit union leaders can keep their eyes on the prize....
Reporting back on Making Collaboration Work Conference
Swoboda Research Centre hosted its most recent conference on Collaboration on 24th May 2024 in Dublin. 120 delegates attended to discuss making collaboration work and the opportunities and challenges associated with credit union collaboration. The conference was...
Collaborate or Merge?
Thinking about collaboration, with our conference coming up next week ... Credit union and co-operative people in Britain and Ireland may be aware of the fortnightly COOPR8 Letter by Mike Mercer, Founder of COOPR* Consulting and formerly President/CEO at Georgia...
Cracking Agenda for Collaboration Conference
The agenda is now available for the Swoboda Credit Union Conference Making Collaboration Work on Friday 24th May in Blanchardstown, and there are still tickets available! We are welcoming speakers from the US, Poland, Ireland, Scotland and England to share...
Making Collaboration Work, Credit Union Conference 24th May
Booking Now Open! Booking is now open for our 2024 May conference in Dublin, our conference will be focusing on Making Collaboration Work. Most credit union people now agree that collaboration is an important part of the future development of the movement, but...
Watch now! Webinar on small loans in Ireland
Nick and Paul from Swoboda, and co-author Lorraine Corcoran from Afanite, were excited to present to a large webinar audience of Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU) members and other credit unions and stakeholders on the recent Swoboda report, Small Loans: credit...
Digital Future Conference Materials November 2023
Swoboda Research Centre convened its biggest conference yet on 24th November 2023 in Manchester. 115 delegates attended to debate the big issues of the future impact of digitalisation on the development of credit unions in GB and Ireland. The morning sessions saw...
Agenda for “Who Do We Serve?” Credit Union Conference
We are delighted to confirm our agenda for our upcoming "Who Do We Serve?" Credit Union Conference taking place in the Midlands Park Hotel in Portlaoise on 23rd May. Check it out HERE to see the fully packed day of interactive speakers and ample opportunity to...
Swoboda Credit Union Conference: Who Do We Serve? 23rd May
Swoboda's 2023 Ireland conference is taking place in the Midlands Park Hotel in Portlaoise on 23rd May. Tickets are now on sale to all credit unions and stakeholders! Reserve your spot here! The theme is Who do we serve?, and we are building a great programme for...
Credit Union Conference 11th November 2022: Materials
The subject of responding to the cost of living crisis drew a large crowd of credit unionists and stakeholders to Manchester on 11th November. Participants came from Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales to address this critical and developing issue. Here is...
Conference success: the green lending opportunity
Credit unions from Ireland and Britain, plus a wide range of stakeholders including the Minister of State, came to the Swoboda conference on 20th May in Dublin to discuss the strategically vital issue of financing the transition to net zero carbon emissions. A...
Research Colloquium on the Credit Union Movement in Ireland
The Swoboda Research Centre was established to produce, facilitate and stimulate action-orientated research that supports the credit union movement. At Swoboda, we believe that research that informing credit unions’ response to risks and opportunities contributes...
Report on credit unions and harmful gambling seminar
On 24th November, the Swoboda Centre convened credit unions, advice agencies, gambling support charities, regulators and academics from Britain and Ireland to discuss the challenge to credit unions posed by evidence of potentially harmful gambling behaviour in the...
Credit Union Conference 24th September 2021: Materials
Facing Contemporary Challenges This was CFCFE’s first conference since the social distancing rules in Great Britain and Ireland made in-person attendance possible, so alongside seventy online participants there were fifteen attendees gathered in Manchester. 'Facing...
Credit Union Conference 29th March 2021: Materials
Towards New Business Models Our fifth conference, and second online, successfully delivered on our traditions of great presenters with lots of interaction. Perhaps the key takeaway from the day was that in planning the development of the credit union, and whether...
Credit Union Conference 22nd September 2020: materials
Planning the New Normal Our first all-online conference was a great success, with excellent presentations, panel debate and breakout discussions. The programme can be viewed here, and presentations and videos can be downloaded here too – see below. Please note: the...
Credit Union Conference 17th January 2020: materials
Meeting the Needs of Members Today and Tomorrow We were delighted to host another successful credit union conference in Manchester on 17th January, with almost 100 attendees from 55 organisations from Britain, Ireland, Romania and the USA. The overall theme was...
Credit Union Conference 18th January 2019: materials
Thank you to all the delegates who came from England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Romania and Scotland to make this such a successful event. It was a unique gathering of credit unions, policy-makers, trade associations and suppliers, sharing insights and best...