Twenty swim school leaders. Three days. One valley.
No idea what to expect.
That’s the honest version of how the inaugural BOSS Circle Leadership Retreat kicked off in the Hunter Valley from 10–12 March 2026. There’s no blueprint for a first event. You design it, back it and hope the room does the rest.
The room did the rest
It started with a winery tour. Good wine, easy conversation and the kind of warmth that made everything after feel a little more natural. By the time Day 1 got underway with Matt Church facilitating, people were already talking like they’d known each other for years.
Matt did what great facilitators do. He challenged thinking, held the room honestly and made twenty people feel both comfortable and a little bit uncomfortable. That’s the point.
Day 2 was led by ASSA CEO Luke Daly, pulling it back to the practical. What does leadership actually look like inside a swim school business? What are you going to do about it when you get home?
But a lot of the real work happened in between. Nick Bone from SwimTastic Swim School Auckland, made the trip across from New Zealand. His take:
“Making the connections. The small chats at lunch, at dinner, at drinks, on top of all the content. Fantastic.”
Donna Mills from Berrydale Swim School walked away with something she could use straight away:
“We had one presenter, loads of time to network and we walked away with a plan we can actually implement. Clear goal, clear advice, from people willing to share.”
For Alena Sarri from Aquatots, just being in a room with people who understand what the job actually looks like was worth “a million bucks.” Adam and Barb Walsh from Duck and Dive left the Hunter Valley having “honed our business plan as a consequence of being here.”
You can’t manufacture that. Leaders from across Australia and New Zealand, talking openly about their businesses, their challenges and the stuff they’re still figuring out. Bonds formed across state lines and across the Tasman. The agenda didn’t force it. The environment just made it easy.
Matt Church on what he saw:
“There’s a different energy when a group of committed leaders comes together for the first time. This was delivered on every level. For those in the swim school industry, this is exactly the kind of environment we need more of. Practical, thoughtful and grounded in real leadership.”
To the twenty who backed the first one: you set the tone for everything that follows, and ASSA is proud to announce the BOSS Circle Leadership Retreat will return in 2027 – this time it’s Queenstown.
The next BOSS Circle Leadership Retreat will be held:
14–16 March 2027 in Queenstown, New Zealand
Places will be strictly limited.
Email Luke today to reserve your place on the list before registrations open. This inaugural Retreat, filled on reputation alone.
Media contact: Luke Daly
Mob: +61 414 086 858
