Mark Hughes, NRL Premiership Winner and Founder of the Mark Hughes Foundation, to Give Keynote Address
SYDNEY, Sept. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB), the leader in AI for social impact, is excited to once again host its bbcon Sydney tech conference for social impact change-makers and nonprofit leaders across Australia and New Zealand, taking place on 10 November this year at the International Convention Centre in Sydney. The event will convene hundreds of Blackbaud customers, colleagues and partners to discuss best practice, share stories of impact, and discover innovative new technology advancements to power social impact.
Mark Hughes, a National Rugby League premiership winner and founder of the Mark Hughes Foundation, will join us for an inspiring keynote session exploring how resilience and optimism can drive success across the social impact sector. From the footy field to brain cancer advocacy, his journey has sparked the nationally recognised Beanie for Brain Cancer campaign, raising millions for research and support.
“We’re honoured to welcome Mark Hughes to bbcon Sydney this year,” said Kevin Sher, president and general manager, Blackbaud Pacific. “Mark’s journey from elite sport to personal adversity and then to national advocacy is nothing short of extraordinary. His unwavering commitment to making a difference through the Mark Hughes Foundation embodies the very spirit of bbcon—where purpose-driven professionals come together to learn, connect and lead change. We know his story will resonate deeply with our community and inspire attendees to tackle challenges with courage and compassion.”
The conference will include two full tracks of content, featuring industry leaders, customer stories, partner showcases and product announcements, along with exciting AI developments. “The feedback from our published agenda has been brilliant,” Sher added. “We are incredibly excited to be able to welcome our customers to bbcon 2025 where connection and learning will thrive.”
In addition to the main conference, Blackbaud will offer an extended agenda on Tuesday, 11 November at ICC Sydney, featuring a Payments Workshop (8:30–10:30am) for bbcon attendees wanting to optimise their regular giving program, and three free-to-attend User Groups (11:00am–4:00pm) focused on Raiser’s Edge NXT®, Blackbaud Enterprise Fundraising CRM™ and Higher Education.
With a 250-person capacity, bbcon Sydney offers an intimate, high-energy environment for learning, networking, and inspiration. Registration is now open at https://www.bbconference.com/sydney-2025/. Early registration is encouraged as space is limited.
About Blackbaud
Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB) is the leading software provider exclusively dedicated to powering social impact. Serving the nonprofit and education sectors, companies committed to social responsibility and individual change makers, Blackbaud’s essential software is built to accelerate impact in fundraising, nonprofit financial management, digital giving, grantmaking, corporate social responsibility and education management. With millions of users and over $100 billion raised, granted or managed through Blackbaud platforms every year, Blackbaud’s solutions are unleashing the potential of the people and organizations who change the world. Blackbaud has been named to Newsweek’s list of America’s Most Responsible Companies, Quartz’s list of Best Companies for Remote Workers, and Forbes’ list of America’s Best Employers. A remote-first company, Blackbaud has operations in the United States, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, India and the United Kingdom, supporting users in 100+ countries. Learn more at https://www.blackbaud.com.au/ or follow us on X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
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Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations, and assumptions contained in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding expected benefits of products and product features. Although Blackbaud attempts to be accurate in making these forward-looking statements, it is possible that future circumstances might differ from the assumptions on which such statements are based. In addition, other important factors that could cause results to differ materially include the following: general economic risks; uncertainty regarding increased business and renewals from existing customers; continued success in sales growth; management of integration of acquired companies and other risks associated with acquisitions; risks associated with successful implementation of multiple integrated software products; the ability to attract and retain key personnel; risks associated with management of growth; lengthy sales and implementation cycles, particularly in larger organization; technological changes that make our products and services less competitive; and the other risk factors set forth from time to time in the SEC filings for Blackbaud, copies of which are available free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or upon request from Blackbaud’s investor relations department. All Blackbaud product names appearing herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blackbaud, Inc.
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