About the session

AI has moved from interesting to unavoidable across local government. For parks and leisure professionals the question is no longer whether it matters, but where it fits, what good use looks like, and how to start in a way that is practical and safe.

This is a hands-on, half-day online session built for parks, recreation and leisure roles. You see the tools used live on real work, learn how better prompts and context lift what you get back, and build your own AI Workplace Action Report during the session. It is human-led and AI-enabled. The tools support the thinking. Your judgement stays in charge.

What you will learn

Four ideas sit at the heart of the session; each grounded in the parks and leisure work you already do.

• From chatbots to agentic systems: the journey from asking AI one-off questions to setting up simple systems that do repeatable work for you, and an honest read on where you sit today.
• The right tool for the job: which tools suit which work, and why, so you stop guessing. Writing and analysis, research and document synthesis, and live meeting capture each have a best fit.
• A superpower for better work, not a way to do your work for you: how AI carries the repetitive load so you can spend your time on judgement and the parts that need a human.
• The role of AI in leadership: what changes when you lead AI rather than just use it, including the ethics, guardrails and transparency the public sector expects.

What you will walk away with

• Practical AI skills: better drafting, summarising and preparation across common tasks.
• Confidence with the tools: less second-guessing and more useful experimentation.
• A clear view of risk and governance: safer use aligned to public-sector expectations and human oversight.
• Named quick wins: clear opportunities now, and realistic pathways over the next 3 to 12 months.
• Your AI Workplace Action Report: a structured, role-specific document you build during the session and can take straight to your manager.

Who should attend

Parks, recreation and leisure professionals across planning, community development, sport and recreation, aquatics, open space, venues, engagement, policy, strategy and service delivery. It suits coordinators, team leaders, managers and practitioners who want a practical start, not a technical deep dive. No AI experience is needed, and you do not need to share any sensitive or confidential information to take part.

How to register

Two dates, 20 seats each. Choose 15 or 29 September and register through Parks & Leisure Australia. Members and non-members are both welcome.

Workshop Delivered by: Stephen Yarwood

Stephen Yarwood is an internationally recognised urban futurist, former Lord Mayor of Adelaide and executive advisor who works at the intersection of leadership, local government, strategic planning and artificial intelligence. Through city2050, he helps CEOs, executive teams, elected members and organisations strengthen their ability to think ahead, make better decisions and respond confidently to a world changing faster than traditional planning systems were designed for.

His credibility is grounded in lived leadership. As a former Lord Mayor, Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor and senior planning professional, Stephen understands firsthand the pressures of public accountability, political dynamics, stakeholder expectations, governance complexity and the challenge of balancing short-term delivery with long-term stewardship. He has also worked in state government policy roles, led strategic planning and community engagement processes, and advised a wide range of councils, corporations and public bodies in Australia and internationally.

Stephen is especially valuable to CEOs because he is both strategic and practical. He translates complex issues into plain-English implications, challenges assumptions without theatrics and works on real problems rather than abstract theory. His current practice is deeply AI-enabled: he uses advanced tools every day for research, synthesis, workshop support, strategic drafting, insight generation and productivity uplift. That means he is not simply talking about AI from the sidelines; he is demonstrating how it can improve executive workflow, decision support, organisational learning and future readiness while remaining grounded in governance, ethics and human judgement.

Known for his engaging style, systems thinking and ability to connect global trends to local realities, Stephen helps leaders move from uncertainty to clarity. He brings rare value as a peer-level advisor who understands cities, communities, leadership, change and the emerging operating environment CEOs now need to lead within.