FIRE Conference 2026 - Brisbane

The FAT FIRE Conference is a full day of open, practical and thought-provoking conversations with people who have already achieved Financial Independence, many of them at least a decade ahead of the traditional retirement age. Rather than listening to polished keynote speeches or financial gurus, you’ll spend the day hearing directly from a diverse panel of ordinary people who have taken different paths to financial freedom through business, property, shares and other investments.

They’ll share what actually worked, what didn’t, the mistakes they made, the opportunities they took and the mindset shifts that helped them along the way. Most importantly, this is an interactive conference. Throughout the day, panelists will be challenged with questions, real-life scenarios and controversial topics. You’ll also have plenty of opportunities to ask your own questions and hear different perspectives from people who may completely disagree with one another. There is rarely one 'right' way to FIRE, and that is exactly what makes the discussions interesting.

 

Follow their FIRE Journey

The day broadly follows the different stages many people experience on their journey towards and beyond financial independence:

• Mindset & Skills Building - Developing the knowledge, skills, habits and mindset that create the foundation for FIRE.
• Saving & Grinding - Building your first meaningful pool of capital, increasing income, controlling lifestyle inflation and learning to live intentionally.
• Amplifying & Growing - Moving beyond simply saving money and using investments, business, leverage and other strategies to accelerate wealth creation.
• Protecting & Diversifying - Building resilience into your financial position so that FIRE can survive market crashes, inflation, changing circumstances and unexpected events.
• Living & Enjoying - Perhaps the most overlooked stage of FIRE which is deciding when enough is enough and figuring out what you actually want to do with your money, freedom and time.

The conversations go well beyond investment returns and FIRE numbers. Expect discussions around abundance versus scarcity, purpose after FIRE, raising children, inheritance, relationships, health, personal development, generosity and how to make the most of the time financial independence gives you.

 

Ask the Questions You Actually Want Answered

There will be dedicated participant Q&A throughout the conference. Instead of only hearing generic advice, you can ask panelists about their experiences, challenge their assumptions or dig deeper into something particularly relevant to your own FIRE journey. Some discussions may have clear answers. Others may result in five panelists giving five completely different answers. That’s part of the point.

 

Meet People on the Same Journey

The conference is also deliberately designed to give you time to talk with other attendees. Tea, coffee lunch, afternoon tea breaks and networking sessions give you the opportunity to meet people at completely different stages of FIRE, from those just starting out to people who have already been financially independent for years.

Some of the most valuable conversations may happen away from the panel. You may leave with a new investment idea, a different perspective, an accountability partner, mentor, business connection or simply a group of people who think about life and financial independence in a similar way. The event is fully catered, including mini lunch buffet (hot dishes and salads), afternoon tea, tea, coffee and non-alcoholic drinks.

 

VIP Experience

For those who want to engage deeper with the panelists, a limited number of VIP tickets are available. VIP attendees will receive front row seats, prioritised Q&A preferences and join the organisers & panelists for dinner afterwards in a roundtable format so you can ask more specific/intimate questions, explore topics in greater depth and hear insights that are difficult to cover in a larger conference environment. 

 

Giving Back

FAT FIRE is built around the idea that financial independence should eventually create abundance not just for ourselves, but also for the people around us. For that reason, all profits from the conference will be donated to charity. The charity is selected by the panelists and organisers and will be announced during the conference.

Details:
Venue - Colmslie Hotel
Address - Corner Wynnum, Kates St, Morningside QLD 4170
Date - Saturday, 7th November
Time - 9am ~ 5pm
VIP Dinner - 6pm onwards
Cost:
- $149/person (Early Bird $109) - Includes drinks, snacks & lunch
- $379/person (Early Bird $319) - VIP seating, priority Q&A + dinner & roundtable
- $60/teenager (12yo+ teens must be accompanied by an adult with ticket)
- $10/child (6-11yo child must be accompanied by an adult with ticket)

 

The exact conversations will vary depending on the panelists and audience, but topics typically include:

Welcome & Introductions

• Why we created the FAT FIRE Conference
• Meet the panelists
• What does FIRE actually mean?
• Lean FIRE, FIRE, FAT FIRE and everything in between

1. Mindset & Skills Building

• The books, mentors and experiences that shaped our panelists
• Mental barriers they had to overcome
• Building valuable skills
• Personal development and continuous learning
• Getting outside your comfort zone
• Scarcity versus abundance

2. Saving & Grinding

• First jobs and early career decisions
• Building the first $100,000
• Increasing income versus cutting expenses
• Habits that made the biggest difference
• Lifestyle inflation
• Enjoying life while still pursuing FIRE
• Family assistance, privilege and starting advantages
• When frugality becomes counterproductive

3. Amplifying & Growing

• How our panelists started investing
• Property, shares, business and other asset classes
• Using leverage responsibly
• Building multiple income streams
• Common wealth-building myths
• Mistakes and investments that went wrong
• Moving from scarcity to abundance
• Knowing when you have “enough”

4. Protecting & Diversifying

• Portfolio construction
• Diversification across asset classes
• Asset protection and financial structures
• Emergency funds and opportunity funds
• Preparing for market crashes and recessions
• Inflation and economic uncertainty
• How much passive income is really enough?

5. Living & Enjoying

• What made our panelists finally pull the trigger on FIRE?
• Life after financial independence
• Finding purpose after FIRE
• Working because you want to rather than because you have to
• Family, marriage and children
• Raising financially capable kids
• Inheritance and giving while you are still alive
• Health and longevity
• Bucket lists and life experiences
• Big Hairy Audacious Goals
• Using money, resources and time to help others

 

 Jayme Salmon

​​Jayme is a former high school teacher and FIRE advocate who reclaimed her time and achieved financial independence at 42. ​After using geoarbitrage to relocate to a more affordable regional city, she spent seven years as a stay-at-home mum before finding her stride in the workforce—sneaking the fundamentals of building wealth into her teaching whenever she could.

​Together with her husband, Jayme focused on a simple, strategy: consistent saving, investing in real estate, and later diversifying into ETFs. That steady approach enabled them both to reach FIRE, giving them complete freedom over how they spend their time.

These days, when she isn't prioritizing her health, fitness, and family, Jayme hosts local financial independence meetups to connect with people at every stage of their own financial journey. Her practical 'just start' attitude is driven by the firm belief that if a former teacher and truck driver can build financial freedom, you can too.

 

Ben Douglas

Ben spent over 15 years in business and IT transformation, most recently as founder and Managing Director of a Brisbane-based consulting firm. It was a career that funded the plan rather than defining it.

Starting early in life through property, Ben committed to building financial security through disciplined investing and deliberate structuring of his affairs, with the long-term goal of buying back time rather than simply accumulating assets. That conviction has since grown into a genuine passion for markets, from portfolio construction and commodity cycles to options income strategies, and a belief that the mechanics of wealth are learnable by anyone willing to do the work.

Ben reaches Financial Independence in early 2027, when he and his family will relocate to Thailand to geo-arbitrage a lower cost of living and let the portfolio work harder. A member of the MtM and Fat FIRE communities, he is still early in the investing journey but relishing the challenge ahead, and looking forward to sharing the wins, the mistakes, and the mindset that says you too can do it.

 

David Markus

David founded an IT services company that consistently secured a place on the esteemed BRW Fast 100 list for multiple consecutive years. In 2019, he successfully sold the company, attaining FAT FIRE status at the age of 51. Now, as a devoted husband and father of two young men, David relishes the unconditional joy of spending quality time with his beloved family while indulging in his passions for flying and skiing across the globe.

During his leisure hours, David generously volunteers for Angel Flight Australia, dedicating his time to assist families from rural areas in accessing specialised medical treatment. Currently, David serves as a non-executive director and business mentor for enterprises that possess the potential to make a positive impact on the world. With his experience in commercial property investing and economics, he brings valuable expertise to the table.

David’s mindset revolves around prioritising “budgeting the luxuries first,” and he takes immense pleasure in sharing the insights of this approach with others.

 

 

Tina Liu

Tina is a seasoned musician and facilitator with over 25 years of experience in the performing arts. After a successful career in education, she now enjoys the flexibility of freelancing, choosing to prioritise projects that foster connection, community and creativity.
 
Tina discovered the FIRE movement in 2022 and realised that many of the financial decisions she and her husband had already made were naturally leading them towards financial independence. From establishing a community choir, travelling around the world and pursuing creative hobbies, Tina is already enjoying the freedom that comes with a more work-optional lifestyle and aspires to be fully work-optional by 50.
 
A lifelong learner, Tina thrives on discovering new ideas and perspectives. Having attended the 2024 FAT FIRE Conference, she is excited to help bring the FAT FIRE Conference to Brisbane in 2026 and create an opportunity for people at different stages of their FIRE journeys to learn from others, share ideas and connect with like-minded people.