A Sydney-based professional networking collective is quietly becoming a meaningful revenue driver for the city’s top-end restaurant scene — and its 2026 venue lineup suggests it’s only getting started.
Collabor8Women, founded by business executives Karen Eck and Samantha Theron in December 2021, has announced its roster of venue partners for the year ahead, anchored by some of Sydney’s most acclaimed dining rooms.
The 2026 venue partners are:
White Horse in Surry Hills
Bathers’ Pavilion – The Restaurant in Mosman
Flaminia at Pullman Quay Grand in Circular Quay
The Palomar at 25hours Hotel The Olympia in Darlinghurst
Catalina in Rose Bay
China Doll in Woolloomooloo
Pilu at Freshwater
Events are held on the first Wednesday of each month, rotating between lunch and dinner formats, and structured around facilitated tables of eight — a format the organisation describes as ‘Networking Done Differently’. The group prioritises female-led venues wherever possible.
A new revenue stream for fine dining
For restaurateurs, the partnership offers something increasingly valuable: a reliable, curated group of professional diners who are new to their venue.
Marilyn Annecchini, owner of Pilu at Freshwater and the newly opened Flaminia at Circular Quay — both on the 2026 partner list — sees the relationship as important to her businesses.
“What Collabor8Women does for our hospitality industry is really important,” Annecchini said. “It opens up our industry to a whole new group of people, who perhaps wouldn’t have frequented our restaurants before. That’s incredibly valuable.”
Scale and economic impact
What began as a single table of eight has grown into a national network of nearly 2,000 professional women across Australia. With 36 events completed to date, Collabor8Women estimates it has generated approximately $1.5 million in economic benefit for New South Wales — a figure expected to approach $2 million by the end of 2026.
That growth is being supported by the introduction of Gold Access Membership, a strictly limited, invitation-only program launching this year. The tier is designed to sit alongside the existing Signature events, offering priority access and exclusive experiences with venue partners.
“Growth for us has never been about size,” said Eck. “It’s about depth, trust and the quality of connection. What began as one table has become a trusted platform for collaboration and meaningful impact.”
The network’s final event each year doubles as a fundraiser. In 2025, the community raised $18,000 for ovarian cancer research — a cause that returns to the program in 2026, with Pilu at Freshwater hosting the end-of-year charity lunch.
For more information: www.collabor8women.com | @collabor8women
