CSU Albury Campus, 386 Elizabeth Mitchell Drive, Albury NSW

AGENDA

Day 1

Thursday 29 August 2024

9.30am      Registration

9.45am      Smoking Ceremony and Welcome to Country

10.15am    Welcome

10.30am    Introduction Business NSW’s Regional Director, Serena Hardwick

10.45am    Session 1 | The Local Economic Environment - Dr Sherman Chan, Business NSW Chief Economist

Dr Sherman Chan will provide insights into our local economy and take a deep dive into Business NSW’s unique data set at a regional level. This session offers unique insights into the strengths and challenges of the region, how this differs from other regions and how this translates at a state and federal level.

(20 minutes Q&A)

11.25am    Panel Discussion: Serena Hardwick, Business NSW, Dr Sherman Chan, Business NSW and James Bolton, Deputy Secretary for Regional Development Delivery

11.40am    Scenario Planning and Tools – Serena Hardwick, Business NSW

11.55am    Session 2 | Meet Pat and the Regional Advantage – Nick Robinson

Hear from a local business operating on the global stage right from the Riverina Murray. Innovative business Meet Pat are on a mission to deliver safe drinking water solutions while contributing to a sustainable impact for people and the planet.

12.10pm     Lunch 

1.05pm       Session 3 | Workforce a Changing Environment - Rebecca Ackland, Chief People & Culture Officer and Tracy Paterson, Executive General Manager ‑ NSW & ACT / Head of Regional Sales, Southern Cross Austereo

What is your recruitment style? In a competitive environment there is no doubt that we need to think about how to attract and retain talent. This dynamic session will explore ways to improve processes for attracting and retaining talent.

1.35pm      Session 4 | What does the Industrial Relations Revolution mean for you? - Tamsin Lawrence, Australian Business Lawyers & Advisors 

Feeling overwhelmed by the new world of industrial relations? You will walk away from this session with a clear understanding of your 2024 priorities and how to avoid getting it wrong. 

·    Things you should already have in place

·    Where to prioritise your resources in 2024

·    Staying out of legal trouble in the new world of IR

2.15pm    Session 5 | Agenda for Action: Finance, Technology and Business – Rachel Kerrigan, Future Skills Organisation 

The finance, technology, and business sectors are experiencing significant growth, presenting opportunities for education and training to support these expanding industries in Regional NSW. As these sectors evolve and reshape the required skill sets, how do we ensure that the training system adapts to the changing skills landscape in finance, technology, and business.

2.35pm    Afternoon Tea

3.05pm    Session 6 | Improving Culture to Mitigate Risk in your Workplace – Andrew Hollier, Strategic Industry Manager, ICARE

Join ICARE’s Strategic Industry Manager in this session exploring organisational culture to prevent the uptake of psychological claims and mitigate risk in your workplace. 

3.35pm    Session 7 | More than just a job – Kaity Fuller, Huntsman Recruitment 

We know that our regional brand is impacting our ability to attract and retain workforce to the region. This session will look at how leading regional recruiters, Huntsman Recruitment, are breaking misconceptions of what it means to work regionally and highlight communication methods to make our region more appealing for our future workforce.

3.50pm    Session 8 | Tourism – Everyone’s Business

The Visitor Economy is a significant opportunity for our local community and will help maximise the investment made in region. This section will explore the role that you and your business have in contributing to the visitor economy and will have you exploring what’s in your own backyard. 

4.30pm    Conclusion


The Regional Dinner | Thursday 29 August 2024

6.30pm    Enhance at Willowbank, Willowbank Road Albury

The Regional Dinner is taking place on the first night of the Future for Business Regional Summit. Join us on a culinary journey through the Riverina Murray region, with a story menu highlighting the amazing regional produce in the Riverina Murray. 

Don't miss out on this amazing night featuring premium produce from across the Riverina Murray and the opportunity to network with business leaders from around the region!

(**Note: Tickets are not included in the summit 2-day pass and need to be purchased separately)


Day 2

Friday 30 August 2024

9.00am     Welcome to day 2

9.15am    The True Cost of Excluding Inclusion – Cate Thomas PhD (USyd) from Charles Sturt University

What if you could unlock more resources, more ideas or hidden talent in your business?  This interactive session will look at inclusion and belonging through an intersectional lens and how you can incorporate this thinking into your business to get results.

9.55am    The Logistics Game – Nick Ryder, Visy Logistics

10.10am    Productivity - The Unspoken Crisis – Mustafa Agha, Head of Policy Business NSW

At a time where productivity is at an all-time low this session explores the importance of measuring productivity, key tools and findings, the use of AI and robotics as a tool to complement positions rather than replacing them and boost efficiency and safety in the workplace. Join Business NSW’s Head of Policy as he shares essential productivity data and tools to help businesses stay ahead in the age of digitization.

10.40am     Project Focus – Riverina Regional Joint Venture

10.55am    Navigating Net Zero – Frank Zaknich, CEO AlburyCity Council 

Join AlburyCity Council’s CEO, Frank Zaknich as he explores how local councils are progressing towards achieving net zero emissions, meeting goals, and addressing obstacles.

Discover the pivotal role that councils play in this transition, shedding light on aspects that businesses might miss and outlining the productivity and cost-saving advantages gained from implementing these strategies.

11.10am    Panel Discussion – Navigating Net Zero

11.25am    Morning Tea

11.45am    Harnessing Digital Twins to Combat the Productivity Crisis – Dr. Ganna Pogrebna

In the face of declining productivity across industries, Digital Twins offer a transformative solution. This session will delve into how Digital Twins can revolutionise the way organisations optimise operations, enhance decision-making, and increase efficiency. Join us to explore real-world applications of Digital Twins and learn how this technology can play a pivotal role in overcoming the current productivity challenges.

12.10pm    AI in Sustainability - Craig Lefoe, Director Toustone

Join Craig Lefoe from Toustone, Australian owned and operated advanced and predictive analytics company, to discuss how they’re helping Australian businesses meet sustainability reporting requirements and how their AI predictive sustainability analytics help teams to predict future footprint, challenge initiatives, test scenarios and improve bottom line.

12.35pm    Panel Discussion: AI Opportunities and Application – Mustafa Agha, Craig Lefoe, Ganna Pogrebna.

12.50pm    Project Focus – Transgrid

1.05pm    Creating Vibrant Regional Communities – Serena Hardwick, Business NSW in conversation with David Hunter, Habitat Planning

There are very few businesses untouched by the planning system. Business NSW has been a strong advocate for planning system reforms, acknowledging we need a system that has certainty and does not impact the commercial viability of good development. This session we will present our advocacy to date focusing on creating economic growth through planning reforms. 

1.25pm     Wrap up and conclusion

1.40pm     Grab and Go lunch

Our lunch has been designed as a grab and go allowing people the chance to take it with them to hit the road or return to work. If you’re not in a rush, please hang around for some lunch and informal networking opportunities. 

For those staying on for the weekend we have information on top attractions for Albury Wodonga and surrounds to elevate your stay. 


THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

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Water kindly supplied by