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Program Overview
Hort Connections 2026 will bring together the entire fresh produce industry for four days of learning, networking, and celebration.
See below for an overview of the schedule. A full, in-depth program including session details and speaker line-up will be released closer to the event.
Across the four days, there’s an unmissable program of:
Monday 1st June
- Farm & Retail Tours
Tuesday 2nd June
- Plenary Sessions
- Trade Show Opening
- 2026 Welcome Event
Wednesday 3rd June
- Hort Connections Breakfast
- Trade Show Open
- Trade Show Speaker Sessions
- Demo Activation
- Cooking Activation
Thursday 4th June
- Trade Show Open
- Trade Show Speaker Sessions
- Demo Activation
- Cooking Activation
- Hort Connections Gala Dinner
Day 1 - 1 June
Day 2 - 2 June
Day 3 - 3 June
Day 4 - 4 June
Farm and Retail Tours
Farm Tours, and Retail Tour are not included within the All-Access Pass and is to be booked separately.
Retail Tour: Timing TBC
Werribee Farm Tour: 6:45 – 16:00
Epping Market & Yarra Valley Farm Tour – Sponsored by Entegra Signature Structures: 4:00 – 15:30
Mornington Peninsula Farm Tour: 6:45 – 16:00
Welcome Reception
Perfection Fresh Breakfast
Perfection Fresh Breakfast event sponsored by Perfection Fresh.
Welcome to Country
Keynote Speaker
Keynote Speaker: Doing Business Differently: Lucy Bloom – Former Chief Executive Officer, Sunrise Cambodia and Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia
Trade Show Open (LEFT)
09:30 – 09:50:
Session 1: TBC
09:50 – 10:10:
Session 2: The Future of Agriculture: Microbiomes as Drivers of Soil and Plant Health Dr Neil Wilson – Director of Research, Metagen Pty Ltd
10:10 – 10:30:
Session 3: TBC
10:30 – 10:50:
Session 4: TBC
10:50 – 11:10:
Session 5: TBC
11:10 – 11:30:
Session 6: TBC
11:30 – 11:50:
Session 7: TBC
11:50 – 12:10:
Session 8: TBC
12:10 – 12:30:
Session 9: World Vegetable Map 2024 – Global trends and vegetable trade flows : Pia Piggott – RaboResearch Associate Analyst, Rabobank
13:30 – 13:50:
Session 10: Levelling up vegetable and onion business performance: Paul Omodei – Consultant, Planfarm
13:50 – 14:10:
Session 11: Advanced Gas Phase Food Safety and Shelf-Life Extension, Development and Case Studies: Andrew Inglis – Director, Cellysis Pty Ltd
14:10 – 14:30:
Session 12: TBC
Trade Show Open (RIGHT)
09:30 – 09:50:
Session 1: TBC
09:50 – 10:10:
Session 2: TBC
10:10 – 10:50:
Session 3: Tech and Innovation Showcase, sponsored by UPL
10:50 – 11:10:
Session 4: TBC
11:10 – 11:30:
Session 5: Andrew Muir – Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, E.E. Muir & Sons
11:30 – 12:10:
Session 6: Seeka Marketer of the Year Award, produced by IFPA and Produce Plus: Finalist Showcase
12:10 – 12:30:
Session 7: TBC
13:30 – 13:50:
Session 8: TBC
13:50 – 14:10:
Session 9: TBC
14:10 – 14:30:
Session 10: TBC
Diversity & Inclusion / Women in Horticulture Speaker Sessions
12:00 – 12:30:
Diversity & Inclusion: TBC
12:30 – 13:30: Lunch
13:40 – 14:50:
Women in Horticulture: TBC
Lunch
Trade Show Happy Hour
Trade Show Open
Plenary Sessions
08:30 – 08:45:
Brett Fifield – CEO, Hort Innovation
08:45 – 09:00:
TBC
09:00 – 09:30:
Session 1: Su McCluskey – Special Representative for Australian Agriculture, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
09:30 – 10:00:
Session 2: TBC
10:30 – 11:00:
Session 3: TBC
11:00 – 11:20:
Plenary Session Awards
11:20 – 11:50:
Session 4: TBC
12:40 – 13:10:
Session 5: TBC
13:10 – 13:40:
Session 6: TBC
Morning Tea
Supply Chain and Consumers Stream
13:40 – 14:00:
Session 1: TBC
14:00 – 14:20:
Session 2: TBC
Growing and Farming Stream
13:40 – 14:00:
Session 1: TBC
14:00 – 14:20:
Session 2: TBC
Lunch
Trade Show Close
Gala Pre Dinner Event
Hort Connections Gala Dinner
Gala Dinner After Party
Gala Dinner After Party
09:30 – 09:50:
Session 1: TBC
09:50 – 10:10:
Session 2: TBC
10:10 – 10:50:
Session 3: Tech and Innovation Showcase, sponsored by UPL
10:50 – 11:10:
Session 4: TBC
11:10 – 11:30:
Session 5: Andrew Muir – Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, E.E. Muir & Sons
11:30 – 12:10:
Session 6: Seeka Marketer of the Year Award, produced by IFPA and Produce Plus: Finalist Showcase
12:10 – 12:30:
Session 7: TBC
13:30 – 13:50:
Session 8: TBC
13:50 – 14:10:
Session 9: TBC
14:10 – 14:30:
Session 10: TBC
