Program
The Hort Connections 2025 Program is being finalised.
We are currently working on the Hort Connections 2025 program. We are excited to bring you what should be the largest and most diverse group of speakers and events to-date. Please check back in early 2025.
Farm and Retail Tours
Farm Tours, and Retail Tour are not included within the All-Access Pass and is to be booked separately.
Produce Retail Tour: 8:00 – 12:30
Brisbane Markets to Koala Farm Tour: 6:15 - 13:30
Mulgowie to Moira Farm Tour: 7:00 - 14:00
Barden to QDPI Gatton Research Facility & Smart Farm Tour: 7:15 - 14:00
Trade Show Opening Ceremony
Perfection Fresh Breakfast
07:30 - 07:50:
Delegates seated & food service
07:50 - 08:50:
Keynote Speaker: Life Beyond Fear:
Mark Mathews - Big Wave Surfer & Keynote Speaker, Next Wave
Trade Show Speaker Sessions
Blue Stream
09:05 - 09:20:
Session 1: Visual Inductions in Australian Horticulture: Mark Pullin - General Manager, VEG Education
09:25 - 09:45:
Session 2: Strategic Immigration Solutions - Tackling Labor Shortages in Australia's Agricultural Sector: Samantha Norman - Head of Migration - East Coast, Mapien
09:50 - 10:10:
Session 3: TBC
11:00 - 11:30:
Session 4: Hort Innovation Panel Session
Panellists TBC:
11:40 - 12:00:
Session 5: Horticulture's New Protected Cropping Program: Growing Horticulture Through Protected Cropping: Dr Gordon Rogers - CEO, Applied Horticultural Research
12:10 - 12:30:
Session 6: How The Use of AI and Machine Learning Can Help Farmers In Realtime to Better at What They Do: Charles Simons - Chief Sales Officer, BioScout
13:30 - 14:00:
Session 7: AI Panel
Panellists TBC:
14:10 - 14:30:
Session 8: Building Resilient Farm Systems for Unpredictable Future: Ram Kishore Savana - Farmers Time Freedom Coach, Enable Ag
15:10 - 15:30:
Session 9: TBC: Justine Coates - Director, Plus One Serve
15:40 - 16:10:
Session 10: Marketing Panel
Panellists TBC:
16:15 - 16:35:
Session 11: Integrating Technologies to Achieve Sustainability and Profit: “Neo” Stimulants and Microbials: Pascual Bauset - Marketing Manager, Servalesa
16:40 - 17:00:
Session 12: TBC: Su McCluskey - Special Representative, Australian Agriculture
Trade Show Speaker Sessions
Red Stream
09:05 - 09:20:
Session 1: TBC: Shane Schnitzler - Chair, Fresh Markets Australia& Gail Woods – Special Projects & Advisor, Fresh Markets Australia
09:25 - 09:45:
Session 2: Hot Topics In Vegetables - Unlocking the Key Drivers Of Business Success: Paul Omodei - Director and Consultant, Planfarm
09:50 - 10:10:
Session 3: Synergizing Hygienic Design & Operational Excellence for Advancing Food Safety: Lisa Ashmore - Food Safety Specialist, Intralox
11:00 - 11:30:
Session 4: TBC: Neil Rechlin - Partner, NextGen Group
11:40 - 12:00:
Session 5: Reposition your Agribusiness Asset-Base to Unlock Value and Maximise Returns: Jesse Manuel – National Director, Colliers Agribusiness
12:10 - 12:30:
Session 6: Reposition your Agribusiness Asset-Base to Unlock Value and Maximise Returns: Dr Djin Gie Liem – Associate Professor, Deakin University
13:30 - 14:00:
Session 7: TBC: Scott Hansen - Chief Executive Officer, Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority
14:10 - 14:30:
Session 8: Packaging without Packaging - How Digital Technology is Transforming Packaging: Michael Dosser - Group General Manager, Results Group
15:10 - 15:30:
Session 9: How The Use of AI and Machine Learning Can Help Farmers In Realtime to Better at What They Do: Jane Muller – Safe Trade Co-Lead, CSIRO
15:40 - 16:10:
Session 10: TBC: Dr David Hughes – Emeritus Professor of Food Marketing, Imperial College London
16:15 - 16:35:
Session 11: Beyond the Burden - Reclaiming Value of Good Agricultural Practice in a Holistic Food Safety System: Jane Siebum – Chief Executive Officer, Freshcare
16:40 - 17:00:
Session 12: Who's Interested In Your Carbon Number?: Noel Ainsworth – Principal Horticulturist, Department of Primary Industries (Queensland)
Plaza Speaker Sessions
Yellow Stream
09:05 - 09:20:
Session 1: Beneficial Inoculants Which Suit All Crops, Not Just Legumes!: Mark Kirstein - Agricultural Consultant, Omnia
09:25 - 09:45:
Session 2: Hot Topics In Vegetables - Unlocking the Key Drivers Of Business Success: Jade King - Australian Native Fingerlime Alliance
09:50 - 10:10:
Session 3: Managing Internal Fruit Rot of Capsicums: Dr Jennifer Ekman - Research Scientist, Applied Horticultural Research
10:15 - 10:30:
Session 4: Trends in Stemphylium of Onion and Paths for Future Multidiciplined Sustainable Management: Shane Fitzgerald - Agronomist , Metagen
10:40 - 10:55:
Session 5: How to Double Mango Production Without Expanding Your Farm: Dr Ryan Orr – Senior Horticulturist, Queensland Department of Primary Industries
11:05 - 11:20:
Session 6: Reposition your Agribusiness Asset - Base to Unlock Value and Maximise Returns: Dr John Alawneh – Lead Epidemiologist & Principal Scientist, Queensland Department of Primary Industries
11:30 - 11:50:
Session 7: Demystifying Ethical Sourcing and Social Compliance for Australian Horticulture: Sachin Ayachit - National Program Manager, Fair Farms
12:00 - 12:20:
Session 8: Applied Research and Technologies Ltd Trends and Opportunities for Big Improvements in Tree Crop Spray Application Practices and Outcomes: Dr David Manktelow - Business Owner, Applied Research and Technologies Ltd
13:30 - 13:45:
Session 9: Unlocking AgTech Adoption - How Digital Tools Improve Biosecurity and Safety Compliance: Mike Fielden - Chief Executive Officer, Boratto Farms
13:55 - 14:10:
Session 10: Ecorobotix "ARA" - The Ultra-High-Precison Sprayer That is Revolutioning Agriculture worldwide: Jose M Marchetti - Director of Business Development, Ecorobotix
14:20 - 14:35:
Session 11: Scheduling – Why Bother? The Commercial Value of Managing Irrigation Well: Ivor Gaylard – COO & Co-Founding Director, SWAN Systems
15:00 - 15:15:
Session 12: TBC: TBC
15:25 - 15:40:
Session 13: Why, Against Apathy and Disinterest, Build a $30M+ F&V Processing Facility in Queensland?: Colin Dorber - Deputy Chairman, CEO and Managing Director, The Lockyer Valley Fruit & Vegetable Processing Co
15:50 - 16:05:
Session 14: TBC: Dr Shane Phillips - Research and Development Lead, BioCentral Laboratories
16:15 - 16:35:
Session 15: TBC: TBC
16:45 - 17:00:
Session 16: The SVS Tool – Facilitating Decision Making for Sustainable N Management in Vegetable Crops: Dr Bruce Searle - Crop Physiologist, Plant & Food Research
Hort Connections Activation Lounge Partnered by Woolworths
12:00 - 12:30:
Activation Cooking Session 1: Simon Toohey - Television Host, Freshly Picked
13:30 - 14:00:
Activation Cooking Session 2: Jusine Schofield - Television Host, Everyday Gourmet
Corteva Young Grower Event
Regenerative Farming / Women in Horticulture Speaker Sessions
12:00 - 12:30:
Regenerative Farming Session 1: Regenerative Farming Programme: Julius Joel - Group Product Director - Celery, G's
13:30 - 14:00:
Regenerative Farming Session 2: Panel Discussion Session:
Panellists TBC:
12:30 - 13:30: Lunch
13:40 - 14:50:
Women in Horticulture: TBC: TBC
Lunch
Afternoon Tea
Trade Show Happy Hour
Trade Show Open
Plenary Sessions
Sponsored by
08:40 - 08:50:
Welcome Address Hort Innovation
09:00 - 09:30:
Session 1: TBC: Tom McCue - Biotechnology - R&D Manager, Hort Innovation
09:30 - 10:00:
Session 2: TBC: Julius Joel - Director, G’s Group
10:00 - 10:10:
Address The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
10:10 - 10:00:
Session 3: State of the Industry Panel
Panellists TBC:
10:55 - 11:55:
Session 4: The Honourable Julie Bishop - Former Minister for Foreign Affairs
11:55 - 12:55:
Session 5: Dr Chadden Hunter - Founder & Director, Chadden Hunter Films
Lunch
Trade Show Speaker Sessions
Blue Stream
13:30 - 13:50:
Session 1: Frontline-Led Branding: Turning Customers & Staff into Advocates:
Matthew Crouch - Co-Founder/Creative Director, Soto Group
13:40 - 14:00:
Session 2: Next Generation Barcodes: Success for Consumer Engagement, Export, Certification and Anti-Counterfeit:
Caroline Barrett - Director - Primary Industries, GS1
14:00 - 14:20:
Session 3: Ensuring Quality, Cost Efficiency, and Supply Chain Optimisation:
Jigarkumar Patel - The King Fresh Market Group of Companies
Trade Show Speaker Sessions
Red Stream
13:30 - 13:50:
Session 1: Navigating the New Normal and Redefining Value: Neil Moody - Focus Insights
14:00 - 14:20:
Session 2: TBC:
Hort Innovation
14:30 - 14:50:
Session 3: Panel Insight
Panellists TBC: