The host city Albury combines regional hospitality with modern conference facilities and a wide range of accommodation options.
The 2019 National Olive Industry Conference and Trade Exhibition is set to be another cracking industry event, building on the success of last year’s action-packed Wagga Wagga program. Being held in Albury, NSW on Thursday 17 and Friday 18 October, the program will also once again include an optional field and activity day on the Saturday.
AOA CEO Greg Seymour said the theme for this year’s event is Healthy groves, healthy business, encompassing all aspects of what that means for those in our industry.
“It’s become increasingly obvious that you can’t achieve a healthy, viable business without first ensuring that your trees – along with your soil and the eco-system they’re growing in – are healthy. You also can’t run a successful business if you’re not in good nick yourself,” he said.
“So the plenary program will cover a wide range of relevant topics – including grower health – and the emphasis overall will be on lots of practical stuff.
“Delegate feedback and the enthusiastic attendance at the national IPDM field day program have shown us that getting together for interactive learning is what our industry wants. That’s why we’ve made that a focus for this event, with one of the highlights being a field trip on the Friday to a world-class horticultural teaching establishment.”
Seymour said the choice of Albury as the host city, and the Albury Entertainment Centre as the venue, were also in response to delegate feedback.
“The Entertainment Centre has great conference facilities, with easy access for exhibitors and the opportunity to display larger equipment. It’s right in the centre of town, so convenient to shops any other needs people may have, and there’s a wide range of accommodation all within walking distance.
“And Albury is very centrally based geographically, making it a convenient drive from a lot of olive production areas and a viable plane commute via Sydney or Melbourne.”
Registrations will open in July via the Conference website.
The conference is facilitated through the project ‘National olive industry conference and trade exhibition’ (OL16010), funded by Hort Innovation using olive R&D levy funds and contributions from the Australian Government, with in-kind support from the Australian Olive Association.
