On the Day

  Friday, 2nd May 2025 

The Forum is on Friday, 2nd May 2025. Registration opens at 8.00am, located in the Pre-Function Foyer. Enjoy your complimentary fresh barista coffee and a muffin, and take some time to browse the Exhibitor Space (located in the Hospitality Room). At 8:30am, doors will open to the Presentation Space (located in the indoor Sports Courts), where our MC will commence introductions from 8:45am. 

The Wheatbelt Futures Forum is a value-packed one day event that brings Wheatbelt businesses, local government, and government representatives together to focus on business opportunities in the coming year and beyond. The event is industry focused, with brief presentations from delegates representing a range of Wheatbelt industries, extended panel discussions and networking throughout the day. We aim for attendees to walk away with an informed plan on how they can operate their business in the current economic climate and take advantage of the opportunities that may present themselves in the near future.

Registrations

Registrations will commence from 8.00am at the Exhibitor Space Foyer – look for the signs. Here, you will also receive your coffee voucher for a professional barista coffee, and a drink voucher for the post-event Sundowner.

Enter the Exhibition Space 

In the Exhibition Space, you can help yourself to a locally made fresh muffin while you browse the exhibitors and wait for colleagues to arrive. Via the Exhibition Space out to the Undercover Area will be the Arise Coffee van. The coffee van will also be available at the morning tea break if you miss the opportunity to receive one before the first session starts.    

Into Session One 

 All presentation and panel sessions will be held in the Presentation Space, located in the indoor Sports Courts. The first session starts promptly at 8:45am with an introduction to the Forum and housekeeping for the day by our MC - Kitty Prodonovich, and Welcome to Country by local Elder - Deborah Moody. We will then move into a Ministerial Update by the Hon Stephen Dawson MLC;  then Economic presentations from: Wheatbelt Development Commission (WDC) and Chamber of Commerce & Industry WA (CCIWA).   

Morning Tea

 We will move into a morning tea break at 10:25am for 30 minutes in the  Exhibition Space where there will be an area set up at the front with food and beverages. The coffee van will be available to purchase barista coffee – or if you haven’t used the voucher for your complimentary coffee, you may use it at morning tea. Our morning tea includes a selection of warm and cold treats to take you into Session Two smiling...

Into Session Two

 At 10:55am we will move back into the Presentation Space and begin session two at 11:00am. In this session we will hear from: Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DEMIRS); Regional Tech Hub; nbn Local. A 40-minute Q&A panel of these presenters will then follow, joined by Telstra, and  guided by a guest moderator, Caroline Robinson.

We will then hear from: North Eastern Wheatbelt Organisation of Councils (NEWROC); Alexandra Mackenzie - local Architect; and North Eastern Wheatbelt Travel Association (NEWTRAVEL). At the completion of these presentations, we will again hold a 40-minute Q&A in the same format as the previous session, guided by Kitty Prodonovich.

 All questions will be submitted through Slido and attendees will invited to scan a QR code to access the app on their phone and submit questions for the Moderator to address the panel. 

Lunch

  We will move into lunch at 1:25pm in the Exhibition Space. A gourmet lunch will be served buffet style assisted by our chefs and includes a delectible array of warm meat and vegetarian dishes, salad, and dessert. A spread to remember!

Session Three & Agricultural Panel

    At 2:25pm, we commence the final session of the day, hearing from: Town Team Movement; Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC); MEGT; Apprenticeship Support Australia; and Leonie Knipe - local Dealer Principal. These presenters will form a Q&A panel moderated by Kitty Prodonovich.

From 3:55pm, we will then be taken through an Agricultural Panel discussion with Mandy Walker and four of the Wheatbelt's Agricultural industry experts, with opportunity to ask your own questions using Slido. This is a deep discussion that is anticipated to contribute to all Wheatbelt industries and is not to be missed!

Conclusion & Sundowner

   At the conclusion of the Agricultural Panel, the newly elected Lachlan Hunter MP - Member for Central Wheatbelt, will deliver a Closing Address before our gracious MC Kitty Prodonovich wraps up the Forum at 4:50pm. 

Sundowner sponsor, The Rec Hotel Northam have generously provided their venue for participants to gather to further network if they wish. There is a welcome drink on arrival and the voucher for this will be shared with you at Registration. Gourmet wood-fired pizzas will be served until 7:00pm.