Great advice only creates change when people feel heard, understood and ready to act.

In this interactive session, Beck Burgess will explore how a coaching approach can transform conversations with livestock clients. Through practical workshop activities, participants will strengthen their ability to ask powerful questions, build trust and rapport, and guide conversations without simply providing all the answers.

Come ready to participate, reflect and practice techniques you can use immediately to create stronger relationships, more meaningful conversations and lasting client outcomes.

Sharni-Marie Bates will show livestock consultants how to start using AI in their everyday work, with a simple, step-by-step approach that takes the overwhelm out of getting started.

Sharni will walk you through setting up your AI platform, writing prompts that get useful results, and connecting AI to the tools you already use, helping you save time and lift productivity across your advisory and research work.

You’ll see real examples and leave knowing how to use AI confidently and responsibly, with practical steps you can apply the very same day.

Bianca Agenbag - SARDI

Virtual fencing has entered a new era in South Australia. With recent regulatory changes now allowing approved systems to be used for cattle, what could this technology mean for the state’s livestock industries?

Bianca will provide a high-level look at what has changed, what virtual fencing currently looks like in SA and where it may take livestock management in the future. This timely session will help advisors understand the evolving landscape and prepare for conversations with producers about the opportunities ahead.

Emily King - Australian Wool Innovation

Chemical resistance in flies is an increasing challenge for the livestock industry, with implications for animal health, welfare and on-farm management. In this tech talk, Emily will explore the growing issue of fly resistance to chemical treatments, how it is affecting livestock producers and the challenges it presents for effective fly control. Emily will share insights into the current situation and what it means for the industry.

Matt Lieschke - Local Land Services

Want greater confidence when making livestock decisions?Farming Forecaster is a free online tool providing real-time soil moisture information and pasture forecasts for sites across NSW, Victoria and Tasmania. Updated weekly, the forecasts show how the current season compares with previous years and the likely range of pasture availability over the coming three to four months.

Join Matt for a practical demonstration of Farming Forecaster and a case study showing how pasture forecasts can help producers better understand seasonal risk and make informed management decisions.

James Knight - Halter

This session will move to see what virtual fencing looks like beyond theory and out into the paddock. Hear directly from James Knight, a producer who has put technology to work: what prompted the move, how it was implemented and what happened when the virtual lines went live.

Expect a candid account of the wins, challenges and lessons learned and practical insights into the real virtual fencing game and what this could mean for your livestock businesses. .

Jim Walsh - Coopers Animal Health

Footrot remains one of the sheep industry’s most costly and challenging animal health issues. Effective control starts with the right knowledge and a clear plan. Jim will unpack the latest thinking on footrot, from recognising and managing risk to supporting effective prevention, treatment and control strategies.

This practical session will equip livestock advisors with timely insights to strengthen conversations with clients and help producers make confident, informed decisions.

Megan McLoughlin

She’s faced death, lost her sight, survived cancer and somehow still thinks getting on a 600kg horse is a perfectly sensible idea!

A seventh-generation horsewoman from the legendary Willoughby family, Megan McLoughlin is a five-time national champion, former rural journalist, mother of two and the 2019 South Australian Australian of the Year Local Hero.

After losing her eyesight at 26 and being given just weeks to live, a life-saving kidney and pancreas transplant gave Megan something extraordinary — a second chance at life.

Rather than slowing down, she founded Herd of Hope, famously bringing cattle onto Bondi Beach to raise awareness of organ donation and the challenges facing rural Australians.

Now a legally blind national para-dressage competitor, Megan continues to challenge expectations, proving that courage isn’t about what you can see, but what you’re prepared to believe is possible.

With a wicked sense of humour, a deep connection to the land and a story that will make you laugh, cry and rethink what’s possible, Megan is living proof that you don’t need sight to have vision.