Melbourne has Australia’s busiest container port, and will also play host to the hybrid AGIC 2021 event where topics including the supply chain are on the agenda. Photo: Port of Melbourne

THE latest insights from a range of perspectives will be brought to delegates at the first hybrid Australian Grains Industry Conference (AGIC).

Being held at East Melbourne’s Pullman in the Park hotel on September 6-7, the in-person and virtual platform ensures delegates will be able to fulfil the 2021 AGIC theme: Reconnect, Reignite and Revitalise.

Hosted by Grain Trade Australia (GTA), Pulse Australia and the Australian Oilseeds Federation, AGIC’s organisers are confident the 2021 program can deliver for delegates in the face of whatever COVID restrictions are in place come early September.

“We are excited about our first in-person event in over a year,” GTA chief executive officer Pat O’Shannassy said.

“The industry has been asking for opportunities to network, so we are pleased to be offering a hybrid approach to AGIC 2021.

“In the event you can’t attend in-person, we’ll simply convert your ticket so you can participate online.”

The conference’s signature keynote presentations and panels from local and international experts will include voices of politics past and present.

Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia David Littleproud will officially open the event, and former Premier of NSW and Australian Foreign Minister Professor Bob Carr will give his take on the relationship between diplomacy, politics and trade.

Allied Pinnacle CEO Rob Rogers is one of the AGIC2021 speakers.

Industry sessions have been constructed to scope its post farm-gate dimensions, and will cover:  competition; diversity; global commodity markets; investment; plant protein; succession planning, and the supply chain;

The program will also include the regular CEOs in Conversation session, which this year will include GrainCorp CEO Robert Spurway and Allied Pinnacle CEO Rob Rogers.

Other speakers include:

• Lachstock Consulting CEO Nick Carracher;
• HFW partner Carolyn Chudleigh;
• Holding Redlich partner Geoff Farnsworth;
• v2food CEO Nick Hazell;
• KW & WM Kelly & Sons CEO Matt Kelly;
• Australian Competition & Consumer Commission deputy chair Mick Keogh;
• CHS Hedging USA research analyst Joe Lardy;
• Port of Melbourne executive general manager commercial Shaun Mooney;
• Merricks Capital head of agri credit Dan O’Donoghue;
• CBH Grain chief external relations officer Brianna Peake;
• Robinson Grains general manager Adam Robinson;
• ANZ head of retail broker distribution Simone Tilley;
• ANZ head of agribusiness insights Michael Whitehead;
• Fletcher International Exports general manager commercial commodities and intermodal division Kurt Wilkinson.

Socially, the highlight of AGIC 2021 is an industry dinner booked for the Melbourne Cricket Ground with entertainment from comedian Nazeem Hussain.

The sporting flavour flows through to the program with a coffee-and-conversation session with businessman and Olympic swimming champion Kieren Perkins OAM.

Early bird registration finishes July 30, and Grain Central readers are offered a $50 discount on in-person registrations by including the code CGAGIC21.

It can be entered into the pop-up box which will appear when either of the full conference options, with or without dinner, is selected.

Grain Central is a media partner with AGIC 2021.