In October, I had the pleasure of gathering with many of you in person for our annual Ideas Exchange conference. This year’s event, held at the View Hotel in Hamilton, Queensland, brought together 75 industry and research participants over two productive days. It was fantastic to see everyone, and I want to thank each of you for helping make this year’s conference a resounding success.
We started Day 1 with welcome remarks and a PHA update from me, followed by an education update from our education officer, Carissa Anderson, who shared highlights of our ongoing training initiatives and community engagement efforts. Industry presentations, included updates from Mary Wu from the Australian Chicken Meat Federation, Mini Singh from Australian Eggs, and Greg Parkinson from the Australian Duck Meat Association. Dr. Eugeni Roura also provided valuable insights from the AgriFutures Chicken Meat Consortium, focusing on nutrition, gut health, and environmental concerns.
A panel session on biosecurity and its current challenges, led by Mark Dunlop, followed. Experts including Anthony Keyburn (CSIRO), Rachele Osmond (Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries), and Kylie Hewson (CSIRO) shared diverse perspectives, sparking an engaging Q&A with attendees.
We made sure the conference allowed ample time during breaks for discussions, enabling participants to connect, exchange ideas, and explore topics more informally. Often, it’s in these moments that the true gems of insight emerge. We enjoyed a dinner at the View Hotel that evening, providing a relaxed setting to reconnect, network, and enjoy good food and conversation.
Day 2 featured research presentations chaired by Kapil Chousalkar, spotlighting recent PHA-funded projects. Speakers discussed a range of topics, from dietary optimisation for laying hens to enhancing immune responses in broilers, offering insights into how research addresses core industry challenges.
Later, our interactive “Brains Trust” session allowed participants to explore key industry questions. It was fascinating to see how views on critical issues like sustainability have evolved over time. This session, as always, offered invaluable feedback, which will help shape our upcoming five-year strategic plan.
The conference concluded with a look toward the future, followed by a specialised workshop on nutrition and feed formulation, led by Prof. Gene Pesti and Dr. Amy Moss.
Thank you all for your active participation and insights. If you have additional feedback or ideas, please feel free to reach out. I look forward to our continued collaboration and seeing you at future events.
For more information or to suggest an event, contact us at poultryhub@une.edu.au.
