CONVERGE ESPERANCE 2025
Thanks for joining us at Converge Esperance 2025!
Thanks for joining us at Converge Esperance 2025. Event photos can be viewed here.
Overview
Converge Esperance 2025 is a two-day business and industry forum, hosted by the ECCI and the GEDC. The event profiles the region’s major industry sectors, small business and future economic opportunities and includes a conference, industry tours, workshops, sundowners and networking opportunities. The event is open to everyone – local, intra and inter-state – interested in business and the economy in Esperance and the south-east region.
Save the Date: 31st July & 1st August 2025
Location: Esperance, WA
-
Thursday 31 July 2025 – Industry Tour, Agtech Workshops and 2025 Launch Sundowner
Kick-start your Converge Esperance 2025 experience by choosing between one of two streams, followed by a 2025 Welcome Sundowner for all Converge attendees.
Venue: Esperance Bay Yacht Club
Attendees can choose between:
- Agricultural industry tour & workshops, 8:00-5:00pm
- Esperance key industries tour, 12:00-5:00pm.
STREAM 1 – AGRICULTURE – 8:00am-5:00pm
Facilitated by SPAA, EZI & GRDC Grain Automate Program
AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY TOUR
Departing/returning to Esperance Bay Yacht Club
- Onfarm automation demonstrations
- Snail cameras
- Nuffield scholar recap
- Brewery tour
AGTECH WORKSHOPS
Presented by Bindi Isbister, Agrarian Management
- Boundary Mapping
- VRT Implementation
- On-farm experimentation
STREAM 2 – INDUSTRY – 12:00pm-5:00pm
KEY INDUSTRIES TOUR
Departing/returning to Esperance Bay Yacht Club
- Tourism providers
- New agritourism accommodation
- Boutique olive oil factory
- Leading retail construction
- Native title programs and projects
WELCOME SUNDOWNER – 5:00pm
Sponsored by SPAA, EZI & GRDC Grain Automate Program
-
Friday 1 August 2025 – Conference and Wrap Up Sundowner
Join us for an inspiring conference program featuring local, intra and inter-state speakers, industry leaders and key note specialists from across Australia. The Converge conference will deliver thought-provoking presentations and contemporary economic and business outlooks for the year ahead.
Venue: Esperance Civic Centre
7:00am Registration and Coffee
8:00am Opening Address
- Welcome to Country
8:15am Morning Session
- Global economic trends and change
- Workforce: talent and migration
- The latest in current and emerging industries
10:00am Morning Tea
10:30am Mid Morning Session
- Trending global retail
- Scaling ecommerce
- Product innovation
12:15pm Lunch
1:15pm After Lunch Session
- Retail strategies for business growth
- Value of the visitor economy
2:45pm Afternoon Tea
3:15pm Afternoon Session
- Business health and prosperity
- Driving economic growth for regional communities
4:15pm Closing Address
4:30pm Meet-the-Maker Sundowner
- Featuring Laurens Larder, Lucky Bay Brewing, Esperance Distillery Co & Condingup Vineyard
Discover keynote speakers, panelists, themes, topics and the schedule for Converge Esperance in our Event Program below.
Who should attend?
Converge Esperance is suited to a broad range of stakeholders including Esperance and regional business owners, industry leaders and managers, primary producers, not-for-profits, investors, planners and policy makers, trade organisations, government agencies and regional advocates.
Key topics for Converge Esperance 2025
- Economic outlook and global market updates
- Retail and hospitality trends
- Business challenges and trends
- Value adding to agribusiness and tourism
- Planning for business success and growth
- Technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Local sector updates – agriculture, retail, tourism and industry
Meet the Converge Esperance 2025 Presenters
More presenters to be announced soon.
Sam Collins, Head of Economics, Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA (CCIWA)
Sam has extensive experience in investment and economics, gained from his role as an investment analyst with Willis Towers Watson and in his current role as Head of Economics with CCIWA. Sam will provide an update on the global economy and discuss what this means for the
Esperance community and our businesses.
Trent Rigby, Director, Retail Oasis
Trent is a leading retail strategist who works with brands to navigate shifting consumer trends and business challenges. He has experience working with many renowned brands including Akubra, Commonwealth Bank, Nespresso and Paspaley. At Converge Esperance, Trent will explore global retail insights and lead discussions on how to capitalise on these trends as a small business in regional Australia.
Estelle Madaffari, Founder, Merre Granola
Estelle is a farmer near Merredin in the WA Wheatbelt, where she farms with her children and husband, Paul. A mission to eat more of the world-class produce at their backdoor led Estelle to create Merre Granola – a thriving granola brand using 100% Australian ingredients. Estelle will share the challenges she has faced, the advantages and opportunities of running a business from regional WA and her experience with product development.
Kia Buckley, Director & Founder, Kikiva Collection
Kia is the founder of Kikiva Collection, a multi seven-figure e-commerce brand that was started from her home garage and driven by a dream to create affordable, high quality activewear accessible to everyone. An Esperance local now based in Perth, Kia will share her journey on starting a small business, unpack how she scaled her niche activewear brand and built a loyal community and customer base.
Kitty Prodonovich, RCCIWA – Master of Ceremonies
Having owned businesses in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Kitty has hands on experience on what it’s like to be a small business owner in the regions. Former President of both the RCCIWA and Kalgoorlie-Boulder Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KBCCI) and former Chair of the Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC), Kitty’s wealth of experience positions her to be an impactful and relatable advocate for regional small business. Kitty is an experienced host for large scale events and is the MC for Converge Esperance 2025.
Tamara Virgo, Director & Financial Advisor, TV Financial Services
Known far and wide in the Esperance community, Tamara is a trusted financial advisor supporting regional clients with tailored wealth and business strategies. She will speak on financial wellbeing, business health, steps to take when in financial strife and how to achieve long-term financial resilience.
Kris Starcevich, CEO, Goldfields-Esperance Development Commission
Kris works across government and industry to deliver economic development initiatives for the Goldfields-Esperance region. With a dynamic background across education, mining and community engagement, Kris brings a people-focused approach to driving regional development. He will join the ECCI and Shire of Esperance on a panel discussing regional growth, small business support and local innovation.
Shane Liddelow, Manager Economic Development, Shire of Esperance
Shane manages the Shire’s strategic focus on economic development, investment attraction and community growth. He will discuss the initiatives shaping Esperance’s local economy and opportunities for future industry collaboration on a panel alongside the ECCI and GEDC.
Tim Napoleao, Acting Assistant Director, Department of Home Affairs
Tim is the Acting Assistant Director of Business, Industry and Regional Outreach in WA for the Immigration Outreach and Engagement Branch of the Department of Home Affairs. The Department plays a key role in Australia’s skilled migration and workforce policy, helping shape pathways for regional labour attraction. Tim will share insights into how migration policy is evolving and the opportunities it presents for businesses navigating workforce shortages, particularly around skilled migration.
Lise Williams, Acting Manager Migration Services, Department of Training & Workforce Development
Lise plays a key role in delivering the Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA). The DAMA provides access to a wider range of overseas workers than the standard skill migration program. Following the extension of the DAMA in the Goldfields-Esperance region last year, Lise will discuss what this means for businesses in the area and how they can make the most of the opportunity.
Bindi Isbister, Precision Agriculture Specialist, Agrarian Management
Bindi supports farmers across WA to integrate precision agriculture and make data-informed decisions. Bindi is the mastermind behind the GrainAutomate program and will be delivering the AgTech workshops on Day 1 of Converge Esperance.
Keith Wilks, CEO, Southern Ports
Keith leads operations across the Southern Ports network including the regional ports of Esperance, Albany and Bunbury. He will provide an update on major infrastructure projects, the new Southern Ports Strategic Plan and how investment in Esperance Port is supporting regional economic growth.
Annabelle Hender, Tourism Development Manager – Esperance, Australia’s Golden Outback
Annabelle focuses on developing initiatives that drive sustainable development of the tourism sector in Esperance and the South Coast. With over 20 years’ experience in the tourism industry across Australia, Annabelle brings with her dynamic ideas and approaches to combating some of the biggest issues surrounding tourism. At Converge Esperance Annabelle will explore the value of the tourism economy to Esperance and how we can balance social, environmental and economic factors.
Raymond Macdonald, CEO, Western Green Energy Hub
Raymond is leading the development of the Western Green Energy Hub – one of the world’s largest renewable energy developments at Eucla on the South Coast of WA. He will speak on the long-term opportunities for regional WA in the global green energy transition and what this means for our communities.
Saj Abdoolakhan, Small Business Commissioner, Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC)
Saj is the newly appointed CEO and Small Business Commissioner for the Small Business Development Commission. Bringing with him experience from many high level roles across government departments, Saj will share valuable insights to businesses from his experience in compliance and safety. He will discuss the role the SBDC plays in supporting small business and some of the resources available.
Jennifer Obourne, Executive Officer, Esperance Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ECCI)
Jennifer leads ECCI’s work supporting small business and driving regional advocacy. She will sit on a panel alongside Saj Abdoolakan, SBDC Commissioner and discuss the ECCI’s role as the region’s SBDC service provider including free and low cost services available to those wanting to start a business and those in business that may be seeking advice or guidance.
Sponsorship Opportunities
The ECCI invites business and industry to support Converge Esperance as a sponsor. This is a fantastic opportunity to elevate your brand and connect with local businesses and industry professionals. Download the Sponsorship Prospectus below for further information and contact the ECCI to discuss the sponsorship opportunities available.
Sponsorship Prospectus Sponsorship Application Form
Jennifer Obourne, Executive Officer, ECCI
0415 707 077
eo@esperancecci.com.au
Subsidised Tickets for Not-for-Profits
- Must be an employee, committee or board member of a not-for-profit organisation
- Ticket limit of one (1) subsidised ticket per organisation
- Based in the Ravensthorpe, Esperance or Dundas regions
- Can demonstrate the benefit to your organisation by attending the event.
Please complete the form below and the ECCI will respond shortly to your request. Conditions apply, see form for details.
Apply for Subsidised NFP Tickets
Register now for Converge Esperance 2025
Registrations for Converge Esperance are now open, with tickets on a strictly first come first served basis. Secure your place at Esperance’s must attend business and industry forum.
