NSW hosts sell out Thriving Women 2023 Conference
You can now listen to back to ABC NSW Country Hour, who broadcast from the Thriving Women Conference on Day 2.
The highly anticipated Thriving Women Conference was held from 13 -15 August in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, the first time the event has been held outside of South Australia. Hosted by WoTL, the program featured an impressive lineup of presenters including high-profile keynote speaker Leigh Sales AM (pictured).
A sell-out event, over 200 delegates gathered at Charles Sturt University for two days of insightful, thought-provoking, and inspiring presentations and networking. This year’s conference theme of Growing and Inspiring Women Connected Through Agriculture focused on the critical role women play in primary production, natural resource management and rural communities.
Leigh Sales gript the audience with her highly engaging and down to earth discussion focussed on the importance of storytelling. The award-winning author and journalist shared many insights into her personal and professional career with many stories resonating strongly with the captivated audience
Olympia Yarger, CEO of Canberra based waste management technology company Goterra, and Jane Cay, Founder of online fashion business, birdsnest, were also featured in the program.
Yarger, the 2023 ACT Australian of the Year, shared a high energy presentation about her innate love of farming and broad life experiences and how it paved the way to building infrastructure to solve the food waste crisis on a global scale.
Cay, who hails from the Monaro, shared her experiences running an online fashion store in a rural town where she now employs 150 locals. Her passion to cultivate a workplace that draws people from the city to the country has led birdsnest to feature twice in the Top 10 Places to Work in Australia.
Common themes from all three diverse presentations included the importance of kindness and authenticity.
An important component of the Thriving Women Conference Program was the five “Toolbox Talk” sessions run across the two days. Each session offered delegates a choice of three concurrent presentations to select from, most suited to their needs.
“From sharing real and raw experiences of a business start-up, to managing on-farm finances, farm safety awareness and tip and tricks to becoming a better leader, all presenters were well versed in the realities of women living and working in agricultural communities,” explains Thriving Women 2023 Conference Co-Convenor and Booligal farmer, Sandra Ireson.
“Conference delegates all have a connection to agriculture, whether they be farmers, provide an agricultural service, live on -farm or in an agricultural community or have a passion for supporting rural women and we wanted to make sure we covered topics that would be relevant, inspiring and thought-provoking.”
“This event had impact on rural women who travelled from throughout NSW to attend, and also from across Australia.”
Chairperson of WoTL, Susie Green, understands the impact of this event.
“WoTL was established in 2017 with a mission to grow and inspire women in agribusiness. After delivering three successful conferences in South Australia, where feedback from participants has been consistently and overwhelmingly positive, WoTL is thrilled to have had the opportunity to bring this event to New South Wales”, explained Green.
“Rural women play a critical role in our vision of a thriving agricultural industry. Events like Thriving Women provide a unique opportunity for rural women to invest time in themselves and their own development in a supportive environment.”
Thriving Women brings together people connected through agriculture and has been run in South Australia in 2018, 2020 and 2022. The event was held in NSW for the first time in 2023.
The Thriving Women 2024 Conference will be held at the Adelaide Hills Convention Centre, Hahndorf, South Australia from the 12 – 13 August 2024.
