Welcome
On behalf of the Protected Cropping Australia (PCA) Board I am delighted to invite you to attend the Costa PCA Conference 2019. The Costa PCA Conference 2019 will be held at The Star Gold Coast, Australia on 7 - 10 July 2019.
We are anticipating 500 + delegates to attend and the event will include many of the key decision makers from the industry. The greenhouse industry covers a wide sector of horticulture from fruit, vegetables, cut flowers, nursery, leafy greens, aquaponics and marijuana industries. It is valued at more than $1.6 billion per year. PCA is the peak industry body representing commercial hydroponic and greenhouse growers Australia wide as well as having a wide international following.
PCA members also include equipment and installation suppliers, specialist consultants and advisors, researchers and educators. PCA has had an enviable track report of hosting well attended conferences since 1990. For our 2019 conference our theme will be: Seduction by Technology, Knowledge Exchange for Greenhouse Growers.
Nicky Mann
Chair, Protected Cropping
Accommodation
Accommodation has been reserved at The Star - Gold Coast with special conference rates when booked through All Occasions Group. Rooms are limited and allocation will be strictly on a first-come first-served basis. The Conference cannot guarantee availability of your required dates so we encourage that you book your accommodation as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. All accommodation bookings must be received by the Conference Organisers to utilise these special rates. All accommodation booking require a valid credit card to be provided at the time of the booking to secure the room. PCA Accommodation Terms and Conditions
TO BOOK please email your accommodation requirements to the All Occasions Group
via conference@aomevents.com p: 08 8125 2200.
Conference Program
Click HERE to download the 2019 PCA Conference Program
*The Program is subject to change, at the discretion of the 2019 PCA Conference Organising Committee
Top speaker line-up for medicinal cannabis session MEDICINAL CANNABIS IS AN EMERGING INDUSTRY FOR PROTECTED CROPPING AROUND THE WORLD AND A FOCUS FOR THIS YEAR’S PCA CONFERENCE.
CLICK HERE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.Conference Speakers
Meiny Prins
Meiny Prins is CEO and co-owner of Priva. In this position, she was proclaimed Business Woman of the Year 2009 and received the first CleanTech Star of WNF (World Wildlife Fund) for Priva.
Priva is a high-tech company that develops hardware, software and services in the field of climate control, energy saving and optimal reuse of water. Priva’s market covers the fields of horticulture, indoor and city farming, and utility buildings such as offices, retail, hotels and hospitals.
Ashley Walmsley
For more than a decade, Ashley Walmsley has written about Australian agriculture.
Having grown up on his parents' mixed farming property in Queensland, it was a natural progression for him to pursue a career writing about rural industries.
He is currently the editor of Nine's only national, fresh produce magazine, Good Fruit & Vegetables.
Andy Lee
Andy joined Grodan in 2000 as a crop consultant. He is a regular speaker at industry conferences and grower events. He has published numerous research reports as well crop technical articles which have appeared in horticultural trade magazines throughout the world. Andy’s unique position allows him to stay close to the leading edge developments in Europe. In 2009 Andy founded and still chairs the “Green Expert Platform” – a knowledge exchange forum for internationally recognised greenhouse crop consultants and industry specialists. Since 2017 Andy has been helping Grodan shape its vision for data driven Precision Growing.
Paul Eitzen
Paul Eitzen is the Commercial Manager for Yara Australia, the leading global premium fertiliser manufacturer. Paul has over 25 years of experience in the Australian horticultural industry, including 14 years growing citrus, apricots and vegetables, and in the last 12 years as a Sales Agronomist and Commercial Manager for Yara Australia.
Paul gained a passion for hydroponics while working with growers in the Virginia area of South Australia. He is also highly trained in hydroponics technology at Yara’s renowned research and training centre in Vlaardingen, The Netherlands.
Emily Rigby
Emily Rigby is a horticultural research scientist who has been working in the field of Medical Cannabis since legislative changes came into effect in 2016. Emily is Director of Research & Compliance for Cannatrek and Director of Research Programs for the AIMC – Australian Institute for Medical Cannabis Inc. Her expertise include cultivation methods, regulatory compliance, licensing and permit applications, facility design, patient access, education and research from seed to patient.
Prior to working in the field of Medical Cannabis, Emily worked in ornamental horticulture. Emily’s background consists of over 10 years of horticultural research, with expertise including scientific research, protected cropping, nursery and plantation management, post-harvest technology, export market access and new product development.
Tristan Kitchener is an ex-retailer, having previously held senior positions with Sainsbury’s (UK) and Coles supermarkets, and is now a management consultant providing advice and support along the grocery value chain, from major retailers through to manufacturers and primary producers. Tristan has a focus upon fresh foods and was the Group Merchandise Manager, Fresh Produce, at Coles Supermarkets (2005-09).
Tristan has his own consulting business, Kitchener Partners Pty Ltd, focused upon providing strategic and advisory support. Increasingly Tristan assists businesses understand the implications of the changing retail and consumer environment, and helps identify solutions to key business challenges.
Conference Venue
The Star Gold Coast
One of Australia’s largest residential conferencing properties, the Pavilion Convention Centre at The Star Gold Coast can host up to 2,300 guests in the heart of a fully integrated resort. Just a few hundred metres from the iconic beaches of the Gold Coast, with seven restaurants, five bars and a world class casino and theatre, the convention facilities include a 1,600m2 ballroom, 500m2 gallery, stunning 1,000m2 permanent marquee and almost 600 accommodation rooms. Whether it be a poolside welcome cocktail event, AV displays that deliver impact or breakout rooms turned over in mere minutes; the highly experienced and trained Event Services team are experts in delivering major events that will have guests ‘star’ struck.
Partnership and Exhibition
The Costa PCA Conference 2019 offers an excellent opportunity for your organisation to be represented. Please follow the link below to download the Partnership Brochure.
Naming Rights Partner
Costa is Australia’s leading grower, packer and marketer of premium quality fresh fruit & vegetables. Our five core produce categories include berries, mushrooms, glasshouse tomatoes, citrus and avocado and our operations include approximately 3,500 planted hectares of farmland, 30 hectares of glasshouse facilities and seven mushroom growing facilities across Australia. We aim to provide the best quality produce to the end consumer; from farm gate to customer.
Premium Conference Partners
Conference Partners
Exhibitors
| A & D | Foyer | Kekkila-BVB Australia Pty Ltd | 10 | |
| A1 Growsystems | 79 | KG Greenhouses & KG Systems | 49 | |
| Agspec Aust Pty Ltd | 17 | Ludvig Svensson BV | 42 | |
| Agvita Analytical | 52 | Madec Australia | 55 | |
| AIS Greenworks | 63 | Metazet FormFlex | 57 | |
| Apex Greenhouses | 46 | Munters | 28 | |
| Argus Controls | 31 | Owen Pacific Workforce P/L | 6 | |
| Autogrow | 15 | P.R.E. Solutions / Hoogendoorn | 25 | |
| BASF | 67 | Pacer Profiles | 75 | |
| BBC Technologies | 13 | Perfection Fresh | 40 | |
| Beijing Kingpeng International Agriculture Corporation | 70 | PIC PLAST Ltd | 81 | |
| Beijing Sangreen International Agritech Co., Ltd. | 3 | Powerplants Australia | 43 | |
| Biological Services | 74 | Propak Industries | 30 | |
| Bluelab Corporation Ltd. | 7 | PropTec | 18 | |
| BOC | 64 | Protected Cropping Australia | 80 | |
| Brinkman Australia | 47 | Redpath Greenhouses | 16 | |
| Costa Group | 51 | ReduSystems | 62 | |
| Cravo | 45 | Richel Group | 38 | |
| Dosec Design | 69 | Rijk Zwaan | 19 | |
| E.E. Muir & Sons Pty Ltd | 58 | Rivulis | 27 | |
| Eco Trellis | 68 | Seasol International P/L | 34 | |
| Ecomix Australia | 77 | De Ruiter / Seminis | 4 | |
| Elite Tunnels Ltd / Polygro / RKW Hyplast | 53 | Shimadzu | 39 | |
| ENEgrow | 2 | Signify - Horticulture LED Solutions | 61 | |
| Fluence BY OSRAM | 78 | Stoller Australia | 44 | |
| FTEK | 26 | Syngenta | 56 | |
| Garden City Plastics | 9 | Taks Handling Systems BV | 24 | |
| GreenLIfe Structures | 1 | The Yield | 22 | |
| Haifa Australia Pty Ltd | 32 | Toro Australia | 23 | |
| Haygrove / Galuku / Plant Logic | 33 | Transplant Systems | 65 | |
| Hortraco Trading & Viscon Australia | 11 | Van der Hoeven Horticultural Projects BV | 59 | |
| Indicated Technology | 8 | Western Sydney University | 54 | |
| Innako Australia | 71 | Yara Australia | 21 |
Destination Gold Coast
The attractions of the Gold Coast bring smiles to people of all ages and stages. With exhilarating rides, exotic animals and endless waterslides to help you cool off on hot summer days, the Gold Coast offers a full spectrum of interactive entertainment - from dazzling big budget theme parks to small, hilariously kitsch museums and natural attractions, the Gold Coast is an ideal holiday destination.
For further information please visit Destination Gold Coast
Contact Us
Please contact the Conference Organiser with any queries:
All Occasions Group
12 Stirling Street
Thebarton, SA, 5031 Australia
P: +61 8125 2200
E: conference@aomevents.com
www.alloccasionsgroup.com