Sydney Leadership Forum
Watersedge at Campbell's Stores
19 August 2026
11.45am to 5:00pm
A new blueprint for food manufacturing in a changing world
Australia’s food and beverage sector sits at the heart of the nation’s economy, and pressure to perform has never been greater.
Margins are tightening, input costs are volatile, and supply chains unpredictable. While many organisations have invested heavily in production capability, internal systems and processes supporting business growth need also compliment and drive innovation.
At the same time, F&B leaders are being asked to do increasingly more:
- scale into new markets
- improve yield and operational efficiency
- respond faster to demand signals
- and make sense of emerging technologies like AI, without getting lost in the noise
This exclusive half‑day event is a new, focused mini conference designed specifically for the food manufacturing industry - bringing these priorities together through:
- Perspectives from food manufacturing leaders across Australia
- Current applications of AI in operational environments
- Progress toward end-to-end traceability across the supply chain
- Examples of initiatives being implemented on the factory floor
- Opportunities to connect with peers tackling similar challenges across the sector
Across the afternoon, we’ll explore:
Innovation, beyond the buzzwords
- What does meaningful innovation look like in a margin-driven industry?
- Where are organisations investing, and how is innovation translating into operational performance and customer value?
Evolving Value Chain
Why “end-to-end visibility” is still falling short, and what it takes to turn ‘insight into action’ and connect data, systems and teams across sourcing, production and distribution to enable faster, more informed decisions.
Manufacturing of the Future
From automation to AI, what’s real, what’s hype, and how modern production environments are evolving to improve yield, quality, resilience and long-term performance.
Business Strategy in a Changing Market
How leading organisations are balancing cost, growth and operational complexity, and building more agile, resilient strategies to compete in an increasingly dynamic market.
Who should attend – and why?
If you’re responsible for strategy, operations, supply chain, finance or technology within a Food & Beverage organisation, this event will give you:
- A clearer view of where the industry is heading
- Practical insights you can take back to your organisation
- Real-world examples of transformation in action
- A network of peers facing the same challenges
Let’s face it: The future of food manufacturing isn’t just about producing more. It’s about producing smarter, and operating faster. And making better decisions, at every stage of the value chain. Join us.