Program
The Future Campus team are aiming to bring you the year’s best Australasian conference on HE marketing and comms and operational use of AI in the sector.
The HE FEST 24 conference, to be held in Adelaide on 12-13 September aims to be an event with a difference – we want every session to be one that you don’t want to miss. Of course there will be plenty of time to catch up with colleagues over coffee, but we are setting out to create conversations that you won’t want to miss.
We will be bringing mostly facilitated interviews, panel discussions and some straight presentations, giving you a chance to join the conversation at every turn.
Future Campus hosts Stephen Matchett and Tim Winkler will work to shape relevant, insightful discussions around each topic, extracting insights and key takeaways from speakers drawn from across the sector (and beyond).
The conference will focus on two themes, Advancement; and the practical application of AI across institutions. These topics were each chosen because we believe they are key to not only surviving but having capacity to thrive in times of great change – and we also believe they have been not discussed enough across the sector over the past year (with the exception of AI in learning and teaching and assessment, which has been canvassed widely, and won’t be a strong focus of our program).
This is a conference that goes beyond the interests of those with advancement or AI in their job titles, to the challenges and opportunities facing every staff member, and the strategies they can employ at a time of great change.
We are really excited by the line up of speakers below. Many more speakers, including some shortlisted finalists from the Future Campus 2024 Awards will also join the program.
The Conference Dinner will be a conference highlight, featuring the presentation of the Future Campus Awards and extensive opportunities to network with colleagues from across the sector.
Speaker | You know them from | Topics |
|---|---|---|
Xavier Amouroux | Executive Director of Marketing and Communication at QUT | New Drivers – Insights into the changing face of domestic demand |
Karen Ashford | Media and Communications expert from Flinders University | Remaining Real – The enhanced and enduring value of human spontaneity and voice in an increasingly AI-saturated world
|
Professor Rufus Black | VC and President of UTAS | Keynote |
Bev Bury | Chief Marketing Officer at Flinders University | Brand and Customer Experience |
Ant Bagshaw | Executive Director of the ATN | May you live in Interesting Times – Challenges for the sector, with insights on key pressure points and opportunities,
|
David Coltman | CEO of TAFESA | A seamless sector? Accord implications for TAFE and HE
|
Associate Professor Michael Cowling | AI and technology application expert and Associate Professor of Engineering & Technology at CQU | Beyond Policing Cheating – Considerations of AI use across your uni
|
Sarah Cutbush | CMO at UniSA | Creating the future – Insights from the Adelaide University merger process |
Ray Fleming | Chief Education Officer at InnovateGPT and former Google and Microsoft executive | The future of HE – The future of higher education in a world where gen AI is ubiquitous |
Ben Grindlay
| CMO from the University of Adelaide | Creating the future – Insights from the Adelaide University merger process |
Chamalee Karunanayake | Head of Customer Success at Student Garden | Authenticity in an AI world. In a world where an increasing amount of content is AI generated, there is diminishing trust in some forms of content. How do HE institutions build trust in genuine human-driven content? |
Eddie Major
| Eddie Major
AI Coordinator for Learning and Teaching, University of Adelaide | The place of AI in university
|
Stephen Matchett | Leading HE journalists from Future Campus, and Founder of Campus Morning Mail | Cut through – what works in HE comms (and what doesn’t) |
Rory McLean | Award-winning Creative Director at Adrian William responsible for cutting-edge campaigns across many sectors including HE | Storytelling, identity and results – lessons in strategic brand building and engagement |
Professor Maree Meredith | Pro Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous), University of Canberra | A million unheard voices unheard – learnings that will define whether the Accord succeeds
|
Lou Morrissey | Director, Communications and Engagement, Uni of Newcastle | Rebuilding social licence by reimagining partnerships– new approaches to community-based partnership
Pathways to Change – insights into UoN pathway programs that have caught the eye of the PM and Education Minister
|
Professor Andrew Norton | National leader in higher education policy and ANU Professor in the Practice of Higher Education | Impacts on domestic and international student enrolments as a result of changes in Federal policy.
|
Franzi Pranke | Senior Account Director – Marketing Solutions – LinkedIn – a nationally-recognised leader in social media application and trends | Social Evolution – latest trends in digital channels from the sector’s dedicated LinkedIn lead
|
Michelle Weir | CMO at UTAS | Integrating AI into marketing and recruitment activity and
Living the Dream – building alternative pathways to turn the Accord dream into reality
|
Eric Knight | Executive Dean of Macquarie Business School | Building Brand – Bringing the lens of a key emerging leader in the sector to the challenges of building brand and measurably significant engagement. |
Professor David Lloyd | Co-Vice Chancellor at Adelaide University & Chair at Universities Australia | The next 12 months – some things you need to know – Keynote address followed by Q&A |
Professor Merlin Crossley | Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Academic Quality at UNSW | Deep Insights direct from a leadership hot seat. |
Kim Paino | Chief Strategy and Engagement Officer of UAC | Student Trends – diving deep into the findings of Australia’s largest survey of year 12’s. |
Tim Winkler | Twig Marketing Director, Future Campus Editor | Social Licence – is it lost, where can we find it? Challenges for the coming election year.
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