CONFERENCE PROGRAM & SPEAKERS
The event brings together industry experts offering inspiring and innovative content celebrating the PEOPLE behind the PLACES. Immerse yourself with a full day of keynotes, panel sessions and presentations.
A detailed program and overview of the speakers can be viewed here.
And don’t forget the Awards of Excellence Cocktail Function to celebrate the best in in industry!
MEET THE SPEAKERS
ROGER RASHEED - KEYNOTE
Tennis Star, World #1 Coach and Founder of Roger Rasheed Foundation. Roger spent his young life learning the values of hard work and commitment through the actions of his parents. They built a family culture that has forever been driven into Roger’s personal and professional life. They taught Roger that being passionate about what you do will allow you to generate opportunities, that’s how Roger lives his life. Roger’s love for sport was obvious at a young age. Football was his sport of choice at age five and he quickly became a player on the radar of two major AFL clubs in his teens. Tennis arrived at age 12, playing a school tournament and winning started Roger’s tennis journey. At 16 Roger qualified for the Australian Open as the youngest person in history, a feat only to be eclipsed by a player he would go on and coach, Lleyton Hewitt. Roger then moved into the Australian Institute of Sport. Roger spent the next six to seven years dealing with a crippling back / spinal injury which thew his career into one of extreme adversity. The challenges were daily. In 1992 the time came to take the strong medical advice given, he retired to save any future, permanent, crippling injuries that would effect his daily life. The next decade was dedicated to coaching & elite sports education. Roger created a successful fitness business, coached sports teams and developed his tennis coaching brand while training elite juniors and guiding young professionals. Roger started on the ATP Tour in 2002 with Australia’s great Lleyton Hewitt. They worked together until 2007. From 2008 to 2011 Rasheed coached French acrobat Gael Monfils to a career high no. 7. Roger then went on to coach another French star in Jo-Wilfred Tsonga with success followed by the young talent of Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov which he transformed into a top 8 player, winning 4 titles in the first 12 months and giving Dimitrov a taste of Grand Slam success for the first time with a quarter final appearance in Australia and a Wimbledon semi finals appearance in 2014. He is a highly respected international tennis coach as well as a physical strength/conditioner coach who believes in treating your tennis environment at the elite level as an A LIST business, leaving nothing behind while you work on achieving your own personal greatness. Roger frequently works as an expert commentator at the Grand Slams for the Ch 7 network in Australia and frequently appears on the Tennis Channel in the USA. His media presence continues all year round via multi radio networks in Australia and around the globe. Roger is the founder of the Roger Rasheed Sports Foundation – saving kids lives through the medicine of sport. Roger resides in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia and is a father to his daughter India Rasheed.
Blake Cochrane, Sport4All
Blake Cochrane OAM PLY is the Queensland and Norther Territory State Manager of the Sport4All program. Blake is an Australian Paralympic swimmer whose career spanned over 14 years on the Australian Swim Team. During this time, Blake attended 4 Paralympics, 4 commonwealth games and 5 world championships. The 13-time Australian champion made his debut at Beijing Paralympics in 2008 aged 17 and went on medal at every international appearance between 2008 and 2022 including 2 gold medals at the London 2012 Paralympics. Blake has since retired from swimming and now focuses on his role with Sport4All, developing relationships with local councils, state sporting bodies and other regional organisations to deliver the program across Queensland and the Northern Territory, giving people with disability the choice and control to participate across all roles in sport, when, where and how they choose.
Jeremy O'Sullivan, Sport4All
Thomas Savaiinea, Sport4All
Thomas Savaiinea is an Inclusion Coach with the Sport4All program located at Alice Springs Town Council. Thomas has been living and working in Alice Springs within the disability sector for the past 9 years. Alice Springs is an amazing community, combined with the beautiful landscapes and the wonderful culture experience of not only the people of this land but also the multicultural backgrounds of people from all over the world living in Alice Springs. The opportunity to work with people with disabilities in Alice has been very humbling and feel truly blessed, and to able to assist in creating inclusion and acceptance within our sporting community is an area that we want to achieve and succeed in.
Michaela Banks, Two Way Street
Michaela Banks, General Manager, Two Way Street. Two Way Street provides inclusive communication consultation services with a strong focus on enhancing the participation of people with communication difficulties within all environments. Our motivation is to ensure that a communication difficulty does not prevent someone from expressing their own thoughts, opinions and preferences. Michaela is a passionate advocate and speaker encouraging the adoption of equitable solutions and universal design to create inclusive communities where everyone can thrive.
Janelle Arbon, JPE Design Studio
Janelle Arbon, PhD, Senior Associate & Discipline Lead, JPE Design Studio. JPE Design Studio is an architecture, interior design, landscape architecture and urban design practice proudly based in Adelaide. Our experience spans across a broad range of sectors and where project opportunities present themselves for us to add value and positively contribute to the community and built environment. Our philosophy is one of team collaboration and to facilitate creative, sustainable, and meaningful outcomes for the end users. We believe that an interactive approach to design and problem solving enhances design outcomes through our inclusive and multi-disciplinary design model. Janelle Arbon, PhD, is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects, AILA SA Chapter President, and Senior Associate with JPE Design Studio in Adelaide. She is an award-winning landscape architect with over 17 years’ professional experience working on multi-disciplinary public realm projects, in private practice and public sectors.
Jodie Freund, Office for Recreation, Sport & Racing
Jodie Freund is currently the Principal Project Officer at the Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing in South Australia, with over 20 years’ experience working in the sport and recreation industry. Jodie is a dedicated professional with extensive experience ranging from State Sporting Organisations to State and Federal Government, and in multiple volunteer roles as coach and committee member. Jodie was part of the team to deliver The Power of Her women’s leadership symposium in August 2023, that looked to create change through harnessing power for gender equality. Her current focus area is supporting the Women in Sport Taskforce to address issues inhibiting South Australian women and girls participating fully in their sporting passions.
Tobias Volbert, 7 Senses Foundation
Tobias Volbert is a Landscape Architect and play space expert, specialising in sensory park and playground design. With a degree in landscape architecture and open space planning, his focus includes sustainable development, environment, permaculture, biological engineering, and community participation. Currently, Tobias serves as a Play Consultant and Landscape Architect at Urban Play, where he contributes to research-backed playground designs, encouraging intergenerational play for all ages and abilities. Additionally, he is a co-founder and spokesperson for the 7 Senses Foundation, dedicated to creating healthier and happier neighbourhoods and cities through projects that engage our 7 human senses.
Tara Graham-Cochrane, Therapeutic Horticulture Australia
Tara Graham-Cochrane, an award-winning Landscape Architect, brings over 20 years of expertise in shaping transformative environments across Australia's private and public sectors. Renowned for her exceptional work in healing and therapeutic landscapes, Tara champions the idea that well-designed physical spaces can alleviate stress, enhance health, and elevate overall well-being. In 2022, she joined Tract, marking a dynamic transition after 14 years as the Director of Designwell Landscape Architects. Her tenure there specialised in pioneering therapeutic and biophilic designs for the healthcare, aged care, disability, and education sectors. Tara's innovative vision continues to shape landscapes that prioritise health, wellbeing and connection to nature. Tara has spread her passion for enabling people to connect with nature through therapeutic horticulture through being a founding member and is the recent Past President of Therapeutic Horticulture Australia. THA is strongly active in bringing together the therapeutic horticulture community across Australia. Prior to THA forming, Tara was President of Horticultural Therapy S.A which was a subgroup of PLA SA/NT.
Brenton Grear, Green Adelaide
Brenton Grear is the Director, Green Adelaide in the Department for Environment and Water. Green Adelaide is a Landscape Board that has been formed to provide leadership for urban sustainability and climate-resilience. Brenton’s role is leading the organisation that supports the Board to deliver key priorities related to greening, urban water management, rewilding, nature education and coastal management.
Callum Warner, ActiveXchange
Callum has background in the sport and government industries, having worked in State Government, State Sporting Organisations and Local Government in Western Australia, as well as time in the University sector both in Australia and Canada. His vast experience in physical activity and facility programming as well as infrastructure planning places him in a great position to understand the needs of government organisations and community.
Rusty Eckert, President Adelaide University Sharks
Rusty Eckert is the current President of the Adelaide University Sharks Rugby team and has been a player since its creation in 2019 as part of the Adelaide University Rugby Union Football Club. The Adelaide Uni Sharks exist in Adelaide to provide a safe and inclusive space for members of the LGBTQI+ community to either try rugby for the first time, or return to a sport they once loved. As President, Rusty spends his time building visibility and sustainability for queer rugby in Adelaide. A major focus for the Sharks is to connect with the wider community and build a diverse, inclusive, and safe sports scene in Adelaide for the LGBTQI community.
Ben Luppino, DesignInc
Ben is a Director at DesignInc. A registered architect with expertise in the design of public infrastructure including community centres, aquatic, sporting and leisure facilities, defence, education and transport. Ben’s focus is on addressing social needs and creating spaces that provide opportunities for inclusion. This drives his passion for technical problem-solving and designing for the community to provide positive outcomes for a diverse range of end users.
Brendan Shone, President Adelaide Dolphins Swim Team
Brendan Shone serves as the President of the Adelaide Dolphins, established in March 2023 as South Australia's inaugural LGBTQIA+ swim team. Our organisation prioritises honing swimming skills, engaging in club competitions across SA with the guidance of Master Swimmers, and fostering a supportive social atmosphere. In his capacity as President, Brendan is tasked with fostering the ongoing development of the team while maintaining a commitment to elevating swimming proficiency and cultivating an inclusive environment where LGBTQIA+ communities feel embraced and empowered to participate in aquatic activities.
John Cranwell, CEO, Active Inclusion
John has been the Chief Executive Officer for Active Inclusion for 12 years and has a long history in sport, disability and inclusion. He is a passionate administrator who strongly believes in the power of sport to build strong communities and create opportunities to be included. In recent years, John and Active Inclusion, have had a strong focus on inclusive design in recreation facilities and positive menstruation practices in sport. In his spare time he is the President of Surfing SA and a father of three girls who keep his life fun and busy.
Tony Craswell, Head of Venue Development, Golf Australia
Tony Craswell has over 30 years’ experience in the golf Industry as a member of the PGA of Australia. The Head Professional at Latrobe Golf Club in Melbourne, the build of a purpose-built short course enabled a large uptake of golf by people that were not previously predisposed to golf. The shift in demographics on the short course to females and juniors was significant. Tony works for Golf Australia to bring this experience to venues to expand the benefits of golf throughout communities.
Dr. Brad Stenner, Academic and Researcher, Alliance for Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), University of South Australia, Allied Health and Human Performance
Dr Stenner is a sport and health researcher within ARENA (Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity). He is the Australian lead researcher for golf and health and a contributor to the Golf and Health group, a worldwide research group conducting high quality research to evidence the impact of golf on health and wellbeing. Dr Stenner is a member of the research advisory group for EDGA (European Disability Golf Association) contributing to the broader project of inclusive and all abilities golf and classification of disability for golf’s bid for inclusion in the Paralympics 2032.