2027 Agenda

We’ve all heard the sayings: no reward without risk, no pain, no gain, and growth starts where comfort ends. They sound simple enough, but they’re much harder to live by when you’re balancing career ambitions with external pressures, expectations, and the responsibilities you carry for others. 

So, what does it really mean to back yourself? 

• What changes when you stop waiting for permission and start pursuing the career and opportunities you want? 

• Failure and challenge are inevitable. How do you build the resilience to learn from setbacks, adapt, and keep moving forward? 

• What becomes possible when you stand firmly in your values and advocate for yourself and others? 

• Recognising that leadership is something you continuously develop and not a tick box exercise 

• A glimpse into the future of food, discover the trends, technologies and consumer shifts that are shaping what we eat next. 

• Behind-the-scenes insight into innovation, learn how ideas move from concept to product, including the experimentation, challenges and creativity involved. 

• A deeper understanding of changing consumer expectations, explore how health, sustainability, convenience and culture are influencing food choices. 

Throughout the break, you’ll find optional discussion prompts designed to spark meaningful conversations and help break the ice. More than ever people must recognize and advocate for their value and contributions 

• What’s something or somewhere you lead that isn’t in your job description? 

• What’s one thing you stopped doing when you realised it wasn’t serving you? 

• When did you first back yourself before someone else did?  

• How do we become better at advocating for each other?  

Small-group casual discussions and practical examples covering:

Roundtable 1: Become visible – Speaking up before you feel ready & making your work visible

Roundtable 2: Navigate difficult conversations – Confidence, boundaries, feedback & advocating for yourself

Roundtable 3: Negotiate your future – Salary, resources, career opportunities & stakeholder influence

Roundtable 4: Doing to delegating – Shifting from individual contributor to empowering others & influencing across teams

Dismantling stigma through education and honest conversation in a safe and encouraging environment. Sharing best practices for yourself and for organisations to support well being and further long-term business performance 

Topics include: 

• Menopause  

• Menstrual health   

• Energy management  

• Psychological safety  

For decades, some capabilities have been viewed as “soft”, secondary or part of the background work that keeps organisations moving: creativity, communication, relationship-building, and critical thinking. These skills cannot be commoditized under an AI policy. 

• What are organisations prioritising in hiring, succession planning, and leadership development? 

• How to foster your skills alongside AI tools 

• How to demonstrate your contributions aside from the numbers  

Many companies have maintained their DEI initiatives and demonstrate the ROI of these policies, but workplace culture is also shaped by personal beliefs and unconscious behaviours. It begs two questions: how do women continue to support and advocate for each other, and how do we bring allies into the conversation as active participants rather than bystanders? 

• How are digital culture and social media influencing the workplace? 

• Recognising and addressing where ideas like “fairness”, “logic”, or “merit” are covertly used to silence and dismiss others 

• The role of allies in modelling healthy behaviour to challenge harmful narratives 

• Building solidarity and community to create supportive networks 

• What defines a high-performing team and the people that lead them? 

• Understanding how leaders build trust, alignment, and accountability when teams are distributed across locations and time zones 

• Sharing practical strategies for communicating effectively, adapting leadership styles, and creating connection across diverse team 

Join us as we celebrate the remarkable people transforming the food and agriculture industry. This award ceremony honours their dedication, innovation, and leadership in driving change across the sector. Accolades to be awarded include:

• Mentor of the Year Award
• Mentee of the Year Award
• Male Ally of the Year Award
• Initiative of the Year Award
• Leader of the Year Award