After two iterations in Melbourne and one in Adelaide, AgriFutures Australia’s evokeAG. Conference crossed the Nullabor to Perth, Western Australia in February 2024 – and Future Food Systems was there in force, hosting a Hospitality Suite at the event, which dovetailed with our For Food’s Sake Summit, also in Perth that week.
Billed as the Asia-Pacific region’s leading agrifood-tech event, evokeAG.’s aim is to promote collaboration, innovation and investment across the region’s agrifood, fibre and fisheries industries.
The two-day gathering of innovators from across Australia and the world draws a mix of sector stakeholders, policymakers, thought leaders and investors ifrom across the agrifood-tech sector. It’s a great opportunity for agrifood entities large and small to connect with national and international representatives, showcase their innovations and forge and foster productive connections.
Speaking at the official announcement of Perth as the host city for evokeAG. 2024, AgriFutures Australia Managing Director John Harvey said the decision to hold this year’s evokeAG. in Perth speaks to the event’s evolution and reflects the substantial growth of the agrifood tech community and investor interest in the sector.
“evokeAG. planned on returning to its [Melbourne] roots in 2024. However, we had an exceptional response to evokeAG. 2023 with a sell-out event. We now require a venue that can accommodate this demand and regrettably, there are no suitable venues in Melbourne available for our desired dates,” Harvey said.
“More broadly, we’ve seen a higher volume of quality agrifood-tech startups emerge – partially because of new talent in the ecosystem – plus increased resources from government as well as corporates.
“There are a number of reasons why West Coast will make a great host state: the proximity to South-East Asia, its innovative farmers, a diverse range of industries, strong exporting experience and an established and vibrant agrifood tech innovation community – these are all attributes that will be critical in supporting us to deliver a world-class international event for our domestic and international audiences,” Harvey said.
The evokeAG. event comprised a two-day conference component, and a raft of optional tours and sideline events. Running alongside the conference was The Exchange, an agrifood-tech expo, at which Future Food Systems shared a well patronised Hospitality Pavilion with several of its partners.
Stay tuned for further takeaways from the event.
Lead image: This year’s evokeAG event took place at the waterfront Perth Exhibition and Convention Centre – and Future Food Systems was there in force. Credit: Future Food Systems