Two more speakers have been added to this year’s Tractor and Machinery Association of Australia annual conference lineup
The Tractor and Machinery Association has confirmed its full speaker line-up for the 2026 annual conference.
The program brings together a mix of industry leaders, research specialists and practical operators to address the challenges facing machinery dealerships and agribusiness.
To be held on July 29 at Novotel Brighton Beach in Sydney, the conference will centre on the theme ‘building better businesses through people, innovation and strategy’, with a clear focus on delivering practical outcomes for businesses navigating a more complex operating environment.
Leading the program is Adam Giles, CEO of Hancock Agriculture, alongside Sean Hanley from Toyota, who will provide insight into broader industry trends and future direction.
Their sessions will be supported by a lineup that reflects the range of pressures and opportunities currently shaping the sector.
Catherine Hunter from Diversity Australia will address workforce and inclusion, while Georgia Stormont will focus on sales capability and building stronger customer relationships.
Melinda Haley, senior manager at Kynetec, will again provide an industry update with current data and trends.
New additions
Several other speakers have been recently announced as part of the conference lineup.
Tony Tait, a long-standing figure in the farm machinery industry, will present on modernising business processes.
His session is expected to cover areas including employee retention, data management, benchmarking, customer satisfaction measurement, dispute resolution and sales force effectiveness.
Tait brings decades of experience across Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia, including senior leadership roles with New Holland Australia and CNH Industrial.
A former chairman of TMA, he continues to work within the industry as a consultant and business coach, facilitating benchmarking groups across Australia and New Zealand.
Laura Allen, research and insights director at Australian Regional Insights, will provide a perspective on how research can be better applied within agribusiness.
Regional Insights has been added
to the TMA conference speaker lineup. Image: TMA
With more than 16 years’ experience across both agency and client-side roles in Australia and the UK, Allen specialises in translating data into practical, actionable insights.
Her work focuses on bridging the gap between research and industry, helping organisations make more informed decisions and extract greater value from the information available to them.
Together, the program reflects a shift towards more data-driven, people-focused and performance-oriented business models within the machinery sector.
With input costs, workforce pressures and market conditions continuing to evolve, the conference aims to provide attendees with a clearer understanding of where opportunities exist and how businesses can respond.
The 2026 TMA conference is expected to again attract a strong cross-section of dealers, suppliers and industry stakeholders, reinforcing its role as a key forum for discussion and planning within the sector.
Tickets are now available by visiting www.tma.asn.au
