2026 WA AOA Olive Industry Think Tank Workshop
October 8 @ 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Peer-to-peer, problem-solving workshop packed with practical business information, bookended by networking opportunities with your industry peers.
The best insights often come from fellow growers who have already navigated the exact challenges you are facing. Designed for both seasoned olive growers and newcomers, this workshop turns shared industry challenges into immediate, practical solutions. Draft program detailed below.
Location: Mounts Bay Sailing Club, Australia II Drive, Crawley, WA
Date: Thursday 8 October, 12:00noon – 5:00pm.
Cost: $55 inc GST for members & levy payers / $66 inc GST for general entry. Price includes lunch upon arrival and networking drinks, and the olive oil and olives tasting session at the end of the day.
Scroll down to register.
Registrations close 30 September.
Make the most of your trip with a complete two-day olive industry experience. Start hands-on at the WA Field Day (Oct 7) at York Olive Oil, Daliak, solve shared industry challenges at the Think Tank (Oct 8), and step straight from the final session into the WA Olive Awards at 5:00 PM—also being held at Mounts Bay Sailing Club so no travel or venue changes required. More details below on how to register for the Field Day and WA Olive Awards.
Think Tank Draft Program
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | Light Lunch & Networking Kick-off
Arrive at noon to catch up with other local growers, meet new faces, and bounce ideas around over a light lunch before we dive into the sessions.
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Interactive Think Tank
- State of the Industry & Future Mapping: We will kick off with a brief overview from AOA CEO Michael Southan on the current industry landscape, using the future of traditional and alternative fuels as a case study for how we can collectively identify looming problems and build proactive solutions. The overview will also include a short introduction to your state AOA Director.
- Topics for discussion:
- Bottling, Labelling, and Quality: Best Before Dates (BBD), bottling on demand, and insights drawn from the latest quality testing program results.
- Olive Levy Roadmap & SIAP: Your opportunity to voice grower needs and pitch direct suggestions for upcoming R&D projects.
- The Annual Olive Harvest Survey (Benchmarking): Why a simple 10-minute post-harvest survey matters, and the benefit for your business.
- Additional state-level issues identified in the grower survey (see below)
- Open Floor Discussion: Raise your specific grower issues and brainstorm collective solutions with the room.
- Sponsor Presentations: The program will also feature valuable sponsor presentations showcasing the latest tools and innovations designed to maximize your grove’s efficiency.
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Networking Hour (drinks, olive oil and table olive tasting)
Unwind during our dedicated networking hour and enjoy sampling award-winning olive oil and table olives.
AIOA Winner Photo Opportunity!
Since we won’t be hosting our traditional Australian International Olive Awards (AIOA) dinner this year, we are bringing the celebration to the Think Tanks! If you win a 2026 medal or trophy, bring your award along with you for an official AIOA presentation photo with CEO Michael Southan and the AIOA banner. This is a fantastic chance to secure high-quality promotional images for your website, social media, and local press while celebrating your hard work alongside your industry peers.
Shape Your Local Think Tank: Pre-Event Grower Survey
Your voice drives the agenda.
As highlighted in our interactive schedule, a core focus of the afternoon will be tackling the specific state-level challenges and agronomic barriers impacting your groves right now. Rather than generic talking points, we want to address the real-world environmental, operational, and pest pressures unique to your region.
Please take 5 minutes to complete this pre-event 5 question survey and help guide our open floor discussions.
Click Here to Take the 2026 Grower Survey(opens in new tab)
PLATINUM SPONSOR
SILVER SPONSOR
R&D EVENT SPONSOR
The Think Tank events are part of the Olive levy project Australian olive industry communications and extension program (OL22000), funded by Hort Innovation, using the Hort Innovation olive research and development levy, co-investment from the Australian Olive Association and contributions from the Australian Government.
AOA WA Back to Basics Field Day
This will be held at York Olive Oil in Daliak on the 7th of October (the day prior to the Think Tank Workshop). Maximise your learning opportunity by attending both events. More details on this event here(opens in new tab).
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WA Olive Awards
This will be held on the 8th of October from 5pm at Mounts Bay Sailing Club following the Think Tank Workshop. To register for this event, contact Ellen Slobe at [email protected].