National Olive Industry Conference & Exhibition 2025 – the week that was

By Laura Thomas

There wasn’t a spare seat in the house during last week’s National Olive Industry Conference & Exhibition in Adelaide.

Productivity and profitability was the theme of the 2025 event, attracting delegates from across Australia and abroad for three jam-packed days of learning and discovery.

And with so much industry insight and expert advice available to olive growers in one place, it’s no wonder this valuable industry event continues to grow in popularity.

Feedback from those in attendance was overwhelmingly positive, confirming its status as the Australian olive industry’s premier education and networking event.

For those who missed it and are keen to attend next year, read on to find out what all the fuss is about!

 

Field Day – 28 October – Oleapak and Peninsula Providore

Attendees boarded buses for a big day of interactive, hands-on learning.

First up was a visit to Oleapak, a family-owned oil packaging facility at Seaford.

Attendees were treated to a guided tour of the facility and its automated bottling and packing line, which processes 25,000+ bottles a day using state-of-the-art equipment.

Back on the bus, it was time to head to Peninsula Providore – a 17,000-tree enterprise producing extra virgin olive oil in the heart of the Fleurieu Peninsula, an hour south of Adelaide.

The brand was established by the AOA’s SA Director Mel Hollick in 2017, who now grows, mills and sells her produce from her on-site farm shop, local farmers markets and some wholesale.

Mel warmly welcomed field tour attendees to her grove, giving them an exclusive behind the scenes view of her operation. It is this same authentic on-farm experience she provides to her consumers that has helped her educate and build solid brand loyalty within her own market.

During their time at the grove, delegates were treated to harvest machine demonstrations from event exhibitors, before a relaxed lunch. Afterwards, they were given a look at the grove’s olive waste composting system, before a slow meander among the trees to learn more about grove maintenance, pest and disease management, and pruning.

The conversation was led by conference speaker, Andrew Taylor, from Pendleton Estate, with input from a number of other conference speakers and industry experts in attendance, providing a very special and unparalleled learning opportunity for attendees.

 

Conference: Day one – 29 October – Hotel Grand Chancellor Adelaide

South Australian Shadow Minister for Trade, Industry and Investment Tim Whetstone MP opened the event, setting the tone for the next two days of insight and learning.

Growing up on a farm in the state’s South East before embarking on his own career in the sector, Mr Whetstone spoke about the bright future ahead for the Australian olive industry.

“As farmers we are the eternal optimists, but the olive industry is in very good shape” Mr Whetstone said of the industry’s buoyancy, increasing consumer education, biosecurity management, ongoing research and development and, importantly, modest water use.

“Olives use half (the water) of an almond grove … which is important when productivity is determined by how much water you’re applying and your return per mega-litre,” he said.

“The Australian olive industry is doing an outstanding job. Everyone is working in the same direction.”

From here, a stellar list of presenters took to the stage, providing expert insight on a range of topics impacting the olive industry, including:

• Australian EVOO quality on the world stage – Paul Miller, AOA Director and consultant
• Consumer market update – Andrew Burgess, Cobram Estate Olives
• Drought forecasting – Dr Dane Thomas, Climate Applications, South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI)
• Grove irrigation systems – Tom Hatcher, Swan Systems
• Irrigation using reclaimed wastewater – Presented by international conference speaker, Prof. Arnon Dag, Senior Researcher, Gilat Research Centre, Agricultural Research Organization, Israel
• The NOVA site history and plans – Ben Pike, University of Adelaide, Waite Research Institute, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine
• Drone technology, efficiency, insights and innovation – Mike Thomsett, Earthbound Horticulture and Brian Hearne, UAV Solutions
• The importance of benchmarking – Michael Southan, AOA CEO
• EVOO quality – the whole picture – Claudia Guillaume, Modern Olives

Question time was also provided at the end of each session, ensuring delegates were able to ask extra questions, clarify any queries and solidify their learnings.

SA Opposition Leader in the Legislative Council, and Shadow Minister for Regional South Australia and Primary Industries, Nicole Centofanti MLC also stopped by during the day.

 

Conference dinner – 29 October – Kooyonga Golf Club, Lockleys

Sweeping views over the picturesque tree-lined Kooyonga golf course on a balmy spring evening provided the perfect setting for delegates to relax, unwind and network.

An olive-themed dinner was served to guests, who enjoyed the chance for an informal chat with their peers and industry leaders about their own businesses, industry experiences and much more.

 

Conference: Day two – 30 October – Hotel Grand Chancellor Adelaide

Day two provided another big day of learning, with plenty of interactive elements and question time for delegates.

The day’s program included:

• Strategic agrichemical review and Olive Industry Biosecurity Plan update – Prof. Robert Spooner-Hart, AOA Scientific Adviser in Sustainable Pest Management / Western Sydney University
• The importance of optimising macro-elements in fertilising olives – Prof. Arnon Dag
• Harvest timing and extension growth – Andrew Taylor, Pendleton Estate, with olive prunings for inspection
• Australian Dietary Guidelines, Health Star Rating and Olive Wellness Institute update – Jasmine Diamantaras, Olive Wellness Institute
• What machinery do I really need? – Mike Thomsett, Andrew Taylor and Tina Knight. A presentation and chance for delegates to ask questions of panel members
• Table olives – a new scalable production process and table olive tasting – Prof. John Fielke, University of South Australia and Dr Michelle Wirthensohn, University of Adelaide, featuring olive tasting and live interactive audience feedback

 

Trade Exhibition and event sponsors

The trade exhibition provided another important element to the two-day conference event, bringing the olive industry’s top providers together in one place to showcase the latest technology, equipment and services available to producers.

Event sponsors also played a similarly pivotal role, helping to keep conference registration prices low and affordable for attendees.

Sponsors and exhibitors were given the opportunity to outline their products and services to delegates during the official conference program, while break times on both days allowed plenty of time for delegates to browse the exhibition hall. Here, they were able to speak with exhibitors, learn more about their unique businesses and find out how they might be able to help value-add to their olive enterprise.

The Australian olive industry is one of the most geographically diverse in the country and in an increasingly online world, the value of being able to speak face-to-face with specialist industry service providers was immeasurable.