The Restaurant & Hospitality Technology Exchange
Hear smart, practical solutions to help you work faster, serve better, and grow stronger—powered by innovation that’s actually worth your time.
In today’s tech-saturated world, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by endless options. But what if you could cut through the noise and focus on the innovations that actually move the needle for your business?
That’s where the Hospitality & Technology Exchange comes in. Across 3 days, tune into sessions designed to spotlight the tools and strategies that will make a real difference to your hospitality operation – helping you streamline operations, boost customer loyalty, and drive sustainable growth.
From optimising inventory management to using AI to improve labour efficiency, you’ll discover the most impactful ways to harness technology and future-proof your business.
Smarter tech, sharper business.
Hear from the tech trailblazers shaping hospitality’s future
Rod Fowler
Director & Principal / Food Industry Foresight
Blake Hammond
National Operations Manager / Compass Group
Alexandra Preece
General Manager / 400 Gradi
Samantha Bragg
CEO / Red Rooster
Spencer Patrick
Owner / Harrisons Restaurant
Andrew Briese
CEO / CTB & CO
Nick Campese
Group General Manager / Royal Stacks
Angela Crook
Marketing Manager / San Telmo Group
Jeroen Cools
Director of Operations / My Goodness
Stephen Anderson
Owner / The Lott Cafe & Pha's Thai
Katy Barfield OAM
Founder & CEO / YUME Food
Tyrone Ho
Head of Sales and Industry Growth / Tyro
Sarah Franklyn
Director of Sales & Marketing / Impact Data
Andy Murdoch
Vice President of Strategic Brands & APAC / Crunchtime
Richard Mcleod
CEO / Loaded
Steve Sidd
Group Managing Director / Catering HQ
Pete Learmonth
Product Manager / Lightspeed Commerce
Venessa Barnes
Co-founder and Foodservice Specialist / FoodLogic
Kartheek Munigoti
CEO / Constellation Technologies
Adrian Reichhart
National Manager – Technical Safety Solutions / Compass Group Australia
Justin Whitely
National Manager – Assurance and Reporting / Compass Group Australia
Ace Bevacqua
Senior Product Manager / Lightspeed Commerce
Michael Ostroburski
General Manager / Melbourne Racing Club
Trish Harty
Marketing Consultant / Harty Food Media
Andy Larke
Chief Revenue Officer / Liven
Bianca Brady
Co-founder & CEO / Axify
Amy Renae
CEO / addzme and Shift8
Natalie Sharpe
CEO / Olivers
Kate Paterson
General Manager & Owner / Deep End Pizza
Real solutions. Zero fluff.
ingredients
sustainability
Sustainable Seafood Innovation
Sunday 18 May
10:30 am - 11:15 am
Discover the Source
Session sponsor
business
marketing
Social Media Hacks for Busy Businesses
Sunday 18 May
10:30 am - 11:00 am
The Business Stage
business
tech
The Future of Tech in Food: What’s next for the industry?
Sunday 18 May
10:30 am - 11:00 am
The Restaurant & Hospitality Tech Exchange
Session sponsor
culinary
patisserie
Rainforest Lychee Tart with Strudel Pastry
Sunday 18 May
10:30 am
Explore Patisserie
business
From one to many: Scaling without sacrificing standards
Sunday 18 May
10:45 am - 11:15 am
The Main Stage
business
italian
marketing
pizza
Standing Out & Staying Ahead: Success strategies for pizza & Italian restaurants
Sunday 18 May
11:30 am - 12:10 pm
The Business Stage
Session sponsor
business
marketing
tech
How to build a tech stack that brings your customers back
Sunday 18 May
11:30 am - 12:10 pm
The Restaurant & Hospitality Tech Exchange
Session sponsor
alcohol
bar
beverage
Gin’s Popularity Boom – How Your Venue Can Profit
Sunday 18 May
11:30 am
Bar & Beverage Stage
business
kitchen culture
Workflow hacks for a stress-free commercial kitchen
Sunday 18 May
12:00 pm - 12:30 pm
The Main Stage
Session sponsor
business
marketing
3 guaranteed ways to grow your brand in 2025
Sunday 18 May
12:30 pm - 1:00 pm
The Business Stage
culinary
patisserie
Kirsten Tibballs: Textures of Chocolate
Sunday 18 May
12:30 pm
Explore Patisserie
Session sponsor
beverage
coffee
tech
Unlock Efficiency & Quality with Coffee Tech
Sunday 18 May
12:30 pm
Bar & Beverage Stage
business
sustainability
tech
Stop Wasting Money! 5 ways technology can reduce F&B waste
Sunday 18 May
1:00 pm - 1:30 pm
The Restaurant & Hospitality Tech Exchange
business
marketing
How to create a cafe customers can't stop talking about
Sunday 18 May
1:30 pm - 2:15 pm
The Main Stage
business
marketing
How To Win Customers & Influence Decisions: Insights on consumer behaviour
Sunday 18 May
1:30 pm - 2:00 pm
The Business Stage
culinary
ingredients
The Art of Aussie Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sunday 18 May
2:00 pm - 2:45 pm
Discover the Source
Session sponsor
cafe
coffee
ingredients
sustainability
Staying Ahead in the Evolving Coffee Landscape: Insights on cost, consumers, and sustainability
Sunday 18 May
2:30 pm - 3:15 pm
The Main Stage
business
marketing
Building Customer & Community Loyalty for Long-Term Success
Sunday 18 May
2:30 pm - 3:00 pm
The Business Stage
business
tech
Shift Happens: Mastering the art of scheduling without losing your mind
Sunday 18 May
2:30 pm - 3:10 pm
The Restaurant & Hospitality Tech Exchange
culinary
patisserie
Pistachio pressed sable, yuzu curd and raspberry
Sunday 18 May
2:30 pm
Explore Patisserie
alcohol
bar
beverage
The Rise of No and Low Alcohol – Is Your Venue Ready?
Sunday 18 May
2:30 pm
Bar & Beverage Stage
business
marketing
tech
trends
The Hospo Reset: The key drivers shaping the future of hospitality
Sunday 18 May
3:30 pm - 4:15 pm
The Main Stage
business
culinary
The Inspired Series with Luke Mangan
Sunday 18 May
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Discover the Source
Session sponsor
Session sponsor
Session sponsor
business
efficiency
kitchen culture
How to optimise workflow in a commercial kitchen design
Monday 19 May
10:30 am - 11:00 am
The Business Stage
business
tech
How smart payments & data can drive customer loyalty in hospitality
Monday 19 May
10:30 am - 11:10 am
The Restaurant & Hospitality Tech Exchange
Session sponsor
business
qsr
From 1 to 172+: The secrets behind Grill'd 's bold expansion
Monday 19 May
10:45 am - 11:15 am
The Main Stage
business
kitchen culture
sustainability
Revolutionising kitchen operations with sustainable & efficient solutions
Monday 19 May
11:30 am - 12:10 pm
The Business Stage
business
tech
10 strategies to take control of food costs
Monday 19 May
11:30 am - 12:00 pm
The Restaurant & Hospitality Tech Exchange
Session sponsor
Session sponsor
alcohol
bar
beverage
Gin’s Popularity Boom – How Your Venue Can Profit
Monday 19 May
11:30 am
Bar & Beverage Stage
business
qsr
Scaling with Precision: How top QSR franchises optimise their supply chains for consistency
Monday 19 May
12:00 pm - 12:45 pm
The Main Stage
Session sponsor
business
tech
Stock Smarter, Not Harder: How tech can revolutionise inventory management
Monday 19 May
12:20 pm - 1:00 pm
The Restaurant & Hospitality Tech Exchange
How To Maximise Margins With Efficiency & Culture: Lessons from Marco Pierre White Restaurants
Monday 19 May
12:30 pm - 1:00 pm
The Business Stage
culinary
patisserie
Kirsten Tibballs: Textures of Chocolate
Monday 19 May
12:30 pm
Explore Patisserie
Session sponsor
beverage
coffee
tech
Unlock Efficiency & Quality with Coffee Tech
Monday 19 May
12:30 pm
Bar & Beverage Stage
business
qsr
Executive Perspectives: How QSRs can stand out in a crowded market
Monday 19 May
1:00 pm - 1:45 pm
The Main Stage
Session sponsor
Session sponsor
business
tech
Fast, Fresh & Frictionless: Optimising operations with tech
Monday 19 May
1:45 pm - 2:25 pm
The Restaurant & Hospitality Tech Exchange
Session sponsor
culinary
ingredients
Beef Bites
Monday 19 May
2:00 pm - 2:45 pm
Discover the Source
Catherine Golding
National Business Development Manager
Meat & Livestock Australia
Sam Burke
Corporate Executive Chef Product & Business Development Manager
Meat & Livestock Australia
Mary Jane Morse
Brand Content Manager
Meat & Livestock Australia
Telina Menzies
Executive Chef
Australian Venue Co.
Lucy Allon
Restaurateur and Co-Founder
Straight To The Source
Session sponsor
business
Transforming your hotel restaurant into a hotspot for guests AND locals
Monday 19 May
2:00 pm - 2:45 pm
The Main Stage
business
Redefining Kitchen Culture: Leading the next generation of chefs
Monday 19 May
2:00 pm - 2:40 pm
The Business Stage
alcohol
bar
beverage
The Rise of No and Low Alcohol – Is Your Venue Ready?
Monday 19 May
2:30 pm
Bar & Beverage Stage
business
tech
Revolutionising food safety with IoT and AI
Monday 19 May
2:45 pm - 3:25 pm
The Restaurant & Hospitality Tech Exchange
Session sponsor
culinary
sustainability
The Eco-Eats Advantage: Win customers with sustainable menu design
Monday 19 May
3:00 pm - 3:45 pm
The Main Stage
Recipe of Resilience + A Seat at the Table: Celebrating Women in Food & Drinks Networking Event
Monday 19 May
4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Discover the Source
Session sponsor
business
sustainability
Stop Wasting Money! 5 ways technology can reduce F&B waste
Monday 19 May
4:00 pm - 4:30 pm
The Main Stage
business
Steal these retention strategies to win and keep the best team
Monday 19 May
4:00 pm - 4:40 pm
The Business Stage
Australia's Best Burger Awards Ceremony
Monday 19 May
4:30 pm
Australia's Best Burger Awards & Competition
Australia’s Best Pizza Awards Ceremony
Monday 19 May
4:30 pm
Australia's Best Pizza Awards & Competition
LIVE Cheesemaking Demonstration by Vannella Cheese
Tuesday 20 May
10:00 am
The Pizza Pasta Masterclass
Session sponsor
business
culinary
marketing
The Sweet Power of Creative Collaborations
Tuesday 20 May
10:30 am - 11:15 am
Discover the Source
Session sponsor
business
sustainability
tech
How to build trust with sustainable sourcing and supply chains
Tuesday 20 May
10:30 am - 11:10 am
The Business Stage
business
tech
The smart approach to choosing tech that powers your business
Tuesday 20 May
10:30 am - 11:10 am
The Restaurant & Hospitality Tech Exchange
Session sponsor
culinary
patisserie
Rainforest Lychee Tart with Strudel Pastry
Tuesday 20 May
10:30 am
Explore Patisserie
business
marketing
Timeless in Melbourne: The secrets to building a lasting legacy
Tuesday 20 May
10:45 am - 11:30 am
The Main Stage
Session sponsor
culinary
italian
pizza
Masterclass with World Pizza Champion
Tuesday 20 May
11:00 am
Pizza Masterclasses
Session sponsor
business
tech
AI In Hospitality: How smart tech is changing the game for restaurants & cafés
Tuesday 20 May
11:30 am - 12:10 pm
The Restaurant & Hospitality Tech Exchange
Session sponsor
Session sponsor
alcohol
bar
beverage
Gin’s Popularity Boom – How Your Venue Can Profit
Tuesday 20 May
11:30 am
Bar & Beverage Stage
business
marketing
tech
The power of authentic storytelling in branding
Tuesday 20 May
11:45 am - 12:15 pm
The Business Stage
business
kitchen culture
marketing
Stay for Another Round: How to keep your staff engaged and your customers happy
Tuesday 20 May
12:00 pm - 12:30 pm
The Main Stage
Mastering the Art of Pasta: A Masterclass with Andrea Tranchero, Crafted with Barilla
Tuesday 20 May
12:00 pm
Pizza Masterclasses
Session sponsor
Session sponsor
business
tech
Building a tech-enabled workforce to tackle labour shortages
Tuesday 20 May
12:30 pm - 1:10 pm
The Restaurant & Hospitality Tech Exchange
culinary
patisserie
Kirsten Tibballs: Textures of Chocolate
Tuesday 20 May
12:30 pm
Explore Patisserie
Session sponsor
beverage
coffee
tech
Unlock Efficiency & Quality with Coffee Tech
Tuesday 20 May
12:30 pm
Bar & Beverage Stage
business
tech
Why the experience economy is shaping the future of dining
Tuesday 20 May
12:45 pm - 1:25 pm
The Business Stage
business
culinary
Menu Maverick: Crafting a unique menu in a copycat world
Tuesday 20 May
1:00 pm - 1:30 pm
The Main Stage
Session sponsor
business
tech
5 key lessons from Australia's first AI powered drive-thru
Tuesday 20 May
1:30 pm - 2:00 pm
The Restaurant & Hospitality Tech Exchange
business
marketing
tech
The Loyalty Playbook: How to design, launch and grow your loyalty program in 4 easy steps
Tuesday 20 May
1:35 pm - 2:05 pm
The Business Stage
Session sponsor
business
trends
Tomorrow's Tastes Today: Get ahead of 2025's biggest food trends
Tuesday 20 May
2:00 pm - 2:45 pm
The Main Stage
culinary
italian
pizza
How to prepare a true Neapolitan Pizza according to AVPN regulations & Gigi Pizza
Tuesday 20 May
2:00 pm
The Pizza Pasta Masterclass
Session sponsor
business
tech
Data Driven Diners: Understanding and leveraging your data for success
Tuesday 20 May
2:15 pm - 2:55 pm
The Restaurant & Hospitality Tech Exchange
Session sponsor
alcohol
bar
beverage
The Rise of No and Low Alcohol – Is Your Venue Ready?
Tuesday 20 May
2:30 pm
Bar & Beverage Stage
business
kitchen culture
Feeding the Next Generation: How young leaders are redefining hospitality
Tuesday 20 May
3:00 pm - 3:30 pm
The Main Stage
business
marketing
tech
3 guaranteed ways to grow your brand in 2025
Tuesday 20 May
3:00 pm - 3:30 pm
The Business Stage
Session sponsor
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