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Delivering the best joint networking for members of professional associations and the public in South Australia since 2017 |
2025 Adelaide Connected 9.0
Change without Fear
Adelaide Connected 9.0 was held in the Adelaide Convention Centre on Thursday evening, 6 November 2025 with a brilliant impactful keynote by popular speaker Marty Wilson CSP about CHANGE. There was great networking between all the key players in the information services industry in South Australia. With 450 seats and sold out it was the highest attendance in 9 years of continuous growth for this popular event. This year a $2000 check was given from the Adelaide Connected Committee to TreasureBoxes, a not for profit charity providing essential support to disadvantaged children.
Please checkout below quotes from attendees about the event (scroll down for photos):
Please checkout below quotes from attendees about the event (scroll down for photos):
- We've got a special anniversary to celebrate with Adelaide Connected! Having supported this massive networking event since its inception, we couldn't be happier to make Thursday's gathering our ninth, annual appearance. AC is undoubtedly the biggest event on the calendar for SA's tech community — bringing together all levels of disciplines, and some 400+ business and IT professionals all in one room. We're pumped to be a part of it, alongside our NRI and Planit colleagues and clients. Let's go Adelaide!
– NRI Australia & New Zealand - What a night! 💥 Thanks to Adelaide Connected for another outstanding event, high energy, great conversations, and a room full of people passionate about shaping South Australia’s future. We’re proud to have been part of it once again as Gold Sponsors, continuing our support since the very first Adelaide Connected. A special shout-out to the Adelaide Connected committee for building what has become Adelaide’s premier professional networking event. Events like this remind us why we love what we do, connecting people, ideas, and opportunities to help organisations adapt faster than the world around them. Big thanks to the organisers, speakers, our guests, and everyone who stopped by for a chat, it was a fantastic evening of connection and community. Looking forward to the next one!
– Fragile to Agile - Thanks Adelaide Connected and the ever-brilliant (and hilarious!) Marty Wilson CSP for an event that had us laughing and thinking. At last week's Adelaide Connected event, we talked about change - everyone’s favourite inconvenient topic. Coz let’s be honest, change is irritating. It’s inconvenient. It messes with our familiar, comfortable routines. But Marty reminded us - with the very definition of life - that the problem isn’t that change exists, it’s that we push back on the thing that makes us truly human. Here are four things I’ve learned about managing change inside complex organisations:
1️⃣ Change Managers don't do the change - they enable it. The real change leaders must be your executives. They own the purpose and the “why.” If they don’t lead from that place, change gets reduced to delivery mechanics chasing resistance instead of building resilience.
2️⃣ Stop saying change - talk about progress. Language matters. Most people are reluctant passengers in change but willing participants in progress.
3️⃣ Change needs design, not decks. If you’re still rolling out comms plans and training schedules before understanding how the change will feel for people, you’re managing deliverables, not change. Change is a redesign of how work actually happens. It’s the intersection of systems thinking and business design - reshaping how people, processes, and tech move together. Slides can't do that.
4️⃣ Normalise experimentation. Remind your teams that nothing is permanent - only progress. Remind them that the forces around us - tech, customers, regulation, markets, don’t stand still, and experimentation is how we both validate where we’re heading, and adapt as we go. Thanks again to the Adelaide Connected crew for the space, the laughs, and the reminder that progress beats perfection, and definitely beats “change fatigue".
– Aplo - Last night, Bailey Abbott was proud to attend Adelaide Connected as a gold sponsor. It was an evening that reminded us of what drives progress connection, innovation, and continual change. We heard from the inspiring Marty Wilson CSP, who challenged us to reflect on the very definition of life itself: “The condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.” At Bailey Abbott, we believe in embracing that continual change in technology, in leadership, and in how we connect with our community. A huge thank you to the Adelaide Connected team for bringing together such an inspiring group of leaders, innovators, and change-makers. And a special shoutout to our CEO Thomas Carlton, who shared the stage as a guest speaker and panellist, offering insight into how adaptability and collaboration are shaping South Australia’s future. Here’s to staying connected, curious, and always evolving.
– Bailey Abbott - Adelaide Connected just keeps levelling up — bigger, better, and bringing even more of our tech community together. Love seeing the energy in this city grow every year. Adelaide’s future is looking real bright. – Dena Hadian
- Such fun celebrating South Australia and our vibrant business community at Adelaide Connected last week. Marty Wilson CSP reminded us with his delightful humour that life is short - enjoy the ride and learn from the challenges - as they make us better - embrace change. Life is change. Grateful for the passionate network we have in South Australia - talented business and tech practitioners - customers, partners, colleagues, and friends. Thanks to everyone who joined us on our akto Pty Ltd tables - was a fantastic night connecting with customers, partners, friends and colleagues. – Juliana Button
- Last Thursday's Adelaide Connected 9.0 reminded me people don’t fear change. They fear changing alone 💜✨ Adelaide Connected 9.0 brought business and information professionals together to connect, laugh, share, and learn. Our keynote Marty Wilson CSP had us laughing so hard we forgot we were learning. His message - humour isn’t a distraction from change, it’s how we move through it 😄 Seeing real conversations happening was brilliant, people swapping stories, ideas, and support across disciplines. This is exactly why we do this. As part of the organising committee, we're incredibly proud of how this community continues to show up for each other. Thank you to the sponsors who make these events possible, and everyone who came with openness and energy. You make Adelaide Connected what it is. Onward to Adelaide Connected 10.0! 💜✨ – Change Connect
- There’s something truly special about walking into a room buzzing with familiar faces and positive vibes. Last evening’s Adelaide Connected 9.0 was just that. An evening so heart-warming, inspiring, and full of laughter. It was wonderful to see my tribe, share stories, and soak up that lovely reminder that life is change. Grateful for the people who continue to inspire and uplift. Thank you, Juliana, for the invitation. Great to see you Adrian Jeremiah, Jason Anthony, Briony Elliott, Peter Chapman, Kerry Maidment-Grocke, Peter Pavan, Gabriel Das, Akila Muththettuwage, Nikunj Mandlas and many others. – Madhumita Mazumdar
- This week the IASP Australia Chapter collaborated with the PMI, IMC, IIBA, ACS, Change Connect, CMI, DAMA, ITSMF, AIIA and other industry associations to host Adelaide Connected 9.0. An outstanding event with some 450 attendees full of networking, current global events and learning's. Thank you to the sponsors, volunteers and committee involved to make this a success. Marko Savovic Maria Gabriela Jimenez Beltran IASP Headquarters – IASP Australia Chapter
- What an incredible night at Adelaide Connected 🥰 The Bastion trio had an amazing time catching up, sharing ideas, and laughing with all our friends, partners and customers. 🩵 – Bastion Technology Services
- Texture was pleased to attend Adelaide Connected! We were proud to sponsor such a fantastic event and connect with so many like minded professionals driving positive change in our community. – Chris Woodrow, Managing Director Texture
- 🌟 Adelaide Connected 9.0 🌟 Last night was truly special. I had the opportunity to participate in Adelaide Connected 9.0 representing PMI Adelaide South Australia and it reminded me again why South Australia feels like one of the most quietly powerful professional ecosystems in the country. More than 450 attendees from so many different industries. So many disciplines. So many brilliant minds connecting for one purpose. A stronger and more connected South Australia.
The keynote by Marty Wilson CSP took the night to another level. The topic Change without Fear really hit home. The way he spoke about resilience, leadership with humour, showing humanity through uncertainty, and taking responsibility for our own behaviour felt so relevant for the current pace of transformation we are all navigating. After the keynote came a great panel discussion with representatives from those gold sponsors which included Fragile To Agile, NRI Australia & New Zealand, Aplo, Bailey Abbott and Hitachi Vantara. Hearing the sponsor perspectives very openly and authentically on leading through change made the message of the night even more practical. I was lucky enough to walk around the room, connect with some incredible professionals, and expand my network in a genuine way.
A big thank you and huge congratulations to the organising committee. You really delivered an amazing night. It is amazing to see how far Adelaide Connected has come since 2017 all the way to version 9.0. Massive appreciation to my PMI Adelaide Chapter mates who continue to inspire me every time we connect. The conversations, the laughs and the shared growth moments mean a lot. And a special appreciation to the legends I reconnected with across the room. Loved those meaningful micro catch ups and laughs.
Great attendees bring great energy. Great energy builds great communities. And this community keeps getting stronger every year 🔥 Looking forward to the next Adelaide Connected already and also excited to continue building these bridges through PMI Adelaide and all the partners who believe in collaboration and shared value. 😊 ✊ – Pasan Pathirana, PMI Adelaide - What a great evening! 🎉 Walking into a ballroom-full of clients and industry colleagues — and feeling genuine warmth and fellowship? That’s special. Guest speaker Marty Wilson nailed it with his twin message:
1. Bring fun and lightness to the seriousness of work, always, as it makes for good business; and
2. Treat change as an inherent part of normal life, rather than as a disruption / exception.
Special shoutout to the sponsor panel (including our own Michelle Green) - full of experience and wisdom! Thanks to everyone who made it such a memorable night 🙌 – David Kerner, Account Executive NRI - Had a great time at Adelaide Connected 2025 representing NRI Australia & New Zealand - Planit, proud Gold Sponsors this year. ✨ A special shoutout to the wonderful people I had the pleasure of meeting and reconnecting with - your conversations truly made the day memorable: Dr Eva B., Kerrie Campbell, Anitha Thomas, Ivan Jose, Elle Harding, Megan Smith, Sarah Thomas, Emma Cole. Loved connecting with inspiring people helping shape Adelaide’s tech and innovation community, and grateful to have attended with our amazing NRI–Planit team — your support and leadership always make these moments richer. Looking forward to keeping the conversations going. 🤝 – Nikita Sharma
- What an incredible night with my PMI Adelaide South Australia crew! A big shoutout to the Adelaide Connected team for another successful event! Marty Wilson CSP was absolutely brilliant and stole the evening. Being fearless is a skill to learn when embracing change. Change is inevitable and what matters the most is how we react to change. Sanja Hendrick did an amazing job as MC and keeping things in order. I couldn't have asked for a better day to celebrate International Day of Project Management 👏🏻 – Amena Siddiqui
- Thank you Adelaide Connected! It was a privilege to be part of a fantastic evening celebrating our vibrant South Australian business community - connecting with customers, partners, colleagues and friends. Marty Wilson CSP shared his insights on getting the most out of life’s journey, embracing change as part of life and the power of humour and authentic connection. Thank you to everyone who joined us on our tables - we loved sharing this special evening with you. Thank you to Peter Pavan and the AC committee, panelists, and fabulous MC Sanja Hendrick for all your hard work to put on such a great night. Acknowledgement of Treasureboxes a wonderful cause to sponsor as they bring goodness to children in need. – akto Pty Ltd
- Thanks to Adelaide Connected for last night's event, drawing our community together, and encouraging personal conversation and human connection. As silver sponsors of the event, we're glad to be able to bring our congregation of clients and connections (from a wide range of industries) to spend time with each other and share their experiences together - not only with each other at our tables, but across the room with the broader community. Thank you to the committee for your great organisation, the speakers for your commitment, and we look forward to the next event! – Sam Loveridge, akto Pty Ltd
- Great engagement at the Adelaide Connected dinner 🥰 , Funtastic keynote speech from Marty Wilson CSP – Subin Sachidanandan
- Connecting at Adelaide Connected 9.0. The Reframe Change team representing! The theme being “Change without fear“. We know that it’s not possible because of how our human brains work but there are ways that fear can still happen without it stopping the improvements and change happening :) Want to know more get in touch with us at ReframeChange.com.au – Michelle T Holland, Reframe Change
- Great to meet so many familiar faces Adelaide Connected - Venu Annam
Photo Gallery
2025 Adelaide Connected 8.2
Outcomes-Based Procurement
Agile practices have become common in the delivery of solutions, yet the procurement space is often still dominated by a fixation on cost and risk. This fixation can be deadly when a new solution has lots of different stakeholders and complexities that are not yet known. Projects often go off the rails long before delivery starts, where massive upfront planning and design effort results in cost blowouts, and lasting repetitional, financial, and cultural damage.
If you are keen to learn about better ways to specify and select complex solutions, then make sure you do not miss our procurement event! The future of procurement is outcomes-based and many roles must understand their part to make this happen.
If you are keen to learn about better ways to specify and select complex solutions, then make sure you do not miss our procurement event! The future of procurement is outcomes-based and many roles must understand their part to make this happen.
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Presenters:
Hendrik Snyman – Independent consultant through his company Fluens Flumens. Hendrik brings decades of executive leadership experience in enterprise procurement and transformation in the energy and resources sectors, where he held positions in Shell as General Manager Contracting and Procurement Asia, Woodside Energy as Vice President Commercial Contracting, Chief Procurement Officer, Senior Vice president Spend Reduction and Performance Excellence, and Beach Energy as Chief Procurement Officer and General Manager Transformation Projects. Henrik has been at the forefront of changing the role of the Chief Procurement Officer from a traditional 'cost out' approach to acting as a strategic leader and advocate for greater operational effectiveness. Edwin Roman – Principal Architect for Fragile to Agile. Edwin has extensive experience in designing and managing digital transformations at fortune 500 companies and central government, including Shell, Vodafone, ING, HP, and many leading organisations in South Australia. Through this journey, Edwin has learned first hand why traditional procurement fails in complex and fast moving environments and how to turn things around when specifying and selecting solutions and implementation partners that can enable strategic business outcomes. MC: Sanja Hendrick – Founder and CEO of Talent Academy, helping entrepreneurs, academics, professionals, politicians, and everyone else excel in presenting and communicating their ideas more effectively, so they become more influential and achieve more. Drinks and Nibbles will be provided and there will be ample time for Q&A and networking. This session is supported by Encode Talent and Fragile to Agile. |
Adelaide Connected and Adelaide Agile Community invite you to our Outcomes-Based Procurement Meetup on July 24th. This time we will address how you can fundamentally reduce the risk of project failure when buying complex solutions in a VUCA world.
This event is for all our members/followers (registration details below) and specifically focuses on:
This event will help you gain a better understanding of: ✅ Why major projects are often setup to fail ✅ What is required to manage complex procurements ✅ How to delay key decisions until there is (just) enough knowledge ✅ How to approach supplier relationships (and contracts) 📍 University of the Sunshine Coast (Adelaide Campus) — Education Centre of Australia (ECA) Group — Level 1, 182 Victoria |
2025 Adelaide Connected 8.1
AI Masterclass with Cognitive Creators
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The mid year edition of Adelaide Connected was sold out and took place at the Adelaide campus of the University Sunshine Coast Adelaide Campus (ECA Australia) under the inspirational leadership of Cognitive Creators who delivered a high value masterclass that left attendees with a pitch-ready business case and 30-day action plan, underpinned by high-impact AI use cases and a deeper insight in their organisation’s AI readiness.
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2024 Adelaide Connected 8.0
Mega Trends with Dr Stefan Hajkowicz — Chief Research Consultant CSIRO
Dr Stefan Majkowicz (keynote speaker)
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Adelaide Connected Committee + MC and Keynote Speaker
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Photo Gallery AC8.0 (Nov 2024)
2023 Adelaide Connected 7.5
Unlocking Australia's Future: Exploring the Power of AI
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Hailing from Dutch roots and driven by a shared commitment to pioneering innovation, our distinguished speakers are:
- Professor Anton van den Hengel, is a well-known and published international thought leader in deep learning, vision and language problems, image-based modelling, and weakly supervised learning. He is the founder of the Australian Institute for Machine Learning (AIML), the former Director of Applied Science at Amazon, and a regular keynote speaker on AI topics and a vocal supporter of developing world class, sovereign AI capabilities in Australia.
- Associate Professor Johan Verjans, is a clinician-scientist at the Royal Adelaide Hospital with a research focus on cross-disciplinary translational research. Johan is the platform leader AI at the South Australian Health and medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) and the director of the Medical Machine Learning group at AIML which aims at making the University of Adelaide a global leader in Healthcare AI. Johan is also a board member of the SA Government AI in Health Hub.
- Professor Michelle Picard, is the Pro-Vice Chancellor Learning and Teaching Innovation at Flinders University. Michelle works at the forefront of adopting AI in teaching and learning programs and developing the workforce of the future.
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This event was jointly Hosted by Adelaide Connected and DutchSA – the Australian Netherlands Chamber of Commerce (SA) Inc.
Embark on a journey into the heart of innovation as we delve into the realm of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Australia stands at the precipice of unprecedented opportunities and challenges, poised to shape the future of our economy and society through the transformative power of AI.
Join us for an immersive event where we invite you to witness firsthand the potential of AI to revolutionise industries, enhance productivity, and drive economic growth. This is not just a moment to observe; it's a call to action. Australia's position on the global stage hinges on our ability to embrace and harness the power of AI-driven technologies.
In the spirit of collaboration and exploration, we are thrilled to present three visionary leaders at the forefront of AI research and application. Drawing from their diverse expertise and shared passion for innovation, they will illuminate the current landscape of AI in Australia and chart a course towards its promising future.
Prepare to be inspired as each speaker takes the stage to unveil insights, breakthroughs, and challenges within their respective fields. From cutting-edge research to real-world applications, their presentations will ignite your curiosity and spark meaningful conversations.
But that's not all. Following their individual talks, our esteemed speakers will come together for a dynamic panel discussion. This interactive session is your opportunity to engage directly with these luminaries, posing your burning questions and gaining invaluable insights into the trajectory of AI and its impact on our lives.
Embark on a journey into the heart of innovation as we delve into the realm of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Australia stands at the precipice of unprecedented opportunities and challenges, poised to shape the future of our economy and society through the transformative power of AI.
Join us for an immersive event where we invite you to witness firsthand the potential of AI to revolutionise industries, enhance productivity, and drive economic growth. This is not just a moment to observe; it's a call to action. Australia's position on the global stage hinges on our ability to embrace and harness the power of AI-driven technologies.
In the spirit of collaboration and exploration, we are thrilled to present three visionary leaders at the forefront of AI research and application. Drawing from their diverse expertise and shared passion for innovation, they will illuminate the current landscape of AI in Australia and chart a course towards its promising future.
Prepare to be inspired as each speaker takes the stage to unveil insights, breakthroughs, and challenges within their respective fields. From cutting-edge research to real-world applications, their presentations will ignite your curiosity and spark meaningful conversations.
But that's not all. Following their individual talks, our esteemed speakers will come together for a dynamic panel discussion. This interactive session is your opportunity to engage directly with these luminaries, posing your burning questions and gaining invaluable insights into the trajectory of AI and its impact on our lives.
Torrens University, Adelaide Campus, 88 Wakefield Street Adelaide
2023 Adelaide Connected 7.0
Vertical Growth
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Check out the fabulous buzz of 340 keen networkers in a sold out Panorama Room at the Adelaide Convention Centre. Adelaide Connected where you build your network, find that great candidate for your team or project, meet the right consultant who will help you get better, spot that next opportunity that will bring out all your talent! It all happens at Adelaide Connected, building South Australia through connection and experience since 2017.
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Adelaide Connected 7.0 was held on Thursday 2 November 2023
in the Adelaide Convention Centre
At the Adelaide Convention Centre
Panorama Ballroom, North Terrace, Adelaide
2022 Adelaide Connected 6.0
Building a Sustainable Future through Leadership & Culture
As younger generations base their career and consumption choices more and more on purpose and values, building sustainable organisations is not just a matter of doing the right thing for people and planet, it is in fact what is required for profit. This new economic reality is fundamentally changing the course of organisations and investments. The speakers at the 6th rendition of Adelaide Connected, address this theme from different angles.
Nick Palousis built a global consulting business in sustainability. He speaks in a very direct and honest way about what drives truly sustainable businesses. if there is anyone with the slightest piece of evidence that counters the view of nearly every scientist, that climate change is real and caused by humans, then Nick would love to meet this person. In the mean time his company assists companies in achieving net zero emissions on commercially attractive terms. Tom Hendrick is a pitch coach with a legal background who changed career to help organisations communicate their true value to customers and investors. Tom speaks about how language can controls the outcomes of our ambitions. Something to keep in mind when challenging the status quo! Carmen Garcia is the founder and CEO of Community Corporate, who is passionate about sustainability from an organisational and diversity point of view. Her organisation exists to help migrants and refugees find suitable employment in a society where 'who you know often trumps what you know'. Carmen's customers include many major enterprises who think different and complement their demanding staffing needs with loyal and talented recruits from community Corporate. |
2021 Adelaide Connected 5.0
Peak Performance
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In a world where we're always in a hurry and our attention is pulled in all directions, it's hard to stay focused on what really matters. It's easy to feel like we're living in a constant state of overwhelm with all the changes happening in our society and workplaces. But, there is hope!
In order to be successful in today's workplace, you need to focus on your well-being and productivity by adapting new ways of working. We have invited four experts to talk about productivity, leadership, communication, and well-being – all of which have become crucial talking points in 2021! We will explore human centric approaches that can help achieve peak performance while maintaining well-being. We will also explore successful leadership styles that you can adopt for your team, why Human Centric work trends are important, and how storytelling can help with communication. |
2020 Adelaide Connected 4.0
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Our 4th annual event, hosted over a 2-course dinner with 4 speakers and a panel addressing these questions:
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2019 Adelaide Connected 3.0
In this third year, Adelaide Connected 3.0 sought the understanding of potential business change and how to embrace the challenges of an evolving business community, in order to be prepared and connected. Therefore, the theme for this annual event is really about the future of work in South Australia.
2018 Adelaide Connected 2.0
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Our 2nd annual event asked this question "What innovation is happening / required to stimulate industry and create / retain jobs in SA?" from a number of speakers and entrepreneurs. In addition to answering this question, they shared their story, highlighting what and how innovation has supported their journey, their businesses and created jobs.
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2017 Adelaide Connected 1.0
A group of Adelaide based industry Associations brought together a wide group of Adelaide professionals under one roof for an evening of cross industry networking. This inaugural event, included guest speakers from 3 leading and diverse industries providing insights aligned with our initial theme of "Passion and Purpose".
