Day 1 – Reuse Driving the Circular Economy
13 October 2025
| FORMAT | TIME (AEST) | TOPIC | SPEAKER / S |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:30am | Coffee, Registration and Networking | ||
| 9:00am | Conference Opens & Welcome Delegates | Mandy Scotney, Master of Ceremonies | |
| 9:10am | Welcome to Country | Michael West, Cultural Representative, Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council | |
| Keynote | 9:20am | Tough Times Don’t Last. Resilient Professionals Do | Heidi Dening, Keynote Speaker |
| 10:00am | Environment Minister’s Address | Hon Dr Sarah Kaine MLC representing Minister Sharpe | |
| 10:15am | Chair’s Welcome | Terry O’Neill, Chair, Charitable Reuse Australia | |
| 10:30am | Morning Tea – 30 Minutes | ||
| Fireside Chat | 11:00am | Changing Landscapes, the Cost-of-Living Crisis and Market Shifts | Sarah Knop, Acting GM Customer & Strategy, Salvos Stores
Edwina Morgan, Head of Commercial Enterprises, RSPCA Victoria |
| Session | 11:30am | Reuse and Repair – Opportunities to Progress the Circular Economy | Tony Chappel, CEO, NSW Environment Protection Authority |
| Session | 12:00pm | From Greenwashing to Transparency and Credibility in Environmental Claims | Josh Begbie, CEO, GECA |
| Session | 12:30pm | People Leadership During Challenging Times | Kate Larkin and Rebecca Rynehart, Beaumont People |
| 1:00pm | Lunch – 60 Minutes | ||
| Panel | 2:00pm | The Thrift Chic Opportunity – Making Shifting Fashion Shopping Habits Work For You | Clare Press, Founder, The Wardrobe Crisis
Kirsten Junor, CEO, Reverse Garbage Jessica Davies, Advocate for |
| Panel | 2:45pm | The Power of Reuse in Communities – Environmental, Social and Economic Impact | Omer Soker, CEO, Charitable Reuse Australia
Barabara Gill, General Manager, Garage Sale Trail Cathryn Hannemann, Waste Project Officer, Northern Beaches Council |
| 3:15pm | Afternoon Tea – 15 Minutes | ||
| Panel | 3:30pm | Small Electricals and Electronics – Modern Day Donating, Reuse, Repair and Resource Recovery | Annette Brodie, CEO, The Reconnect Project
Neil Harvey, GM Retail, Vinnies Victoria |
| Meeting | 4:00pm | Annual General Meeting | Members only |
| Close | 5:00pm | Day 1 Sessions Conclude | |
| Dinner | 6:30pm | Conference Dinner | Ticketed event with allocated seating |
Day 2 – Charitable Retail Driving Impact
14 October 2025
| FORMAT | TIME (AEST) | TOPIC | SPEAKER / S |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.45am | Board Meeting | Board Directors Only | |
| 8:30am | Coffee, Registration and Networking | ||
| 9:00am | Conference Opens and Welcome Delegates | Mandy Scotney, Master of Ceremonies | |
| Keynote | 9:00am | Research Insights Driving Op Shop Purchasing Behaviour – Questions on Improving Donation Quality | Jennifer Macklin, Senior Research Fellow, BehaviourWorks/Monash University |
| Panel | 9:45am | Elevating and Curating Preloved Fashion and the Art of Upcycling | Alexander Zehntner, Creative Director, The Fashion Design Studio, Tafe NSW |
| Session | 10:15am | Communicating Sustainability and Social Impact with Creativity and Innovation | Bernie Wiley, Director of Sustainability, Who Gives A Crap |
| 10:45am | Morning Tea – 15 Minutes | ||
| Session | 11:00am | Op Shops, Charity Shops and Thrift Stores Around the World – Who Does it Best? | Jacob Miller, The Jacob Miller Show |
| Panel | 11:30am | The Role of Contemporary Op Shops – How the Sector is Evolving | Phil Coyte, Executive Director, Vinnies NSW
Drew Eide, GM Operations, Vinnies Queensland Nic Baldwin, Head of Stores, Salvos |
| Session | 12:00pm | Digitising Reuse – The AI Future of eCommerce Retail | Nathan Spiteri, Co-Founder & CEO, Shopfront |
| Session | 12:30pm | Retail Under Pressure – Customer Aggression Implications | Nicole Venter Stakeholder Engagement Manager SaCSA
Rae Cooper, Professor Uni of Sydney Business School |
| 1:00pm | Lunch – 60 Minutes | ||
| Session | 2:00pm | Bridging the Gap with Donors – The Wayside Chapel Story | Vina Thompson, Retail Operations Manager, Wayside Chapel |
| Session | 2:30pm | Easy AI to Valuable AI – A Retail Roadmap for Productivity and Customer Success | Caroline Swarbrick, Marketing and CX Consultant, Salesforce |
| Virtual | 3:00pm | Perception and Misconception – How the Clothing Sector Affects Charity Business | Live from the UK – Andrew Ostcliffe, Retail Specialist, Chiefly Retail |
| 3:30pm | Networking over Afternoon Tea – 30 Minutes | ||
| Close | 4:00pm | Annual Conference Concludes |