Steve Booker, chair of SIDE 2017, says mid-year is always a great time for farmers and farm workers to get together, reconnect, meet people and benefit from the social interaction.
This year is no exception, with the theme ‘Controlling the Controllable’ promising to get people in the dairy industry talking. We’ve put the SIDE event programme together with this in mind.
“A diverse and interesting range of speakers and workshop presenters will cover a wide range of topics to provoke, challenge and question us on what is controllable.”
Booker says the keynote speakers are truly inspiring.
“Greg Murphy, Richard Loe and Jake Miller are certain to captivate and motivate; I’m expecting some great stories, while John Luxton and Ian Proudfoot promise industry insight and overview, which will provide invaluable perspectives for dairy farmers.
“SIDE is an ideal opportunity for delegates to learn and pick up ideas they can take back to their own businesses to help improve productivity and profitability. It is also a great opportunity for farmers to network with other like-minded people, especially at the evening social functions.”
Registrations for SIDE 2017 have opened; information can be found at http://side.org.nz
Greg Murphy
New Zealand’s highest profile V8 Supercar driver Greg Murphy is a motor racing great, having clocked up over 400 V8 Supercar race starts, many Bathurst 1000 wins, and places in some of the highest-profile race teams in Australasia. His disregard for detractors and adversity has produced many memorable performances, which is an attitude he applies to his life and business decisions. He is passionate about leadership, high performance, staying motivated under pressure and sharing the true meaning of teamwork.John Luxton
John Luxton oversaw the development of DairyNZ as its chair from 2008-2015. He led the dairy industry through a major growth phase, played a key role in policy and legislative changes in NZ and has championed dairy R&D and education. He has represented the industry as part of the Trade Pacific Partnership Agreement negotiations, helped launch a new strategy for sustainable dairy farming and a new water accord in 2013, championed R&D and education in the industry, set up the Waikato Dairy Leaders Group and chaired the Industry Leaders Forum. His overview of the industry will provide dairy farmers at SIDE this year with useful industry insight now and in the future.Ian Proudfoot
Ian Proudfoot has been the global head of agribusiness for KPMG since 2013, having joined the company in London in 1992. He is also now working with industry partners to develop an urban agricultural experience centre and show farm in Auckland to inform urban children about the primary sector’s contributions to NZ and career opportunities. Described as a leading food futurist, he has presented extensively on the strategic opportunities and challenges facing agribusiness, particularly on how food will be produced, processed, distributed and consumed in the future.Jake Miller
Jake Miller has been jumping out of planes since he was in nappies (literally). Inspired by Sir Richard Branson, whom he interviewed after leaving school, the 20-year-old adventurer is determined to build world-changing companies. His first business Oompher aimed to ensure fewer people die wondering what they could have achieved, using video interviews from leaders in their fields to inspire. He is also the co-founder and publisher of Unfiltered, his second start-up in two years. He believes a person needs only two things to become a master in their field -- extreme skill and strong networks.Richard Loe
Richard Loe was a renowned All Black forward prop between 1987 and 1995, representing NZ in three Rugby World Cups. Following retirement from rugby, Loe became a sport columnist for the New Zealand Herald. Despite his physical dominance when he played, Loe is regarded by former teammates as an exceptional character and professional. Known as an ‘enforcer’ on the field, he balanced his abilities with the ball with a tough-tackling prowess -- professionalism and focus skills that can equally be applied to running a dairy farming business. Contact: SIDE Event committee chair Terry Kilday, phone 027-229-8130, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
