Session Topics
Retail Show Australia 2026 will host a series of seminars and forums featuring global retail leaders, experts, and entrepreneurs with hot topics including digital transformation, future store design, shifting consumer behaviors, supply chain innovation, and sustainability.
RSA 2026 Conference Agenda
Centered on the core theme of “Resilience · Reinvention · Rebound”, this event focuses on two key pillars: retail industry innovation trends & sustainable development, and technology-enabled practices. It brings together industry experts, brand leaders, and tech service providers to deliver keynote speeches, share case studies, and host panel discussions. Attendees will gain in-depth insights into critical topics including AI applications, green retail, and cross-border collaboration—while accessing cutting-edge industry perspectives and resource-connecting opportunities.
22 September 2026
Theme: Retail’s Dual Drive: Innovating for Growth, Sustaining for the Future
10:05–10:15 AEDT
Opening Keynote
Welcome Speech – Organizer
Opening Address – Leaders from government and major retail associations
10:20–10:40 AEDT
Keynote: From the Shopfloor to Parliament: MGA Taking on Retail Crime
Martin Stirling | CEO, MGA Independent Businesses Australia
10:45–11:05 AEDT
Keynote: The Changing Nature of Retail
Bernie Brookes AM | Chairman, Australian Food and Grocery Council
11:10–11:30 AEDT
Keynote: From Seller to Customer:
What It Really Takes to Run a Marketplace at Scale
Kieran Boyce | Head of Service & Operations, Woolworths
11:35–11:55 AEDT
Keynote: Retail Reimagined: AI, Experience & The New Rules of Customer Service
Linda Johansen-James | Founder, IRG
12:00 AEDT
Lunch Break
12:00 pm-1:30 pm
13:30–13:50 AEDT
Keynote: Google’s Innovations and Applications in AI/ML for the Retail Industry
Thu Ya Kyaw | Senior Developer Advocate, Google Cloud
13:55–14:15 AEDT
Keynote: Purposeful Retail: Belonging beats convenience
Andrew Hoyne | Founder, Hoyne
14:20–14:40 AEDT
Keynote: Lifting retail loyalty programs from discount dependency to emotional equity
Adam Posner | CEO, The Point of Loyalty
14:45–15:05 AEDT
Keynote: From Local to Global: Designing Retail Spaces That Resonate Across Markets
Elvin Tan | Principal, ElvinTan Design
15:10–15:55 AEDT
Keynote: From Clown, To Exit, And Lessons Learned
Dean Salakas | Partner, Retail Doctor Group
15:10–15:55 AEDT
Media Interview | Break & Networking Drinks
23 September 2026
Theme: Technology Empowers Retail: Practical Applications of AI and Big Data
10:00–10:20 AEDT
Keynote: Agentic AI in Retail: From Task Automation to Business Autonomy
ShiSh Shridhar | Global Director, Microsoft Corporation
10:25–10:45 AEDT
Keynote: The Human Operating System: Why Emotional Intelligence Will Define the Next Decade of Retail
Nick Gray | Founder & CEO, IGU Global
10:50–11:20 AEDT
Panel: Unlocking APAC Retail Innovation: How Brands Build Differentiated Offline Competitive Advantages (to be confirmed)
Harriet Sheffer | Head of Strategy & Commercial APAC, Outform, and Fashion Brands (to be confirmed)
11:25–12:00 AEDT
Fireside Chat: The Future of Supply Chain & Fulfillment in Australian Retail
Erica Berchtold | Chief Operating Officer, David Jones
Peter Jones | Managing Director, Prological Consulting
12:00 AEDT
Lunch Break
12:00 pm-1:30 pm
13:30–14:15 AEDT
Panel: Practical E-Commerce Solutions for Retailers
Hosted by HKFEC | Participants: HKFEC, NORA, Malaysia Cross-border E-commerce
14:20–14:40 AEDT
Keynote: Omnichannel Growth in Fashion Retail (to be confirmed)
THE ICONIC (to be confirmed)
14:45–15:05 AEDT
Keynote: Beyond Price & Convenience: Why Emotional Connection is the Future of Retail (to be confirmed)
Peter Wilson | Shopper Collective (to be confirmed)
