Australia: Adelaide prepares for Hort Connections 2026

Australia and New Zealand's premier horticulture event, Hort Connections 2026 is to take place at the Adelaide Convention Centre this year, over an expanded four-day program from Monday 1 to Thursday 4 June.

The conference and trade show continues to grow each year, with over 3,900 delegates attending last year in Brisbane, with signs that number will increase in 2026.

Co-hosted by AUSVEG and the International Fresh Produce Association Australia-New Zealand (IFPA ANZ), Hort Connections is the biggest horticulture event in the southern hemisphere, with the trade show already 90 percent sold out.

© AUSVEG

Former Olympic swimmer Giaan Rooney will return as Hort Connections MC in 2026, with the event to feature a line-up of world-class speakers and presenters, including Kim McDonnell – The Founder and CEO of Saveful, which is helping families and the way they approach food use; and Chefs Simon Toohey, Laura Sharrad, Michael Weldon, Sarah Pound and Callum Hann – All five will be appearing in the Activation Lounge, talking about, and demonstrating how they use their ingredients sustainably to create magnificent dishes using fresh Australian fruit and veggies.

There are more speaker announcements to come in the weeks ahead, and you can learn more here. Early bird registrations are closing on Friday, 20 March, providing discounted pricing for trade show registrations.

AUSVEG CEO Michael Coote said: "Every year, Hort Connections continues finding new ways to address the big issues, themes, topics and questions that growers and industry stakeholders want answered. With a new, expanded format in Adelaide for in 2026, anticipation is building ahead of what is sure to be another action-packed conference and trade show."

IFPA ANZ Managing Director Belinda Wilson said: "This is not just an industry event, we're bringing together the whole supply chain, from growers right through to retail. From the moment we land in Adelaide, we're taking the opportunity to showcase fresh produce and our work building a future where food is healthy, accessible, and sustainably produced for generations to come. Hort Connections celebrates our people, our innovation and builds meaningful connections to benefit the whole supply chain. What I'm especially looking forward to is hearing from Australia's biggest retailers with state of industry updates."