OUr Events
we believe that innovation thrives on connection, collaboration, and action.
Our flagship programs are designed to bring together the brightest minds in the Hunter region—from start-up founders and industry veterans to creatives and policymakers—to solve real-world problems and accelerate our local ecosystem.
Whether you are looking to network, brainstorm, or shape the strategic future of our region, there is a place for you here.
Last Friday of Every Month
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12-2pm
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Engineered Serendipity
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Last Friday of Every Month · 12-2pm · Engineered Serendipity ·
Connect. collaborate. inspirE.
In it’s 24th year, the festival get you ready to dive into a world of possibilities as we explore the future of our region and beyond.
What if our community's power transformed the Hunter into a global force for positive change?
From cutting-edge technology to groundbreaking ideas, this year's festival is your chance to connect with the brightest minds, be inspired by world-class speakers, and discover how we can shape a brighter tomorrow, together.
The Hunter already has the industry. Can it have the rest?
The Hunter was the first region in Australia to choose where it would compete. It still has the mills, the port, the energy system, and the research. Roy Green and John H. Howard argue that none of that turns AI into productivity unless the region also builds the skills, management, and shared facilities to use it. The industry is here; the question is whether the rest will follow.
John Howard and Roy Green’s UTS report, Turning AI into Productivity, draws on 110 innovation ecosystems across 35 countries alongside field visits throughout Europe and the Nordics. The finding is blunt: technology is available everywhere, but the necessary complements are not. Industrial AI lifts output only when combined with operational data, skills, management capability, translation institutes, testbeds, and real industrial demand.
That is a critical question for the Hunter. A decade ago, this region adopted Australia’s first Smart Specialisation Strategy. It retains the port, heavy industry, energy transition assets, university, and research institutes. What it does not yet have, on the report’s own reading of Australian precincts, is a sufficiently thick translation layer, procurement pathways, or systems integration to carry pilots into production.
Kate O’Mara (CEO, RDA Hunter) managed the original Smart Specialisation Strategy and later released the 10-year Then & Now comparison. She is now leading the Hunter Global Competitiveness Initiative and the Hunter Economic Development and Global Competitiveness Strategy. She will join John and Roy to put that history and current work into the conversation.
The lunch is designed as a working conversation: What would it take for the Hunter to be a place where industrial AI lands across steel, energy, manufacturing, health, and aerospace, and what would a coalition of the willing need to build first?
Innovation is thriving in the heart of the Hunter!
Join us for the Muswellbrook Roadshow on 7 October, where we’ll celebrate the visionary founders and groundbreaking technologies shaping our region’s future in Industrial-Tech and the Energy Transition.
Connect with local leaders and innovators over lunch for an afternoon of networking and exclusive insights.
Space is limited—secure your spot today!
Innovation is thriving in the heart of the Hunter!
Join us for the Maitland Roadshow on 30 September, where we’ll celebrate the visionary founders and groundbreaking technologies shaping our region’s future in Industrial-Tech and the Energy Transition.
Connect with local leaders and innovators over lunch for an afternoon of networking and exclusive insights.
Space is limited—secure your spot today!
Innovation is thriving in the heart of the Hunter!
Join us for the Cessnock Roadshow on 22 September, where we’ll celebrate the visionary founders and groundbreaking technologies shaping our region’s future in Health and the Circular Economy.
Connect with local leaders and innovators for an afternoon of networking and exclusive insights.
Space is limited—secure your spot today!
Have you connected with the Hunter innovation ecosystem yet?
Our Friday gatherings aren’t just another business lunch. It’s the official home to meet the region's innovators, movers, and shakers.
The 2026 Innovators Lunch Series experience is shaping up to be the best kind of chaos—the kind where new ideas and partnerships happen over sandwiches.
Why you need to be there this Friday:
Get inspired: Forget the emails for two hours. Come feel the energy of what’s happening in the Hunter right now.
See your mates: Come catch up with the usual suspects.
New in town? If you are new to Newcastle's tech or innovation scene, this is the single fastest way to plug in. Our goal is for you to make 100 new friends, collaborators, or connections in two hours.
Yes, we have incredible speakers from talking about new tech, old tech, impressive projects and small ideas. But mostly? We’re just excited to get everyone in the same room to connect, share and grow together.
Don't be the one hearing about the vibe on Monday morning. Grab a ticket, come grab some lunch, and let's make 2026 the best year ever!
Have you connected with the Hunter innovation ecosystem yet?
Our Friday gatherings aren’t just another business lunch. It’s the official home to meet the region's innovators, movers, and shakers.
The 2026 Innovators Lunch Series experience is shaping up to be the best kind of chaos—the kind where new ideas and partnerships happen over sandwiches.
Why you need to be there this Friday:
Get inspired: Forget the emails for two hours. Come feel the energy of what’s happening in the Hunter right now.
See your mates: Come catch up with the usual suspects.
New in town? If you are new to Newcastle's tech or innovation scene, this is the single fastest way to plug in. Our goal is for you to make 100 new friends, collaborators, or connections in two hours.
Yes, we have incredible speakers from talking about new tech, old tech, impressive projects and small ideas. But mostly? We’re just excited to get everyone in the same room to connect, share and grow together.
Don't be the one hearing about the vibe on Monday morning. Grab a ticket, come grab some lunch, and let's make 2026 the best year ever!
Have you connected with the Hunter innovation ecosystem yet?
Our Friday gatherings aren’t just another business lunch. It’s the official home to meet the region's innovators, movers, and shakers.
The 2026 Innovators Lunch Series experience is shaping up to be the best kind of chaos—the kind where new ideas and partnerships happen over sandwiches.
Why you need to be there this Friday:
Get inspired: Forget the emails for two hours. Come feel the energy of what’s happening in the Hunter right now.
See your mates: Come catch up with the usual suspects.
New in town? If you are new to Newcastle's tech or innovation scene, this is the single fastest way to plug in. Our goal is for you to make 100 new friends, collaborators, or connections in two hours.
Yes, we have incredible speakers from talking about new tech, old tech, impressive projects and small ideas. But mostly? We’re just excited to get everyone in the same room to connect, share and grow together.
Don't be the one hearing about the vibe on Monday morning. Grab a ticket, come grab some lunch, and let's make 2026 the best year ever!
Global supply chains are no longer a "given" - they are a strategic vulnerability.
With escalating geopolitical instability, shipping blockages, and soaring freight costs, the materials your business relies on are no longer guaranteed to arrive. The Hunter cannot afford to wait for the next container; we must build our own sovereign alternatives now to survive.
On Friday, 24 April, we are convening the architects of the Bio-Industrial Hunter. This isn't a conversation about "sustainability" - it is a high-stakes briefing on Industrial Resilience. We are moving beyond theory to the hard reality of replacing unstable global imports with localised, unbreakable supply loops.
Have you connected with the Hunter innovation ecosystem yet?
Our Friday gatherings aren’t just another business lunch. It’s the official home to meet the region's innovators, movers, and shakers.
The 2026 Innovators Lunch Series experience is shaping up to be the best kind of chaos—the kind where new ideas and partnerships happen over sandwiches.
Why you need to be there this Friday:
Get inspired: Forget the emails for two hours. Come feel the energy of what’s happening in the Hunter right now.
See your mates: Come catch up with the usual suspects.
New in town? If you are new to Newcastle's tech or innovation scene, this is the single fastest way to plug in. Our goal is for you to make 100 new friends, collaborators, or connections in two hours.
Yes, we have incredible speakers from talking about new tech, old tech, impressive projects and small ideas. But mostly? We’re just excited to get everyone in the same room to connect, share and grow together.
Don't be the one hearing about the vibe on Monday morning. Grab a ticket, come grab some lunch, and let's make 2026 the best year ever!
Stop Raising in the Dark: Meet the People Behind the Capital
Most founders treat capital raising like a "black box", a mysterious, high-stakes process of sending pitch decks into a void and hoping for a reply. On Friday, 26 February, we are opening that box.
It’s your chance to sit in the room with the actual decision-makers. We are bringing together a powerhouse panel of investors, including Carolyn Breeze (Scalare Partners) and Alex Retzlaff (Unify Ventures) alongside founders like Justin Bain (3ME Technology), who have successfully navigated the climb from regional grants to $40M global rounds.
Why should you be there?
Meet the Investors: Get past the "info@" email addresses. Hear directly from VCs about what makes them lean in on a regional deal and what makes them pass.
The Reality of the Raise: Learn the difference between "grant-ready" and "investor-ready." We’ll deconstruct how to sequence your capital—using the 75% MVP Ventures subsidy as a springboard rather than a crutch—to protect your equity and fuel global scale.
The "Customer Lever" Advantage: Discover how to position your business within the Hunter’s Defence and Energy "gravity wells." Learn why solving problems for these sovereign giants makes you a magnet for high-conviction capital.
Whether you are currently drafting an MVP application for the March 26th opening or planning a future Series A, this session is designed to give you the clarity and the connections you need.
Are you ready to stop guessing and start scaling? Join us at the Hunter iF Innovators Lunch to cross the bridge from founder to CEO.
To kick off 2026, Hunter iF is hosting Beyond the Hard Hat. We’re bringing in NTP Talent, Australian EVS, and Allegro Energy to show how the Hunter can rebrand its industrial strength into a magnet for top-tier talent. Join us for lunch, insights, and a practical workshop on rewriting the rulebook for recruitment.
Local Innovation Forward: Grow, Connect, & Fund Your Business. Actionable strategies on innovation, marketing, and grants to fuel your success.
Shape the Hunter Valley's future! Join key leaders at the Innovation Investment Luncheon to drive tourism & economic growth and attract significant investment.
Join us for a dynamic hybrid panel and lunchtime session tailored to empower Maitland's manufacturing community. Whether you're an established industry leader or an aspiring entrepreneur, this event is designed to provide you with the critical information and connections needed to boost output, enhance productivity and efficiency, and drive future profitability.
Let's turn legacy land into next-gen industries. Join local leaders to forge the actionable pathways that will define our region's economic future.
Regional Roadshow: Muswellbrook
Join miners, local business owners, and your neighbours for a special, hands-on event to grow our town, our careers, and our futures. This is about real action and real results, driven by you.
Future of Manufacturing in Australia
Hunter iF and the Hunter Manufacturing Awards invite you to a thought-provoking panel discussion exploring the implications of the Federal Government’s Future Made in Australia policy—and what it means for innovators, manufacturers, and industry across the Hunter.
Future Healthcare in an Age of Change
As AI, robotics, wearable tech, and tele-health disrupt the industry, what skills will the future workforce need?
The Innovators Lunch is our premier networking event, designed to bring the Hunter’s business and innovation community together in a relaxed, engaging environment.
It is more than just a meal; it is a platform for sharing success stories, exploring new partnerships, and hearing from thought leaders who are pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
Who should attend: Founders, investors, corporate leaders, and anyone looking to expand their professional network within the innovation ecosystem.
What to expect: High-calibre keynote speakers, curated networking opportunities, and insights into the latest industry trends.
The outcome: Meaningful connections that spark future collaborations and fuel business growth.
Hunter IF, in proud partnership with the Hunter Manufacturing Awards (HMA), invites you to discover the cutting-edge technologies and emerging leaders redefining our region's manufacturing landscape.
Join us to connect with award-winning local innovators, learn from the next generation of industry trailblazers, and share in the vision that proves world-class engineering is designed, built, and mastered right here in the Hunter.