The state’s economic future will be in the spotlight at the 2025 Adelaide Economic Development Agency (AEDA) Business Summit, with Premier of South Australia, The Honourable Peter Malinauskas MP and top industry experts sharing visions for the city’s growth.
Industry leaders will speak at Adelaide Oval on Tarntanya Wama on Tuesday, 20 May 2025, offering valuable knowledge with attendees and opportunities for networking and collaboration.
A full line-up of speakers will be announced soon.
AEDA General Manager Greg Ratsch says the AEDA Business Summit offers valuable insights into the opportunities and the challenges facing the state’s growth and development.
“We’re excited to bring back the AEDA Business Summit for the fourth time,” Mr Ratsch says.
“Adelaide's economy is in a prime position, and this event will offer world-class insights that businesses, government, and other organisations can use to enhance daily operations and shape future strategies.
“Feedback from past attendees shows the AEDA Business Summit has a lasting impact, with many saying it provided them with new knowledge and helped them connect with peers and industry leaders.
“We look forward to welcoming Premier of South Australia, The Honourable Peter Malinauskas MP to speak at the event for the second time and will announce other speakers soon.”
More details, including the full program and ticketing information, will be released soon through AEDA’s City Business newsletter and on AEDA's LinkedIn.
Curious about what to expect? Read the highlights from the last three events, attracting more than 1000 attendees combined.
2022: “Be outrageously aspirational” - Bernard Salt AM
Bernard Salt— the social commentator who told millennials to stop splashing money on smashed avocado breakfasts and save for a house deposit—headlined the first AEDA Business Summit, which focused on post-COVID reinvigoration.
He encouraged South Australians to be “outrageously aspirational” and look at how CBDs could be reimagined to cater for new cultural shifts such as working from home.
While avocado was not on the menu for Mr Salt, he compared Adelaide to a fried egg, with the rich, creamy yolk representing the CBD. It offers something different to the “flat white of suburbia”.
In a vote of confidence for the state’s visitor economy, Mr Malinauskas committed $45 million towards a creative, long-term campaign to lure national and international visitors back to the state.
Other speakers included Experience Co. Chief Executive Officer John O’Sullivan and South Australia Productivity Commission Chairman Adrian Tembel.
2023: Adelaide among the best places to do business - speakers say
The second AEDA Business Summit highlighted key opportunities for Adelaide’s growth, with discussions focusing on boosting the tech sector, global trends, urban development, and the potential of a university merger.
Industry leaders in economics, technology, events, entrepreneurship, and education shared insights on how the city can thrive while addressing its challenges.
The event kicked off with calls for strong population growth and more housing, with The Demographics Group Director and Co-Founder Simon Kuestenmacher who said migration was set to be at a record high over the next five years.
Talks of a university merger, which were unconfirmed at the time, were in full swing, with educational leaders saying combining the University of South Australia and the University of Adelaide would bring a wealth of benefits for the city. This included strong research capabilities and quality industry connections.
The event culminated with the Aspirational Adelaide panel, featuring MilkBar Venture Capital Chief Executive Tyson Gundersen.
Mr Gundersen said: “If you can do it anywhere in the world, then you can definitely do it in Adelaide”. This drew applause from the crowd as he spoke of why he established his business in Adelaide, despite having no prior connection with the city.
Other speakers included University of South Australia Deputy Chancellor Hon. John Hill, University of Adelaide Chancellor Hon. Catherine Branson AC KC, and keynote speaker Technology Council of Australia CEO Kate Pounder.
2024: A Visionary Outlook for Adelaide's Future
A luxury retail precinct in the city, as well as attracting new tenants to commercial buildings, would drive growth across the city, speakers at the AEDA 2024 Business Summit said.
Other key topics included sustainable tourism and business practices, education, the role of start-ups in the city's growth, and the cultural potential of North Terrace.
The Summit also featured a forward-thinking panel on the transformative power of artificial intelligence where experts Professor Simon Lucey and Dr. Adrian Johnston discussed its potential to reshape Adelaide’s economy.
The panel stressed the importance of proactively adopting AI to stay competitive and noted that businesses must cultivate a culture of innovation to harness the power of artificial intelligence.
The AEDA Business Summit was supported by Major event Partner City of Adelaide.
Other speakers included Deputy Chair of the Australian Productivity Commission Alex Robson, Lord Mayor of Adelaide, Dr. Jane Lomax-Smith AM, Director of the Australian Institute for Machine Learning Professor Simon Lucey and Managing Director and Head of Capital Markets Ben Parkinson.