Agenda: LG Innovate 2026
Wednesday 2nd & Thursday 3rd September 2026
Melbourne Town Hall
Across two days, you'll hear from Australian and international thought leaders, council executives and AI specialists as they share proven approaches to innovation, governance and transformation.
Day 1 - Wednesday 2nd September 2026
8:45 - 9:00am | Official Welcome
Official welcome from all event hosts:
Jacqui Wightman, CEO, Davidson
Alison Leighton, CEO, City of Melbourne
Agnes Panosian, Head of Government & Specialist Organisation, AWS
9:05 - 9:45am | CEO Index Launch & Panel Discussion - Vanessa Huxley, Davidson & guests
Launch of the 2026 Australian Local Government CEO Index, revealing survey insights & CEO Index Panel Discussion.
Presenter:
Vanessa Huxley, Senior Partner - Davidson Recruitment & guests
9:50 - 10:10am | AI & Cybersecurity - Darren Sumner, City of Melbourne
How a leading council is securing the AI frontier.
Presenter:
Darren Sumner, Head of Infrastructure, Operations & Cybersecurity, City of Melbourne
10:15 - 10:45am | AI & Cybersecurity, AWS Deep Dive- Stephen Kraemer, AWS
AWS Deep Dive - Protecting critical
infrastructure in an AI-first world.
Presenter:
Stephen Kraemer, Executive Coach & Boards Advisor, AWS
10:45 - 11:15am | Morning Break & Networking
Connect with your peers over morning tea or visit the AI Demo Lounge for live AI demos and hands on skill builder sessions.
11:20 - 11:50am | Digital where possible, human where it matters - Julian Patmore, UK
Digital where possible, human where it matters: Striking the right balance in citizen service delivery.
International presenter:
Julian Patmore, Service Director for Digital & Customer Access, Peterborough City Council, UK
11:55 - 12:25pm | Panel discussion: Turning AI into Better Resident Experiences - Technology1 & guests
Techology1 panel discussion: Turning AI into Better Resident Experiences .
Explore how councils can use AI to create better resident experiences and what’s possible in practice.
12:30 - 1:00pm | Customer Panel - Agentic AI: The next frontier - Michael Fagan, Symphony3
Hear how Kmart led the way in AI and how that translates to councils.
Presenter:
1:00 - 2:00pm | Networking Lunch
Enjoy your lunch, connect with your peers and visit the AI Demo Lounge for live AI demos and hands on skill builder sessions.
2:05 - 2:35pm | AI & Digital Technology - Matt Cosgrove, Port Macquarie Hastings Council
AI & Digital Technology: Understanding the voice of the customer.
Presenter:
Matt Cosgrove, Customer Experience Leader, Port Macquarie Hastings Council
2:40 - 3:10pm | Agentic AI that learns your world - David Freeman, Technology1 & Luke Heine, Davidson
Customer panel discussion:
Agentic AI that learns your world. Secure, Australian-built AI on your existing ERP.
Presenters:
David Freeman, Principal Parnter Account Manager, Technology1
Luke Heine, National Senior Partner - Business Advisory, Davidson
3:15 - 3:45pm | Delivering business value through large scale transformations - Bianca Lochner Ph.D, USA
Delivering business value through large-scale digital transformations, resilient cybersecurity strategies, and advanced data and AI capabilities.
Presenter:
Bianca Lochner Ph.D, CEO, City of Scottsdale, USA
3:45 - 4:10pm | Archistar AI Precheck - Chris Clark, Archistar
Archistar AI Precheck: Eliminating Rework Before It Starts.
Archistar AI Precheck: Eliminating Rework Before It Starts - Explore why traditional intake processes are no longer sufficient and how councils are responding with AI-powered approaches.
Presenter:
Chris Clark, Head of Product Platform & Innovation, Archistar
4:50 - 5:20pm | Customer Panel
Speaker and topic announced soon.
5:20 - 5:30pm | Closing remarks
Closing remarks for Day 1.
5:30 - 8:30pm | Evening Networking Reception hosted by Technology1
Attendees are invited to an exclusive networking evening, hosted by Technology1.
Attendance is included with your LG Innovate 2026 ticket however, places are limited. Attendees must register their interest by selecting the networking event add-on during ticket purchase.
Day 2 - Thursday 3rd September 2026
8:50 - 9:00am | Day 2 Opening - Kim Jackson, AWS
Setting the scene for skills-focused sessions.
Presenter:
Kim Jackson, Sales Manager NSW Government & Local Government, AWS
9:05 - 10:05am | Agentic AI Workshop
Skills Enhancement: Build, deploy and govern AI agents for
council workflows.
Upskill your team to lead the autonomous AI revolution.
Presenter:
Elijah Glass, Information Services Manager, City of Bunbury, AWS
10:05 - 10:30am | Morning Break & Networking
Connect with your peers over morning tea or visit the AI Demo Lounge for live AI demos and hands on skill builder sessions.
10:35 - 11:35am | Design It, or It Designs You: The Human-AI interface - Mattias Otte, AWS
Accountability, relational stance and culture. Shaping how people and AI work together in councils.
Presenter:
Mathias Otte, Customer Success Team Leader, AWS
11:40 - 12:05pm | Customer collaboration panel
Panel members and topic to be announced soon.
12:10 - 12:30pm | Day 2 Closing Remarks - Kim Jackson, AWS & Luke Heine, Davidson
Commitments, connections, and continuing the journey.
Presenters:
Kim Jackson, Sales Manager NSW Government & Local Government, AWS
Luke Heine, National Senior Partner - Business Advisory, Davidson
