DWN conference promises to please

 The annual conference is the Network's key event and venue alternates between the North and South Island to ensure accessibility to all its members at least biannually. This year, the conference is to be held at the ILT Stadium in Invercargill.

DWN chief executive Zelda de Villiers says the organisation is excited to be holding the conference in one of the country's fastest growing dairy areas and cites the Southland farm tour as a particular highlight on the workshop timetable.

"Southland leads the way in wintering systems, so there be a lot to take away from that tour, particularly for the North Island farmers heading down with us," she says.

"We are very fortunate to have public and employment law specialist Mai Chen open the conference on Wednesday, Fonterra's Jacqueline Chow opening the second day and Dame Jenny Shipley to close the conference."

Former New Zealand prime minister Shipley, is now a director, advisor and keynote speaker who runs her own consultancy. She also chairs Global Women New Zealand and a number of companies as well as being a member of the World Women's Leaders Council.

Chow is responsible for Fonterra Group's customer and consumer brands' portfolio.

De Villers says the conference theme of 'Entering tomorrow's world' will be evident in the eight conference workshops, comprising financial management, sustainable environments, a presentation by high performance sport psychologist David Galbraith, farmer wellness, animal lameness, legal liability and more.

"With the calibre of speakers attending the conference, the workshops on offer and the Dairy Woman of the Year and Dairy Community Leadership Awards presentation and dinner on Wednesday night, we have yet another incredible conference planned."

This year's conference will be held 18-19 March at the ILT Stadium in Invercargill. Early bird registrations close on 28 February. Visit www.dwn.co.nz to register.