Webinar Presenters

Neil Guise

Nancye Gannaway

Kate Ambrose

Department of Agriculture and Food

Western Australia

Registration

APEN Members $45 (incl. GST)

Non members $65 (incl. GST)

Click on location below:

 Inquiries: info@apen.org.au

If you are too far from one of the locations listed above and can get five colleagues together to watch the webinars click here.

Live Webinar from WA - Across the APEN Network - Wednesday 24th March

Online seminar links across Pacific - Press Release

Online seminars are likely to become a regular tool to strengthen extension group networks in Australia and New Zealand, following a successful inaugural 'webinar' that linked 44 participants from both countries last week.

The 'webinar' focused on innovative work being done by the Department of Agriculture and Food's Small Landholder Information Service (SLIS) in Western Australia.

It was hosted by the Australasian-Pacific Extension Network (APEN), which supports people working to achieve change in regional communities.

APEN President Tracey Gianatti said the webinar was a step forward in new, cost effective opportunities to share knowledge and skills of extension agents across the Pacific.

'It is a tool that can be used across a variety of industries to improve knowledge exchange," Ms Gianatti said.

SLIS project manager Neil Guise provided the keynote presentation on the development of the award winning service, which operates through the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia.

Mr Guise said the webinar successfully demonstrated a new, effective way for people working with small landholders across Australia and New Zealand to share skills and information.

"It was also a great example of how government and private partnerships can create new opportunities to share ideas, knowledge and skills."

"The interaction enabled by the webinar gave us an opportunity to hear first hand what others are doing elsewhere, without having to get on a plane."

Participants were also able to discuss the presentations online, and develop communication links for the future.

"The webinar strengthened our National Small Landholder Extension Practitioners Network by creating new connections, and better enabled us to share knowledge with our New Zealand neighbours," Mr Guise said.

"The system was easy and functional to use, and was able to be accessed by people on dial up or with limited internet connections,"

"We did strike a problem when Western Australia lost its venue for the webinar because of last week's storm in Perth, but the Kondinin Group stepped in with an alternative venue so we could still go ahead," he said.

The webinar was the first in a series of international online seminars planned to be held by APEN this year.

Ms Gianatti said interested participants could log into the APEN website on www.apen.org.au for future events and topics.

"The webinar for small landholders was an example of the wonderful partnerships we have with state government departments playing an extension role in agriculture," Ms Gianatti said.

Presentations from the webinar can also be downloaded.

Neil's paper is available from here (128 KB Word Doc) and his PowerPoint presentation can also be downloaded from here (6.7MB).

Local Showcase

In addition to the webinars, participants had opportunity to hear and interact with local APEN members who attended the APEN International Conference last year.  Two presentations will be given.  There will be plenty of time for networking and refreshment will be included (either morning tea, lunch or afternoon tea depending on the time zone). 

Registrations

Registration can be done on-line (see links in the left column) or by using a form specific to your location obtainable through the APEN Secretariat info@apen.org.au to post, fax or email registration and payment details.  Payment by either Visa, Mastercard or AMEX credit cards or cheque is acceptable.  The on-line system will provide a Tax Invoice.  Invoice/receipts from the APEN Secretariat can also be provided on request. 

Background to the Webinar Roadshow Concept

The APEN Management Committee (MC) see this as a way to get people together locally and also as part of the national APEN network using the available technology. Greg Mills (APEN Treasurer) has experience with webinars and is the overall coordinator for these events.  Three or four such webinar roadshows based on presentationas and ideas from the APEN International Conference held in Busselton last November will be held in 2010.

The roadshow will consist of a half-day event delivered as a webinar and local presentations. The webinar will be held simultaneously across the country as two 30-45 minute webinars (including the chance for questions and answers) with a break for refreshment and local discussion in between.  After the webinar (or before, depending on your time zone) each location with have presentations from local members on their work or their conference experience.

Local Coordinators

None of this would be possible without the work of local coordinators.  Please assist them on the day where needed.  APEN acknowledges their assistance with thanks. The local coordinators for this event are:

 If you are too far from one of the locations listed above and can get  five colleagues together to watch the webinars click here.