Conference Theme

Creative Solutions: expect them to be different

Being innovative is an essential element of contemporary business and government however often the claims fall short on the delivery. SEGRA 2008 will focus on the evidence and examples of achieving new, really innovative and most importantly useful change. 

Original ideas are driven by both invention and imagination; seeing the same thing as everybody else but thinking of something different; taking the existing and combining it in different ways, often for new purposes. SEGRA 2008 will look at what we can do to make this difference come about – planned and creative rather than messy and disruptive.  First and foremost innovation requires an expectation that there are novel and different solutions available, secondly the skills and organizational capacity to seek them out and thirdly the willingness and determination to follow through.

Key questions asked by creative thinkers include:

- What is the true issue and its causes and how is this linked to the effect?
- What will happen if key variables are substituted, swapped, combined, exaggerated, modified? 
-What would this like the other way round?
- What would have to happen to create the reverse effect?

SEGRA 2008 will draw on keynote speakers who are nationally recognized for their original thinking, and capacity to combine novelty and appropriateness. SEGRA 2008 will include on the ground examples of the new, cutting edge, expected, unexpected and successful outcomes from regional case studies.

SEGRA 2008 will offer delegates the opportunity to generate new ideas, problem solve and build new networks and connections  with exposure to over 300 delegates with deep commitment to and knowledge about the particularity of regional Australia. Delegates from more than 200 different organisations from government, business, non government sector and research institutions from across Australia ensure exposure to different organizations experiences, ideas and examples of how they have responded to the challenges.

SEGRA 2008 provides the opportunity to both share your experiences and learn from others The three day format allows delegates time away from the demands at their desks to look problems in a multi disciplinary network, ask hard questions, hear inspirational achievements from regional Australia, consider beyond the boundaries of constraint, critically analyse concepts and get and have new ideas.  SEGRA provides the opportunity to find solutions that are not simply more of the same, to look beyond the inertia that is often associated with incrementalism and consider the opportunities that arise when the boundaries are drawn more widely.

For more information and to register, please visit the SEGRA website at www.segra.com.au/segra.

Action Agendas for SEGRA 2008:

• Regional Australia and the national agenda
• Delivering Sustainable Economic Development
• Tools and Models for Regional Development
• Successful Case Studies - the different and unexpected
• Climate Change
• Identify the latest trends impacting regional Australia
• Review government, community, practitioner and commercial responses and experiences
• Showcase innovative policy responses, actions nd decision techniques
• Outline scenarios for regional futures
• Demonstrate a range of successful projects from regional Australia
• Identify key actions within high performing organisations
  
  
  

SEGRA 2008 will:

• Identify the latest trends impacting regional Australia
• Review government, community, practitioner and commercial responses and experiences
• Showcase innovative policy responses, actions and decision techniques
• Outline scenarios for regional futures
• Demonstrate a range of successful projects from Regional Australia
• Identify key actions within high performing organisations