ICMJ Northern Conference in Rockhampton

Young beef industry professionals can register early for the 2024 ICMJ Northern Conference in Rockhampton, with tickets now on sale.

It is open to early-career professionals in the red meat industry, students at universities and vocational training organization. It is a valuable professional development opportunity.

With limited registrations available, the 2024 ICMJ Northern Conference is expected to sell out, following a hugely successful event earlier this year.

Newly appointed ICMJ Northern Conference Chair, Chloe Gould, said the 2024 event would set the stage for an incredible year for the Australian beef industry, including the triennial Beef Australia expo.

“Our mission is to inspire and develop future red meat industry leaders and we’re focused on building a program that equips the next generation with the knowledge, skills and connections to set them up for an exciting and rewarding career,” Ms Gould said.

An ICMJ alumna, Ms Gould is the Strategic Initiatives Manager for Greenham and Chair of the Beef 2024 Next Gen committee, providing her insight into the critical role ICMJ plays within the industry in developing the meat industry’s workforce.

“We’re extremely proud of the ICMJ Northern Conference and what it has delivered for the industry and the participants since it began in 2019,” Ms Gould said.

“We are constantly striving to ensure that each conference is better than the last and with the 2024 being such a huge year for the beef industry, we’re stepping things up a notch,” she said.

Feedback from participants in 2023 was extremely positive, with approximately 95% saying they gained valuable knowledge in Northern beef industry supply chains, meat science and meat quality and developed new professional skills and networks across the industry.

The Australian ICMJ program exposes students to the fundamentals of meat quality, carcase specifications required in today’s market, the requirements of the modern consumer and the role of new technologies in meeting those needs.

CQUniversity agriculture spokesperson Jaime Manning said the ICMJ Northern Conference has become an annual flagship event for Rockhampton, helping to maintain its role as the Beef Capital.

“The ICMJ Northern Conference supports the development of the northern beef industry’s future leaders and there is no other event quite like it,” she said.

“ICMJ’s mission strongly aligns with CQUniversity’s commitment to growing the northern Australian agricultural sector and we’re focused on building the pool of skilled and knowledgeable graduates to address the current workforce needs and skill base,” she said.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for agriculture students and professionals to gain new skills, as well as network with potential employers and future industry colleagues.”

As well as the training workshops and the meat judging competition, the program will feature industry dinners with beef products supplied by ICMJ partners, professional development sessions, networking opportunities and a gala dinner and awards night.

The ICMJ Northern Conference also incorporates a careers and trade expo involving Australia’s major meat processing companies, several of the large vertically integrated beef supply chains, and industry service providers.

ICMJ is supported by foundation partners Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) and Australian Meat Processor Corporation (AMPC) and a range of industry partners.

Individual conference registration is $330 per person (including GST). Secure your place now via the ICMJ website: https://icmj.com.au/icmjevent/2024northern/

For media enquiries:

• Megan Hendry| CQUniversity | m.a.hendry@cqu.edu.au | 07 4930 9344

For interviews:

• Chloe Gould | ICMJ Northern Conference Chair | 0407 555 935
• Peter McGilchrist | ICMJ President | 0419 986 056