Hear from 2023 attendees

The L&D + HR Symposium is by far and away the best conference available to leaders across all industries. What makes it special is the input provided by the advisors who live and breathe HR/L&D, which makes sure the content really hits the spot and focuses on the current challenges/strategic priorities in businesses. The quality of speakers and variety of sessions on offer means that it can almost be hard to choose where to be all the time – a great problem to have! The suppliers are really well positioned to establish connections rather than there for hard sells and is a great way for them to reach businesses in a meaningful way – where everyone is there for the learning and social experiences. Really seamless event and the organisers are the best in the business – Thank you for a wonderful few days and I can’t wait for next year!
Rowena Carter, Director of People & Culture, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

Seriously, it was a game-changer. They were all about using tech to supercharge the employee experience. Learning and growth took on a whole new meaning. Hanging out with leaders from Australia and New Zealand made learning a blast. No office distractions, just pure knowledge swapping and networking vibes. From career stuff to smashing diversity goals, and even AI tricks, it was all on the table.
For any fellow HR and L&D trailblazers, mark the next symposium. It’s like a cheat code for staying ahead in the business jungle.
Can’t wait for the sequel!
Ed Brenac, Head of Team Experience, Winning Group

The most enriching two days with the best and most passionate in the country. The L&D Symposium is not your usual conference – it truly an experience. A carefully curated experience that has the right mix of networking opportunities, think tanks and perspective & knowledge sharing from experts.
Deepti Sachdeva, Head of Enterprise Capability and Transformation, Westpac

It was an amazing opportunity to connect with fellow professionals, share thoughts on different challenges, and absorb insights from a diverse range of exceptional speakers. Those of us in the HR/ L&D space are often so focused on the learning needs of the organisation, that we can neglect our own. The symposium was a valuable learning experience and I have walked away with new learnings, new contacts, and bucket-loads of inspiration!
Maria Mermelas, Director People & Culture, CHOICE

The L&D + HR symposium is one of the most enjoyable and well run industry event I have attended . The organisers have thought of everything so you are free to connect with like minded professionals in a relaxing setting whilst learning about new and relevant topics.
Joanne McPhee, General Manager People, Consulting & Projects, The Star Entertainment

Having attended multiple conferences in Australia and globally this is the ‘One’ conference symposium I would recommend in Australia as a HR/L&D professional. Speakers are, in general, practitioners who share their stories which makes it real. There are plenty of opportunities for questions and networking opportunities abound – A must attend event. I’ve made it my priority to attend for the past three years.
Michael Eichler, GM People Projects, Anglicare Sydney

This was my first time attending LDHR Symposium and I was grateful for the opportunity! It was the perfect selection of speakers and topics to really ‘nerd out’ for 2 days with like minded professionals. I was given the opportunity to listen to real world experts as well as sit and discuss challenges and strengths in approach to people related issues. I’ve walked away feeling excited about being in the people space and what I can do to further enhance and add value in my business!
Alison Briggs, Associate Director – People & Culture, Knight Frank

L&D + HR Symposium is a must attend event for us. The calibre of delegates, location of the event, format of the symposium and high level of organisation and professionalism of the Ashton Media Team combine to provide a safe environment conducive to forming high quality relationships and having meaningful conversations.
Rob Cassidy, Head of Sales, Circle In

As a sponsor I can honestly say, if I could only participate in one HR/L&D event each year, this would be it.
Paul Scott, General Manager ANZ, LMS 365

Valuable and thoughtful forum to connect authentically with peers, share ideas and learn from each other. We are all looking to solve for some complex challenges. This is the place to find your community.
Leoni Rothwell, Director, Sprouta

Hear from 2022 attendees

The L&D + HR Symposium was one of the most insightful conferences I attended in 2022 – a perfect blend of insparational yet practical content. It’s a privilege to be a part of the advisory board for this event in 2023, as we face into more complex people and workforce challenges ahead. To support how the event is shaped and to share and learn together as an HR community is how we continue to evolve our impact within our organisations.
Pam Stroud, Executive Manager, Talent Attraction and Engagement Experience, REA Group – 2023 advisory board member

Such an absolute pleasure being a part of the L&D and HR Symposium. Without a doubt the best HR event I have attended in Australia. Thank you to the great Ashton Media for asking me to be a part of the facilitation team and for raising the bar for all future events.
Mary Hogg, Regional HR Director, Hilton (via LinkedIn)

Any L&D professional should definitely make the time to attend this event. It’s a wonderful two days, spending time with like-minded people, and taking the time to not only reflect on what you have been doing in the learning space, but hear from others, share challenges and experiences, and get new ideas on how you can improve learning in your organisation. I’d highly recommend this event and am already looking forward to next year!
Lisa Balster, Head of Banker Capability & Performance Excellence, NAB

The L&D + HR Symposium is THE must-attend event of the year. So many talented and smart people coming together to connect (with wine), talking about the challenges and solutions that we are faced with each day.
Lynita Halaska, Learning and Development Lead, Lion

The environment that’s been created, the opportunities to connect informally, the way people are mixed up and then put in situations where it’s very relaxed, no one’s under pressure. It it really just creates the right environment for people to connect and meaningfully connect.
Arun Pradhan, GM of Learning, ANZ

An absolutely wonderful conference with fantastic guest speakers, topics and opportunities to create connections. Definitely a must-do for any People and Culture leaders!
Rebecca Ridings, Learning, Leadership and Culture Coach, Australian Red Cross

This is my second year attending the L&D Symposium. I continue to be inspired and energised about the work I hear peers and thought leaders are doing. One of my favourite elements of this symposium is the opportunities to build deep networks and connections with new people in the same fields. This is the only conference that I feel really creates an environment to support this connection and I commend the organisers on their success with this!
Yvette Ryan, Leadership Learning Lead, CSIRO

The L&D HR Symposium is absolutely the standout People & Culture event of the year. The quality of speakers and attendees is incredibly high, and the Ashton Media team go to incredible efforts to make sure every detail is thought of (thank you!!). It truly is an immersive learning experience, filled with moments for genuine connection and inspiration. This was my second year and it was wonderful to re-connect with peers from last year, and meet so many incredible new people this year. Having the opportunity to bounce & build ideas in this community is truly so unique to a ‘conference’ experience. I feel re-energised after spending two days with so many amazing people and I can not wait for next year.
Jessica Redman, Group Learning & Organisational Development Manager, nib Group

This week I spent two days in the Hunter Valley at the L&D and HR Symposium hosted by Ashton Media. It was one of the best conferences I’ve been to in a long time. The topics were on point, hyper relevant for the challenges we face today, and brought to life by excellent keynotes, think tanks and panel discussions (aaaand maybe the odd wine or two!)
Melitta Hardenberg, Head of Learning & Organisational Development, SEEK (via LinkedIn)

Great event! so many great topics covered by L&D + HR experts with the opportunity to share experiences, observations and insights. Loved it!
Bruno Zadeh, Enterprise Account Director, Qualtrics

This is by far the best L&D event, that I’ve ever attended, quality speakers, outstanding connections, tremendous location! Highly recommend.
Katherine Lapardin, Enterprise Solutions Specialist, CoachHub

Ashton Media handled this symposium from start to finish with professionalism and care. It has been a pleasure working with Rosanna and Stacey, who provided guidance and support along the way. From the moment we engaged our experience has been exceptional. Well done!
Gail Bower, Director, PRSNTR