Cotton Australia has revealed the full agenda for the three-day Cotton Collective to be held in Toowoomba from 5-7 August, with a packed schedule of events, speakers and trade show highlights.

The popular event includes a bus tour on the first day, full day conference on the second culminating in the 2025 Cotton Industry Awards Dinner, and a third Collective day with events and presentations, all central to the interests of cotton growers and the industry.

Cotton Australia CEO Adam Kay said the event is the largest of its kind for the cotton industry in 2025. “Our growers enjoy the opportunity to come together and share learnings with each other, to listen to global and Australian thought-leaders in the industry, and to hear about the latest innovations and technology.

“The organisers have put together an exciting agenda with speakers ranging from the CSIRO’s Dr Stefan Hajkowicz focussing on Megatrends and the Australian Cotton Industry, to a panel session on Has the Basin Plan been worth the Pain and What is Next? featuring the CEO of the Murray Darling Basin Authority Murray McConville.”

Day one of the Cotton Collective will feature an optional Darling Downs District Innovation Bus Tour where participants will enjoy exclusive access to such facilities as Excel Agriculture, Bayer Lab, RDO and SwarmFarm.

CEO and SwarmFarm Robotics founder Andrew Bate said he was pleased to be able open his manufacturing facility to those on the bus tour.

“We will provide a behind the scenes look at how our facility manufactures cutting edge autonomous farming equipment from our Wellcamp base. We are proud of what we do here because we know our equipment is world-leading in the development of intelligent robotics in the field of agriculture.”

The Darling Downs District Innovation Bus Tour runs from 08.30 till 4.30pm 5 August, leaving from The Rock Hotel Ruthven St, Toowoomba, and comes at a cost of only $50 including lunch. Bookings can be made here.

Day one of the Collective ends with a welcome drinks event sponsored by LDC, with funds raised on the night going to the Jamieson Trauma Institute.

Day 2 of the Collective is a full day of presentations and panel sessions with information and industry updates specifically chosen for anyone interested in cotton, and more generally agriculture. Topics range from growing a successful farming business and farm leaders to beyond the farm gate – ‘Australian cotton in the wider world.’

The evening of Day 2 will see the staging of the National Coton Awards Dinner where the recipients of the Bayer Grower of the Year and AgriRisk High Achiever of the Year will be announced, among other categories.

Day three will start with a showcase of new product and technology followed by a range of presentations and discussions on topics including carbon, grower productivity and irrigation automation. The keynote speaker Natalie Waters will conclude the day with a special presentation on Reading People: The Business Skill You Can’t Afford to Miss.

The two full conference days will be supported by the Trade Show which will be a focal point for social interaction and will feature the latest demonstrations of all things of interest to growers.

See the full agenda or book tickets to every stage of the Cotton Collective.