Main Stage

The Bethanie Main Stage is the main hub for engaging and educational sessions, featuring renowned guests and speakers throughout the weekend.

MC’d by Verity James

FRIDAY 31 JULY

10.00am - 10.05am: Welcome to Country

10.05am - 10.15am: Official Welcome
Ms Emily Hamilton MLA, Member for Joondalup represnting the Minister for Aged Care & Seniors

10.15am - 11.15am: Keynote Address: Ageing with Confidence & Purpose
Alison Fan

11.50am - 12.20pm: Your Brain, Your Blueprint: Using Genetics to Stay Ahead of Cognitive Decline
Sharon Palmer, iDNA Health

Discover how your genes influence your brain and cognition. This empowering seminar reveals how to move beyond guesswork and broad recommendations, and take targeted action for better brain health. The focus is on the modifiable risk factors for dementia and how to address them with precision. Gain practical, science-based strategies to optimise your outcomes, enhance cognitive resilience, and take real control.

12.55pm - 1.25pm: Healthy Ageing
Dr Elissa Burton

There are many things we can do to lead healthy lives as we get older. Elissa will present some of the evidence on what works and provide practical strategies on how you can continue to live your best life while staying at home. She will speak about being physically active and the importance of variety; simply walking is not enough. She will also talk about falling over and how we can try and avoid it at any age. She will wrap up her presentation by speaking about successful ageing. Not what academics think it is, but older people themselves. It is multi-faceted and anyone can achieve it; you just need to start.

2.00pm - 2.30pm: Navigating Support at Home
Tracey Izard, Juniper

Navigating aged care is tricky. Let the Juniper experts guide you through navigating government-funded aged care services to keep you healthy, happy and independent in your own home.

We’ll cover what government-funded services are available, including Support at Home services and the recent changes to aged care funding, in a simple and easy-to-understand way. Plus, how to get started accessing support, whose eligibile, and a whole load of tips on how to navigate the aged care system.

3.05pm - 3.35pm: TBC

SATURDAY 1 AUGUST

10.00am - 10.30am: Cyber Security for Older Australians
Dr David Cook, Researcher at the Centre for Securing Digital Futures

A presentation of the latest cyber safety strategies for older Australians, this talk shows current practices by criminals and scamsters. It will show dangers on computing, and on mobile phones, and covers information security, cyber theft, privacy, social media, online payments, paypal, crypto, and the emerging threat of Artifical Intelligence(AI). Dr Cook will answer any and all questions relating to online safety, financial security, and digital legacies.

11.15am - 11.45am: Let's Talk Hearing - How Your Hearing is Related to Your Overall Health
Elisha Randall, Lions Hearing Clinic

Join us for a trip around the body as we examine how our hearing is related to different aspects of our health. Highlighting research from Ear Science Institute Australia, Elisha will identify the risk factors and impact of untreated hearing loss. Elisha is an Audiologist with Lions Hearing Clinics, with Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Neuroscience and Psychology, and Master of Clinical Audiology (MClinAud). She is an experienced guest speaker and is passionate about promoting hearing health in the community

12.30pm - 1.00pm: How to Plan For Retirement
LMR & Co

1.45pm - 2.15pm: TBC

3.00pm - 3.30pm: Enduring Powers: Why They Matter
Robyn Moriconi, Clarity West

It’s often said that everyone needs to have Enduring Powers of Attorney and Guardianship.

But when you’re not sure what they are, how they work, or why you need them, it’s a big ask. Add in legal jargon, common misconceptions, and the thought of losing control over your own life, and it’s easy to put it in the “too hard basket”.

This session uses real-life examples to explore why these documents matter and how they work, helping people see the value in planning ahead sooner rather than later.