Emerge Conference

Emerge Conference

Emerge is APSCo Australia's annual full-day conference for recruitment and staffing leaders.

Emerge 2026 returned to Sydney on Tuesday July 28, bringing together leaders from across recruitment, workforce solutions, technology, transformation, economics and offshoring to explore the forces reshaping our industry.

The day opened with Kevin O'Neill, Technology Research Director at Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA), who provided a global perspective on workforce trends, technology disruption and the future of recruitment and staffing.

Attendees also heard from Besa Deda, Chief Economist at William Buck, who shared insights into the Australian labour market and the economic factors influencing workforce demand, hiring activity and business confidence.

Amit Somaiya, CEO & Founder of IMS Group, explored the growing role of offshoring in the future workforce landscape, while panel discussions featuring leaders from Hays, The Network, Brexa, The Precision Group, WorkPro, Goheadhunt, Impellam Group and Morson Edge Australia examined workforce ecosystems, transformation, capability building and business evolution.

The afternoon focused on practical AI application, with HyperAutomate Co-Founders Jordan Betteridge and Lee Anne Whitaker leading an interactive workshop on how businesses can leverage AI and automation to modernise operations and improve efficiency.

Attendees also gained valuable real-world insights from Monique Richards, Managing Director of Aquent Australia, who shared Aquent's AI journey and how the business is embedding AI into recruitment workflows while navigating organisational change.

The day concluded with the return of The Big Rec Quiz, hosted by renowned industry commentator Ross Clennett, providing a fun and engaging close to a day of learning, ideas and industry connection.

Thank you to our speakers, sponsors, exhibitors and attendees for making Emerge 2026 such a memorable event. We look forward to welcoming the industry back for Emerge 2027.

It's hard to capture everything that made Emerge special, but this comes pretty close. Watch the 2026 hype reel below.

2026 Emerge Speakers

Employer Brand Director, Principals

Founder & CEO, WorkPro

CEO APAC, Impellam Group

Founder & CEO, Goheadhunt

Managing Director, Avec

2026 Emerge Agenda

8:15am – 8:55am

REGISTRATION DESK OPEN

9:00am

Welcome

Lesley Horsburgh

Managing Director APSCo Australia

9:10am – 10:10am

Keynote: Exploring the Global Workforce

This keynote explores the forces reshaping the $1.8 trillion global staffing market and what they mean for leaders in Australia and across APAC.

Kevin will start with a market reality check - where growth is happening, how Australia compares globally, and where the biggest opportunities lie. He'll then examine the shift in workforce models, as contingent labour, SOW, and direct sourcing rise, and as procurement and enterprise expectations redefine value.

Next, we'll look at technology and AI- and cut through the hype to understand what’s truly changing, the risks emerging, and why human-led models remain critical.

Finally, we'll focus on the strategic imperative: why standing still is the greatest risk, and how leading firms are reinventing for growth.

Kevin O'Neill

Technology Research Director, Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA)

10:10am – 10:55am

Keynote

The Australian Labour Market

Besa Deda

Chief Economist, William Buck

10:55am – 11:25am

MORNING TEA

11:25am - 11:40am

Keynote

The role of Offshoring in the future workforce market

Amit Somaiya
CEO & Founder, IMS Group

11:40am – 12:25pm

Panel Session

Inside the Workforce Ecosystem: How do we co-exist and collaborate?

As the market shifts continue and technology enables are far more complex competitive landscape, transformation is the only way to survive. Our panel discuss the value proposition of true specialism, MSP models, SOW and Platforms – how do we co-exist and where’s the opportunity for collaboration.

Facilitated by Tania Evans, Founder & CEO, WorkPro
Richard Barnett, Strategic Sales Director, MSP & RPO, ANZ, Hays
Michelle Mallaney, Associate Director, The Network
Adham Ghafary, Founder & CEO, Goheadhunt

Dennis Grant, Managing Director, Avec

12:25pm – 1:10pm

Panel Session

The Art of Transformation

Picking your niche is one thing but ensuring its implemented across all aspects of the business is critical to success.

Facilitated by Mark Coyle, CEO APAC Impellam Group
Fiona Ellis-Hill, Head of Capability & Change, BREXA ANZ
Simon Hair, Managing Director, Precision Sourcing
Rob Lawrence, Managing Director, Morson Edge Australia

Claire Gallagher, Employer Brand Director, Principals

1:10pm – 1:55pm

LUNCH

1:55pm – 2:40pm

Keynote/Workshop

The AI Advantage: What It Actually Means for Your Business

AI isn't just changing how recruiters work, it's changing how staffing businesses compete.

In this no-slides, live-demonstration session, the team from Hyper Automate will show you three things every business owner in the room can act on.

How to get a real-time picture of your business without a single extra report

How to catch compliance and revenue risk before it costs you

How to respond to client opportunities faster than your competition.

Whether you're AI experimenting or already deploying, you'll leave with a clear picture of where the leverage is, and what to do first.

Jordan Betteridge, Co-Founder, HyperAutomate

Lee Whittaker, Co-Founder, HyperAutomate

2:40pm – 3:25pm

Fireside chat

Monique Richards (She/Her) shares Aquent’s evolving journey with AI, offering a candid look at how the business is embedding AI into real recruitment workflows.

Monique Richards (She/Her)

Managing Director, Aquent Australia

3:25pm – 3:50pm

AFTERNOON TEA

3:50pm – 4:30pm

The Big Rec Quiz

A fast-paced timeline journey through recruitment history, testing panellists knowledge in the ultimate industry quiz.

Facilitated by Ross Clennett

4:30pm - 4:40pm

Closing remarks

4:40pm - 6:30pm

NETWORKING DRINKS

Major Sponsor

AU IMS People Possible

Sponsors

SDP (2)

BULLHORN

Nolyvra (4)

JobADder (3)

Indeed

Hyper Automate-1

JICS

ainstein 2

Atlas

Photos of Emerge 2026

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