Emerge Conference

Emerge is APSCo Australia's annual full-day conference for recruitment and staffing leaders. Tickets for 2026 are now on sale.

Emerge returns to Sydney on July 28.

After last year’s incredible buzz at NSW Parliament House, we are heading back to give attendees a front-row view of the trends and strategies that are shaping the next era of staffing.

At Emerge, we are exploring how the market is evolving in real time — and how advances in technology are reshaping talent mobility, business models, and the role agencies play in the future workforce ecosystem.

We are unpacking how different models are converging and competing, with a strong focus on execution: how strategy is being turned into reality through the next phase of growth.

This is a conversation about what’s happening now — and what it means for where the market is heading next.

We’re thrilled to announce that Besa Deda, Chief Economist at William Buck, will join us on stage, bringing her sharp, data-led perspective on the labour market and workforce trends shaping our industry.

Joining the lineup is Kevin O’Neill, Technology Research Director at Staffing Industry Analysts. His work focuses on how AI, automation, and emerging platforms are transforming recruitment, workforce management, and operational efficiency - offering practical insight into how businesses can modernise and stay competitive.

Monique Richards (She/Her) will share Aquent’s evolving journey with AI, offering a candid view of how they are embedding AI into real recruitment workflows.

And back by popular demand, it's The Big Rec Quiz. Ross Clennett, one of Australia’s most respected recruitment trainers and industry commentators, returns to host.

Stay tuned for more speaker announcements and check out our early-release agenda below.

Emerge Speakers

Emerge Agenda

8:15am – 8:45am

REGISTRATION DESK OPEN

9:00am

Welcome

Lesley Horsburgh

Managing Director APSCo Australia

9:10am – 10:10am

Keynote

Exploring the Global Workforce

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 – 12:10pm

Panel Session

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

12:10pm – 12:55pm

Panel Session

The Art of Transformation

1:00pm – 1:45pm

LUNCH

1:45pm – 2:30pm

Keynote

Rewiring Work: AI and Technology in Transition

2:30pm – 3:15pm

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

3:15pm – 3:45pm

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

Speaker Profiles

As the Managing Director for Aquent in Australia, Monique Richard's role is to continually review, develop, diversify and grow the business—focusing on their strategic direction, financial management (budgeting, financial forecasting, P&L, etc), people management, local sales and marketing, talent acquisition, retention and performance management.

Monique is an enthusiastic, positive and high impact leader with a proven ability to inspire high performing teams. She has over 15 years experience across general management, solutions focused sales, operations, finance and workforce solutions within multinational businesses.

Besa Deda is known for her ability to make complex economic ideas accessible and relevant. Curious by nature and driven by a passion for clear communication, she translates macroeconomic trends into practical insights, bringing a people-first approach that helps businesses understand what economic shifts mean in real terms.

Her career spans more than two decades across the banking and finance sector, including her historic appointment in 2008 as the first female Chief Economist of an Australian bank at St.George Bank. Following the Westpac merger, she served as Chief Economist across multiple Westpac Group brands, building a reputation as a trusted advisor to organisations ranging from small businesses to major institutions. Today, she brings that expertise to William Buck, while also serving as Chair of Australian Business Economists, where she has championed diversity, modernised operations, and expanded its influence in economic and policy debate.

Kevin O’Neill is the Technology Research Director at Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA), where he has focused since 2022 on the technology ecosystem supporting staffing companies. His work covers global staffing software across front-, middle- and back-office operations, along with best practice guides on technology-driven topics. He works closely with vendors to build detailed insights into their platforms, while also advising staffing firms on how to improve or transform their technology stacks.

With more than 30 years of experience in senior IT leadership roles within the staffing industry, Kevin brings deep operational expertise. He previously served as CIO at Randstad Australasia and later as Head of Delivery for APAC within Randstad Global IT, leading major cloud migration initiatives, and earlier held the role of IT Director at Vedior across multiple APAC staffing brands. He has overseen the full spectrum of staffing technology—from infrastructure and networks to cloud migrations, vendor management, and both front- and back-office system development—and holds a master’s degree in IT management.

Tickets are on sale

Emerge is a full-day experience packed with fresh insights, big conversations, and practical strategies that drive performance, compliance, and inclusion in a changing world of work. Select from single tickets to discounted corporate packages for your team.

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