ARTIFICIAL intelligence was placed at the top of the regional business agenda when La Trobe University hosted its ‘AI in Action Conference’ at the Shepparton campus last Friday, October 9.
For regional businesses, the timing was significant. AI is no longer a distant concept reserved for major metropolitan companies or technology specialists. It is becoming part of everyday decision-making, administration, customer service, data management, and strategic business planning.
Developed by La Trobe University’s Shepparton and Albury Wodonga campuses in collaboration with principal sponsor RDA Hume, the event moved the conversation beyond theory and into practical, locally relevant action.
With 60 confirmed attendees from business, government, education, NFP organisations and the student community, the conference reflected a growing appetite across the Hume region to better understand how AI can strengthen productivity, innovation and workforce capability.
The day’s program brought together regional leaders, industry voices and academic expertise, with sessions ranging from a keynote on why AI matters to a live AI readiness self-assessment and a local panel exploring how the technology is already being used in real-world settings. Importantly, the format gave organisations a chance to measure where they sit on the AI adoption curve and identify practical next steps for their workforce.
Local business owner, Adele Dyson of Adventure Awaits, located in Numurkah, had this to say: “We’ve been in business for 13 years now, and while we have a retail store on the main street of Numurkah, our business is much bigger than many people would suspect. We operate on a national scale, with approximately 85 per cent of our revenue derived from online trading.
“We’ve been using AI for around four years now, but things change so quickly even daily, so it’s important for us to keep our finger on the pulse when it comes to AI.
“We use Claude, Chat GPT and various other agents daily, they’re set up to assist us to make informed strategic business decisions. However, we don’t use any bots in our customer experience process and are strong believers that we still need humans to manage that process, so that we remain authentic and our team ultimately continue to be in the driver’s seat when it comes to using AI.
“Attending the session at LaTrobe was really refreshing. Often as business owners and as regional entrepreneurs, we don’t often get to do the professional development piece, particularly within rural areas like ours, so it was great for us to have access to this level of insight.” Adele said.
As businesses continue to navigate skills shortages, digital transformation and evolving customer expectations, workforce adaptability will be central to future growth.
AI in Action was therefore more than a one-day conference. It was a timely regional conversation about opportunity, confidence and preparedness. By bringing local decision-makers into the same room, the event positioned Shepparton and the wider Hume region to take a proactive role in shaping how artificial intelligence supports business, people and community outcomes.
