Event Summary
Client:
Hort Innovation
Project:
Inaugural Business Update
Location & Venue:
South Australia, Adelaide Convention Centre
Timing:
June 2026
Scale & Format:
135 pax, full day conference
Services:
Event Management, Content Production, Delegate Management
A blueprint for high-impact industry engagement that respects delegates’ time and delivers authentic connection.
Event Overview
Peanut Productions partnered with Hort Innovation to deliver the inaugural Hort Innovation Business Update in Adelaide, held immediately prior to Hort Connections, Australia’s leading horticultural conference.
Designed as a dedicated forum for growers, the event brought together 135 growers from across Australia’s fruit, vegetable, nut and green-life industries to share industry insights, explore innovation and strengthen connections across the sector.
As the first event of its kind, the Business Update represented an important opportunity for Hort Innovation to engage directly with growers and demonstrate the value of its work for the industry. Recognising that time away from the farm is both valuable and limited, every aspect of the experience was intentionally designed to ensure growers left informed, inspired and confident that their time had been well spent with valuable insights into their sector.
Centred around the theme ’Think Big’, the conference challenged delegates to step beyond their everyday roles, embrace new perspectives and explore what the future of the profession could look like. Every element of the experience was intentionally designed to inspire curiosity, encourage collaboration and leave delegates feeling energised to return to their businesses with fresh ideas and renewed ambition.
Our Approach
Working in close partnership with Hort Innovation, Peanut Productions delivered an end-to-end experience that reflected the organisation’s values while placing growers at the centre of every decision.
Beyond production and event delivery, our team worked alongside Hort Innovation to shape the conference agenda and content journey, helping curate a program that balanced information with engagement. Together, we refined presentation formats, recommended keynote and panel structures, integrated audience Q&A sessions and developed the role of the MC to strengthen the narrative across the day. Rather than viewing each session in isolation, we focused on creating a seamless flow that connected every conversation into one cohesive story.
From delegate registration, accommodation and travel reimbursements through to production, styling, videography and onsite delivery, every touchpoint was designed to create a seamless experience, allowing the Hort Innovation team to focus on what mattered most: engaging with their growers.
Experience Design
The entire experience was built around one central principle: growers are at the heart of everything Hort Innovation does.
This philosophy influenced not only the content itself, but how it was delivered. Every session was intentionally designed to encourage understanding, conversation and practical takeaways, ensuring growers remained engaged throughout the day.
To elevate the storytelling, two impressive 6-metre by 3.6-metre LED screens transformed the EOS Hotel’s primary event space into an immersive presentation environment. Working closely with Hort Innovation, Peanut Productions developed dynamic visual content that fully leveraged the scale of the technology, allowing keynote presentations, panel discussions and grower stories to unfold with clarity, energy and impact. Rather than simply displaying presentation slides, the visual experience became an integral part of communicating complex ideas in an engaging and accessible way.
The delegate experience also reflected Hort Innovation’s commitment to sustainability, incorporating fully digital event materials, paper lanyards and recyclable name badges to reinforce the organisation’s environmental values.
Event Execution
Peanut Productions managed the complete delivery of the event, integrating production, content, technology and delegate services into one connected experience.
Every operational decision was guided by the needs of the audience, creating an environment that felt polished without being overproduced. By carefully balancing technical excellence with authentic storytelling, the event encouraged participation, meaningful discussion and knowledge sharing while ensuring every delegate could focus on the content rather than the logistics.
Event Outcomes
The inaugural Hort Innovation Business Update successfully established a new platform for industry engagement, creating meaningful opportunities for growers to connect, learn and contribute ahead of Hort Connections.
By combining strategic content design, purposeful storytelling and seamless execution, Peanut Productions helped transform a series of presentations into a cohesive conference experience that strengthened relationships, amplified Hort Innovation’s message and delivered lasting value for delegates.
More than simply delivering an event, we partnered with Hort Innovation to shape how its story was told, creating an experience that reflected the organisation’s purpose while laying a strong foundation for the Business Update to grow in the years ahead.
