Insights
Open Summit AI Adelaide 2026: What South Australian Business Owners Should Know.
If you run a business in South Australia and keep hearing that AI will change everything, but you're not sure what it actually costs or returns, there's a local event built for that question. Open Summit AI comes to Adelaide Town Hall on Thursday 29 October 2026, bringing founders, operators and senior decision-makers together for one afternoon of practical conversation about AI in business.
Here's what the event is, who it suits, and how SA manufacturers and SME owners can get the most out of it.
Event details at a glance
- Event: Open Summit AI Adelaide 2026
- Date: Thursday 29 October 2026
- Venue: Adelaide Town Hall, King William Street, Adelaide
- Doors: From 11:00 AM (registration and networking)
- Programme: 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM, with networking drinks from 5:00 PM
- Organiser: Open Summit AI
- Tickets: From AUD $185 (Regular, includes GST), with Team, Premium and VIP options
- Event page: Open Summit AI Adelaide
The organiser notes that the full Adelaide programme and additional speakers are still to be announced, so check the event page for updates.
What is Open Summit AI?
Open Summit AI runs AI events in cities across Australia and overseas. Its tagline for Adelaide is "Real operators on real AI," and the organiser describes the event as "an honest read on what AI actually costs, what it returns, and where the budget goes next."
That framing matters. A lot of AI content is either very technical or very hype-driven. This event is pitched at people running businesses and teams, and the FAQ is clear that you don't need a technical background: the conversations are meant to be practical and in plain language.
What's on the programme?
According to the event page, the afternoon includes sessions and panels such as:
- The AI Advantage in Action (with partner exhibits)
- Where Capital Meets Code
- Getting Found in the Age of AI
- Panel: Operators on the Front Line
- What Comes Next, and How to Be Ready
Who is speaking?
Speakers announced for Adelaide include:
- Toby Walsh, Scientia Professor of AI at UNSW
- Anton van den Hengel, Co-Founder of Metacognition, Professor at the University of Adelaide and founding Director of the Australian Institute for Machine Learning
- Hon. Chris Picton MP, listed as South Australia's Minister for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Economy
- Rodrigo Gutierrez, AI Enablement Lead at Antler
- Jeremy Cabral, co-founder of Finder and AI Search Leaders
- Jack Bear, Founder of Norg AI
- Clayton Cross, CEO and Founder of Ellipsis Mining
- Kate Save, CEO of Be Fit Food, as MC and host
The organiser says more than 10 further speakers are still to be announced.
Who should attend?
The organiser describes the audience as business owners, founders, directors and the operators bringing AI into their companies. For South Australia, that makes it a useful afternoon for:
- Owners and general managers of SA manufacturing businesses, including food and beverage producers, weighing up where AI fits on the factory floor or in the back office
- SME owners trying to separate real returns from hype before committing budget
How to get the most out of the afternoon
- Bring one or two real problems. For example: "Our quality checks are manual," "We re-key orders between systems," or "Reporting takes days every month." Listen for speakers and exhibitors who have solved something similar.
- Ask about cost and return, not just capability. That's the event's stated focus, so use it. Ask what a project cost, how long it took to pay back, and what went wrong.
- Think about your data first. Most AI tools are only as good as the data behind them. If your production, inventory or sales data lives in spreadsheets or paper, that's often the first thing to fix.
- Bring a colleague. Owners and operators often see the same problem differently. Going together makes follow-up decisions easier.
- Use the networking time. Doors open at 11 AM and drinks run from 5 PM, so there's time to talk to other South Australian businesses on the same journey.
Other South Australian AI support worth knowing about
- The University of Adelaide's Australian Institute for Machine Learning is a local AI research institute.
- Flinders Factory of the Future at Tonsley supports SA manufacturers adopting advanced manufacturing technology.
- The SA Government's business.sa.gov.au lists current programs, grants and guidance for South Australian businesses.
How StepSharp helps SA businesses with AI
StepSharp is an Adelaide-based team that helps South Australian businesses, including manufacturers and food producers, put AI, ERP, MES and IoT to work. We usually start with the basics: getting production and business data out of spreadsheets and into connected systems, then using AI for practical jobs like quality checks, forecasting and reporting.
If the summit leaves you with ideas and you'd like a local sounding board on what's realistic for your business, we're happy to have a no-pressure chat.
Key takeaways
- Open Summit AI Adelaide is on Thursday 29 October 2026 at Adelaide Town Hall.
- Doors open at 11 AM, the programme runs 12 to 3 PM, and networking drinks start at 5 PM.
- It's aimed at business owners and operators, with no technical background needed.
See the Open Summit AI Adelaide event page
Event details are from the official Open Summit AI event page and may change. Please check the event page for the latest information before attending.