Oceania Conference Agenda
Tuesday, December 9 - Thursday, December 11
Learning Across Derby
This isn’t your conventional conference. Instead of a single ballroom, sessions will take place across multiple unique venues—the Marquis on Lake Derby, Derby Town Hall, and Lot 40—bringing the event into the heart of the community. Lunches will be hosted at the Dorset Hotel and the Hub, creating natural opportunities for connection and conversation. All locations are within easy walking distance.
And because trails are best experienced in the field, the program also features extended outdoor sessions on Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday morning, and Wednesday afternoon, giving participants the chance to learn by doing in Derby’s world-class trail network.
Types of Sessions
The agenda is coming together, with additional sessions and speakers to be announced as logistics are finalized. What’s already clear is the breadth and depth of opportunities for learning, connection, and collaboration.
Plenary sessions will highlight key trends shaping the trail industry, including best practices, workforce development, and evolving industry standards (Tuesday and Thursday mornings).
Breakout sessions will dive into all phases of trail development—from design and planning to construction, maintenance, and management (1-hour sessions: Tuesday afternoon, all day Wednesday).
Planning and strategy sessions will provide facilitated discussions focused on advancing the industry in Australia, Oceania, and globally (1-hour sessions: Tuesday afternoon, all day Wednesday).
Beyond the classroom, there will be ample social opportunities for networking and international knowledge-sharing.
On-the-trail learning experiences will include “bike and talks” with the builders and other guided tours, offering firsthand insight into Derby and its world-class trails and amenities. (2.5-hour sessions: Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday morning, Wednesday afternoon - attendees will sign-up first-come first-served).
Tuesday, December 9
Registration and Breakfast
7:30 - 9:00 am
Location: Marquis
Opening Sessions
9:00 - 11:45 am
9:00 - 9:30 am
Welcome to Derby and Opening Remarks
Aaryn Kay, PTBA; Glen Jacobs, World Trail; VIP speaker/s pending
Location: Marquis
9:30 - 10:30 am
Derby, Tasmania: From Vision to Legacy
Pete Coleburn, Dorset Council; Taylor Clyne Smith, Blue Derby Foundation; Glen Jacobs, World Trail; Dylan Jeffries, World Trail
Derby, Tasmania, stands as a powerful example of how trails can transform a community. From an initial idea fueled by local advocacy, through high-level planning and political support, to world-class trail design and construction, Derby has become an internationally recognized destination. This plenary highlights why we’ve come to Derby for the conference: to learn from their story and see first-hand how vision, partnerships, and on-the-ground implementation can shape a trail system with lasting global impact.
Location: Marquis
10:30 - 11:00 am
Snack and Social Break
Location: Marquis
11:00 - 11:45 am
Building a Global Trail Industry Roadmap
Aaryn Kay, PTBA; Yully Forest, Creativelines Pty Ltd; Glen Jacobs, World Trail
The trail industry is at a pivotal moment of growth and professionalization. Across Australia and around the world, trail systems are expanding and professional standards are rising, driven by increasing focus on workforce development, best practices, and competency-based training.
This opening plenary will bring together global leaders to highlight shared challenges and opportunities—from the urgent need for an Australian award code and stronger professional resources to the importance of consistent practices that raise the bar worldwide. Together, these insights will frame a call to action: using this conference as a launchpad for advancing workforce development, refining best practices, and building a coordinated global strategy. Participants will leave energized and equipped with a roadmap for tangible next steps—strengthening Australia’s expanding role on the world stage while ensuring trails continue to serve as essential community infrastructure for generations to come.
Location: Marquis
Lunch
11:45 - 1:15 pm
Attendees will have lunch at the Dorset Hotel or The Hub, and then will go to the other venue on Wednesday.
Field Sessions
1:30 - 4:00 pm
Field-Based Learning: Adjustable Rock Matting (ARM) Demonstration
World Trail Team
Join World Trail’s crew for a hands-on, in-the-field demonstration of the Adjustable Rock Matting (ARM) system. This innovative product provides a flexible and durable solution for stabilizing trail surfaces in challenging environments. Participants will see the installation process step by step, learn about the design considerations that make ARM effective, and get a close look at how professional builders adapt it to different terrain and conditions.
Location: Trail Site TBD
Shaping the Ride: MTB Feature Design in Practice (Bike and Talk)
World Trail Team and/or Dorset Council team
The Blue Derby trail network offers over 125 km of world-class singletrack, showcasing a wide variety of features—from berms, rollers, and spillways to rocky slabs, jumps, and whoops—designed for riders of all skill levels. This guided group ride provides more than just the thrill of the ride: it’s a chance to explore the design intent and construction techniques behind each feature. Ask questions, see the craftsmanship up close, and gain insight into how professional trailbuilders shape terrain into experiences that flow, challenge, and inspire.
Note: Bikes are not provided for this session. This session is the SAME as the one offered on Wednesday morning and Wednesday afternoon.
Location: Local Trails - Meeting site TBD
Breakout Sessions
1:30 - 2:30 pm
Trail Competencies & Skill Breakouts: Building a Skilled Trail Global Workforce
Aaryn Kay, PTBA; Millie Wilson, Northwest Arkansas Community College
This session takes a deep dive into the updated Trail Competency Framework — a set of clearly defined competencies and skill levels (entry, full, expert) designed to guide professional growth and consistency across the trail industry. The framework spans five key categories: Construction, Maintenance, Project Planning & Design, Crew Leadership, and Program Administration.
Speakers will unpack each category, share the rationale behind the skill level definitions, and discuss how these standards were developed in collaboration with trail industry leaders. This session explores how the competencies provide a common language and clear benchmarks that can shape training programs, guide hiring practices, and create transparent career pathways for both new and seasoned trail professionals.
Location: Marquis
Data in the Dirt: Using Strava to Plan, Protect, and Promote World-Class Trails*
Thomas Knights, Strava
What if your trail network could speak for itself? In this session, we’ll show how Strava Metro is helping planners, builders, and advocates make better decisions using real-world movement data. From identifying trail use patterns to justifying funding for maintenance or expansion, Strava’s anonymized, aggregated data offers powerful insight into how and when trails are used. Featuring case studies from around the world- including Derby - we’ll explore how local communities, land managers, and trailbuilders are using data to plan sustainable networks, manage wear, and demonstrate impact to funders and policymakers. Whether you build trails with shovels or spreadsheets, this is a look at how data can help us all build better.
*Session pending
Location: Derby Town Hall
Planning + Strategy Session: Asia Strategy
Facilitator: HM Lim, Dirtraction
This facilitated strategy session will bring together delegates from across Asia to share perspectives, opportunities, and challenges unique to the region’s rapidly growing trail industry. Together, participants will identify shared priorities, discuss emerging needs in workforce development, and explore how to build stronger connections with peers.
Designed as both a conversation and a planning space, this session will highlight lessons learned from regional projects, surface opportunities for collaboration, and chart a collective path forward for advancing professional trailbuilding across Asia. Outcomes will feed directly into PTBA’s global initiatives while strengthening the voice and visibility of the Asian trail community within the international arena.
Location: Lot 40
Breakout Sessions
3:00 - 4:00 pm
Models for Managing and Maintaining Trail Systems
Nick Bowman, Destination Trails; David Prete, Atherton Trails
Building a trail is just the beginning—the real challenge is maintenance and management. This session will explore the different approaches to maintaining trail systems once construction is complete, including commercial contractors, nonprofit organizations, and government-led models. Presenters will discuss the strengths and limitations of each approach, offering real-world examples and lessons learned to help land managers, community leaders, and stakeholders choose the model—or mix of models—that best fits their needs.
Location: Marquis
Building Trail on Indigenous Land
Speakers pending
Designing and building trails on Indigenous land requires more than technical expertise—it demands cultural awareness, respectful engagement, and a clear process that honors Country and community. This session will explore strategies, considerations, and common barriers when planning and implementing trail projects in Australia, emphasizing the importance of early consultation, ongoing dialogue, and shared decision-making with Traditional Owners.
Through case examples and discussion, participants will gain insight into what a respectful process looks like in practice, why it matters, and how it can lead to stronger partnerships, more meaningful outcomes, and trails that reflect both place and people.
Location: Derby Town Hall
Planning and Strategy Session
Planning Towards an Australian Training Code: ASQA and VET
Adrian Main, Synergy Trails P/L; Aaryn Kay, PTBA
Australia’s trail industry is at a pivotal moment, with growing recognition of the need for nationally recognized training standards within the ASQA and VET frameworks. While there have been past efforts to create trail-related training codes in Australia, these initiatives have faced challenges in alignment, uptake, and long-term sustainability.
Building on PTBA’s work in the United States developing trail-specific competencies, this session will revisit those earlier attempts, highlight lessons learned, and explore how they can inform a renewed approach. Participants will examine where current competencies and training structures intersect, where gaps remain, and what steps are needed next to move toward an Australian training code that is practical, industry-led, and nationally recognized.
Location: Lot 40
4:00 - 6:00 pm
Happy Hour
Join us at the Marquis for beer, conversation, and lakeside views—sponsored by Blue Derby.
Wednesday, December 10
Coffee and Breakfast
7:30 - 8:30 am
Location: Marquis
Field Sessions
9:00 - 11:30 am
Luxury on the Trails: Inside the Blue Derby Pods Ride Experience
Tara Howell, Blue Derby Pods
Mountain biking and luxury don’t often go hand-in-hand—except in Derby. Blue Derby Pods Ride has redefined what’s possible, creating a nationally acclaimed, multi-day adventure that blends world-class riding with off-grid, sustainable luxury.
In this immersive field session, you’ll tour the Pods and Hub buildings nestled in the Derby forests, learn how this unique experience was designed and delivered, and gain insight into the growing market for luxury adventure travel. The session will conclude with an open discussion on opportunities, challenges, and the future of high-end trail-based tourism.
Meeting Location: TBD
Shaping the Ride: MTB Feature Design in Practice (Bike and Talk)
World Trail Team and/or Dorset Council team
The Blue Derby trail network offers over 125 km of world-class singletrack, showcasing a wide variety of features—from berms, rollers, and spillways to rocky slabs, jumps, and whoops—designed for riders of all skill levels. This guided group ride provides more than just the thrill of the ride: it’s a chance to explore the design intent and construction techniques behind each feature. Ask questions, see the craftsmanship up close, and gain insight into how professional trailbuilders shape terrain into experiences that flow, challenge, and inspire.
Note: Bikes are not provided for this session. This session is the SAME as the one offered on Tuesday morning and Wednesday afternoon.
Location: Local Trails - Meeting site TBD
Breakout Sessions
9:00 - 10:00 am
What Does It Really Cost to Build a Trail?
Dylan Jeffries, World Trail; David Willcox, Common Ground Trails
Beyond the dollars and cents, the true cost of trail construction includes the expertise of professional trailbuilders, the complexity of design and site conditions, and the value created for communities. In this session, speakers will share insights drawn from projects across Australia and around the globe. Together we’ll explore:
The hidden components that make up the full value of trail construction
Real-world examples of construction costs from diverse landscapes
Why financial planning must be an integral part of trail development
The risks of underestimating costs, including delays and compromised quality
This session will help land managers, planners, and community leaders understand the full financial picture of trailbuilding—ensuring projects are realistic, well-planned, and deliver lasting value to the communities they serve.
Location: Derby Town Hall
Establishing an Employment Award for Australia’s Trail Construction Industry
Yully Forest, Creativelines Pty Ltd
Australia is undergoing a rapid transformation in trail infrastructure development, with more than $120M in public and private investment annually and a projected $150B adventure tourism sector by 2031. This session addresses the growing demand for a regulated, skilled workforce in trail construction by proposing the development of an industry-specific Employment Award.
Drawing on project case studies across both MTB and walking trail sectors—from Blue Derby to Gravity Eden, and from the Snowies Iconic Walk to the Tomaree Coastal Walk—the session will highlight the scale of growth, emerging career opportunities, the future of industry certification, and the risks of continuing without formal wage and safety standards. It will also introduce a proposal for a national audit model to define job classifications, benchmark wages, and guide the development of a Fair Work Commission submission, with a call for collaboration across the sector.
Location: Marquis
Planning and Strategy Session
Women in Trailbuilding: Breaking Barriers, Building Impact
Amelia (Millie) Cafe, World Trail; Emily Pearce, World Trail; Holly Lubcke, World Trail; Teagan Walker, World Trail; Christine Byl, Interior Trails; Aaryn Kay, PTBA
Women are playing pivotal roles across every corner of the trail industry—from executive leadership and landscape architecture to on-the-ground construction, logistics, and project management. Yet barriers remain, and the opportunity to maximize the impact of women in the field has never been greater.
In this strategy-focused session, a panel of more than six women leaders will bring perspectives from across the profession to identify challenges, share pathways for success, and chart a collaborative vision to move beyond inspiration into actionable strategies that strengthen the workforce and open doors for the next generation.
Location: Lot 40
Breakout Sessions
10:30 - 11:30 am
Behaviour by Design: Trail Use for Walkers and Mountain Bikers
Dr Leah Stevenson, Progress Village
This presentation is based on a research study exploring how trail design influences the environmental impacts of walkers, mountain bikers, and users of multi-use trails. Using time-series photographic observations over 12 months, it identifies how specific trail features shape user behaviour and associated impacts. Common issues include shortcutting, trail widening, and trail-edge erosion, especially where design does not align with user needs or behaviour. Impacts were assessed using mountain biking and walking trail building design guidelines. Findings highlight the need for context-specific design solutions in shared-use environments. The presentation offers practical recommendations to improve sustainability and minimise unintended impacts through environmentally responsive trail design for walking and mountain biking networks.
Location: Marquis
From the Ground Up: Building a MTB Park with Purpose
Ben Reeves, Omeo MTB Parks; Dave Willcox, Common Ground Trail Builders
This presentation will walk attendees through the rollercoaster journey of bringing a building style not often seen in Australian MTB parks to life—from early concept and stakeholder buy-in, to the real-world negotiations between trail builder vision and council risk frameworks. It’s a candid look at the hurdles, frustrations, and breakthroughs that come with building with a non-traditional lens, and a showcase of what’s possible when collaboration meets determination.
Location: Derby Town Hall
Planning + Strategy Session
Building the Path Forward: Strategy Session on an Employment Award for Australia’s Trail Industry
Facilitator: Yully Forest, Creativelines Pty Ltd
Following the presentation on the proposal for an industry-specific Employment Award, this planning and strategy session will bring stakeholders together to dig deeper into the details and chart next steps. Participants will review key elements of the proposed national audit model—job classifications, wage benchmarks, and safety standards—while identifying gaps, priorities, and opportunities for sector-wide alignment.
The session will also focus on defining roles for industry, government, and training providers in shaping a Fair Work Commission submission, and building the collaborative framework needed to advance it. Designed as a working conversation, this session will ensure momentum continues beyond the conference, with practical outcomes and commitments to drive the creation of a formal Employment Award for Australia’s trail construction workforce.
Location: Lot 40
11:45 - 1:15 pm
Lunch
Attendees will have lunch at the Dorset Hotel or The Hub, depending on their Tuesday’s lunch experience.
Field Sessions
1:30 - 4:00 pm
Rebuilding Derby’s Landslip-Damaged Trails
David Hugo, Pitt & Sherry; Ernie Harvey, AW Harvey Transport & Excavations
In October 2022, an intense rainfall event triggered a major landslip in Derby, wiping out access to three key trails. Within six months—just in time for the 2023 EDR World Cup—the first stage of repairs was complete, and a year later, the trails fully reopened. Join the engineer and contractor on-site as they share the challenges, engineering solutions, and teamwork behind this remarkable recovery. This session also explores strategies for preparing trail networks for the “unexpected” weather events that now arrive every 2–3 years—from floods to windstorms—and how to get back on track fast.
Meeting Location: TBD
Shaping the Ride: MTB Feature Design in Practice (Ride or Walk & Talk)
Led by: World Trail Team and/or Dorset Council team
The Blue Derby trail network offers over 125 km of world-class singletrack, with features ranging from berms, rollers, and spillways to rocky slabs, jumps, and whoops—all designed to challenge and inspire riders of every level. This session goes beyond the ride to uncover the design intent and construction techniques behind the trail’s most distinctive elements.
Participants may choose between joining a guided group ride or a walk-and-talk tour, ensuring both riders and non-riders can engage with the craftsmanship, ask questions, and see up close how professional trailbuilders shape terrain into experiences that flow.
Note: Bikes are not provided for this session. This bike and talk session is the SAME as the one offered on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning.
Location: Local Trails – Meeting site TBD
Breakout Sessions
1:30 - 2:30 pm
Economic Analysis of Mountain Biking in Tasmania
Tara Howell, Mountain Bike Network Tasmania
Over the last decade, mountain biking in Tasmania has boomed. The Mountain Bike Network – Tasmania is the peak industry body representing the sport across the state. In 2025, with funding from the Tasmanian Government, we conducted an economic analysis of mountain biking in Tasmania—and the results are incredible. This presentation will dive into those findings, demonstrating just how powerful mountain biking is for people, communities, towns, and destinations alike.
Location: Marquis
Managing and Maintaining the Derby Trails
Pete Coleburn, Dorset Council
Behind the success of the Blue Derby trail network is a comprehensive system of management and maintenance that keeps over 125 km of singletrack safe, sustainable, and ready to ride. In this session, Pete Coleburn of Dorset Council will share how the team approaches detailed planning, monitoring, and scheduling to meet the demands of a world-class trail system.
From long-term asset management plans to day-to-day inspections and repairs, participants will gain an inside look at the processes, tools, and strategies that balance rider experience, environmental sustainability, and operational efficiency. This session will highlight not only the challenges of maintaining such an iconic network, but also the collaborative solutions that ensure Derby remains a global destination for mountain biking.
Location: Derby Town Hall
Roundtable Discussion
MTB Trail Difficulty Ratings in Australia
Nick Bowman, Destination Trails; Kain Gardner, Open Trails; Jack Rahilly, Advanced Trail Design
Trail difficulty ratings need to strike a balance—objective enough to provide consistency, yet flexible enough to reflect local landscapes, topography, trail culture, and land management requirements. This roundtable will dive into the nuances of how trail difficulty is assessed in Australia, while also comparing the AusCycling (2023), IMBA (2004), and New Zealand trail rating systems. Join the conversation to share perspectives, challenges, and ideas for shaping a framework that works across diverse contexts.
Location: Lot 40
Breakout Sessions
3:00 - 4:00 pm
Urban Bike Parks: Best Practices in Design, Planning, and Construction
Dave Willcox, Common Ground Trails; HM Lim, Dirtraction; other speakers TBA
Urban bike parks and pump tracks are transforming compact city spaces into vibrant hubs for recreation and community. This session explores best practices in planning, design and construction. Speakers will compare asphalt and dirt track approaches and highlights emerging global trends. Speakers from Australia and Asia will share real-world lessons and innovative examples shaping the next generation of urban riding spaces.
Location: Marquis
Trail to Office to Trail - GIS in Trail Planning
Jon Altschuld, Chinook Landscape Architecture
This session will look at how various GIS software and tools have been used on real world trail projects for site assessment, planning, and design tasks. Tools covered will include field collection apps (OnX, Avenza, Survey123, etc.), desktop GIS (mainly QGIS, with some ESRI), and online webGIS for collaboration and presentation (ESRI). The session will also go through workflows to move data between all of these tools efficiently and to maximize usable data. Presentation will be a digital slideshow combined with working live in various softwares, with Q&A throughout and at the end. This session will also showcase unique GIS software that Chinook has developed specifically for Trails Planning and Assessment workflows.
Location: Derby Town Hall
Planning + Strategy Session
Global Best Practices for a Stronger Trail Industry?
PTBA has long championed quality and professionalism, and now the conversation is expanding: could the industry benefit from a shared set of global best practices? Building on multiple models and discussions, this strategy session will take a deeper dive into the question of global best practices for the trail industry. This strategy session will look at existing models and explore how they might inform a broader international framework.
Open to all delegates, this session invites trailbuilders, land managers, advocates, and partners to join PTBA in weighing the opportunities and challenges of a global versus regional approach. Together, we’ll map what’s out there now, identify gaps, and consider how a collaborative vision for best practices could strengthen the trail industry worldwide.
Location: Lot 40
4:00 - 6:00 pm
Happy Hour
Unwind with a beer and good company in town (location TBD)—sponsored by Creative Lines and Terra Firma.
Thursday, December 11
8:00 - 9:00 am
Breakfast and Coffee
Location: Marquis
Closing Sessions
9:15 - 10:30 am
Beyond Derby: Diverse Models of Community Development Through Trails
Plenary Panel
From small rural towns to urban centers and former extraction communities, trails are reshaping economies, identities, and futures. But if there’s one lesson we’ve learned from Derby, it’s that there is no single blueprint for success.
In this TED-style plenary, speakers from around the world will share powerful stories and models of community development through trails—each highlighting different approaches to management, marketing and branding, community outreach, and long-term goals. From regions rebuilding after industry decline to cities investing in active transportation and recreation, this panel will showcase the diversity of strategies that have worked—and sometimes failed—while sparking new ideas for what could be possible in your own community.
Designed to inspire and inform, this fast-paced session will blend storytelling with practical insights, offering a global perspective on how trails can catalyze change in ways as unique as the communities themselves.
Location: Marquis
10:30 - 11:00 am
Snack and Social Break
Location: Marquis
11:00 am - 11:45 am
The Future of Trails – From Strategy to Action
Speakers: Aaryn Kay, PTBA; Glen Jacobs, World Trail; and others TBD
As the conference comes to a close, this session will weave together the outcomes of the week’s planning and strategy discussions and look ahead to what’s next for the global trail industry. Throughout the conference, delegates will have explored critical questions around training and workforce development, employment standards, trail rating systems, and the potential for shared best practices across borders.
In this closing session, facilitators and speakers will report out on the key themes and emerging ideas from these strategy sessions—highlighting where momentum is building, where challenges remain, and what opportunities lie ahead. This session will strive to chart a collective vision for how professional trailbuilding can continue to grow, adapt, and lead.
More than a summary, it is a call to action: to transform conversations into collaboration, strategies into outcomes, and shared passion into a stronger, more professional, and more connected trail industry worldwide.
Location: Marquis