Conference Name: 10th Rural & Remote Health Scientific Symposium (RRHSS)
Dates: 8 - 9 October 2025
Host organisations: National Rural Health Alliance (NRHA), Australian Rural Health Education Network (ARHEN) and the Federation of Rural Australian Medical Educators (FRAME)
Number of delegates: 273 delegates
Delegate origin: Australia and New Zealand
NT location: Alice Springs, Northern Territory (NT), Australia
Conference venue: Alice Springs Convention Centre
PCO / Event Planner: Lisa Beckham/Denise Broeren – Think Business Events
Connecting in Alice Springs for the 10th Rural & Remote Health Scientific Symposium
The Rural and Remote Health Scientific Symposium is hosted biennially by the National Rural Health Alliance (NRHA) in partnership with the Australian Rural Health Education Network (ARHEN) and the Federation of Rural Australian Medical Educators (FRAME).
The NRHA advocates for the healthcare access and needs of more than seven and a half million (or 30%) of Australians living rurally by championing evidence-based policies to ensure equitable healthcare access across the nation.
In October 2025, the 10th Rural & Remote Health Scientific Symposium (RRHSS) was held in Alice Springs with the conference attracting 273 research delegates over two days – making it the Alliance's largest scientific gathering since its inception in 2008 and the first to be hosted in Australia’s Northern Territory.
The Symposium is a key national rural health and disability platform, bringing together researchers, policymakers, and healthcare professionals to share industry knowledge while actively addressing rural health challenges throughout Australia.
The driving theme, Research from the heart – shaping rural & remote health futures, set the scene at the Alice Springs Convention Centre for an impactful conference focused on community-centred solutions.
The Alice Springs Convention Centre with views of the MacDonnell Ranges and nearby accommodation
A versatile venue in the heart of Australia
The Alice Springs Convention Centre, with modern facilities and a capacity for up to 1,200 delegates, offers a stunning view of the MacDonnell Ranges and enjoys sunshine and blue skies for most of the year, including during Australia’s winter months.
The Centre seamlessly supported the Symposium, collaborating closely with the conference organising team by assisting with pre-event logistics, providing catering throughout the conference and at the Welcome Reception, and supporting day-to-day delivery throughout the conference.
Chief Executive Susi Tegen praised the Centre for its support to host a hugely successful Symposium, emphasising delegates' appreciation for the venue's capacity to accommodate a diverse program and its convenient location nearby three to four-star accommodation options and restaurants for off-site dining.
“We were pleased to hold the 10th anniversary event at the Alice Springs Convention Centre. It’s a fantastic venue, with its mixture of indoor and outdoor spaces and, above all, dramatic setting of the MacDonnell Ranges. The support of the in-house conference team was highly valuable, and the town is easy to get around,” she said.
Rural Remote Health Symposium Welcome Reception at the Alice Springs Convention Centre
Showcasing local expertise on Arrernte Country
The 10th anniversary Symposium opened with a Welcome to Country delivered by Arrernte woman Aunty Que Kenny, one of the Traditional Custodians of the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) region, followed by a presentation from Dr. John Boffa, Chief Medical Officer of the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress Aboriginal Corporation.
The professional conference organising team, Think Business Events, strived to include local voices in the conference program by inviting regional experts of the Northern Territory to take part in the Symposium.
During the two-day Symposium, up to four concurrent sessions were held and over 100 presentations from speakers Australia-wide were delivered in the Convention Centre’s spacious and well-equipped breakout rooms.
Prominent research themes highlighted the topics of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, mental health, disability care, workforce development, climate change, and the integration of digital health.
Keynote speaker, Dr John Boffa, recognised as the 2012 Northern Territory Australian of the Year, shared insights from his extensive experience working in Aboriginal health, and his current role as adjunct professor at Charles Darwin University and Curtin University.
Joining the contingent of local expertise, Jane Vadiveloo, CEO of Children’s Ground, an organisation locally known as Ampe-kenhe Ahelhe, shared insights about their work in Central Australia integrating health, education, and employment as part of its holistic approach to support families.
While Emeritus Professor John Wakerman, a Public Health Medicine specialist, delivered a powerful presentation on his research into sustainable policy and stabilisation of a remote health workforce. He was recognised by the Alliance for his outstanding contribution to remote health care and access.
“We decided early on it was important to represent rural and remote Australia in the program as so many people live there. There are also fantastic local speakers – which allowed us to hold more concurrent sessions compared to previous years…
“The feedback around local content was excellent,” Tegen said.
Interview with Public Health Medicine specialist Emeritus Professor John Wakerman (L) at the Symposium
NT Partnership with medical institute Menzies School of Health Research
Partnering with Menzies School of Health Research, Australia’s leading medical research institute for Indigenous and tropical health, was a major highlight of the Symposium.
The conference also marked the launch of Menzies’ Remote Health Systems and Climate Change Centre (RHC3), a national research team based in Alice Springs, representing an exciting development in the rural health care sector.
The official Welcome Reception, held in the Ghan Foyer of the Convention Centre, encouraged networking among delegates, with 220 people attending, including a strong local attendance coinciding with the Menzies' launch of RHC3.
Menzies partnered with the NRHA, ARHEN and FRAME as the Welcome Reception Sponsor and delivered a popular pre-symposium workshop with delegates flying in Australia-wide to attend the day before the program commenced.
The Symposium also included Poster Awards recognising outstanding research contributions across the rural health sector. Professor John Wakerman was honoured with the inaugural National Rural Health Alliance Lifetime Achievement and Service to Rural and Remote Health Award, which celebrated his significant work at Menzies throughout the Northern Territory.
NRHA, ARHEN and FRAME partnered with Menzies School of Health Research (booth pictured) in Alice Springs
An impactful destination for business events
Central Australia served as a strong drawcard for the 10th anniversary of the Rural & Remote Health Scientific Symposium, attracting a 55% increase in total delegates compared to the previous event, according to the NRHA.
Travel information was made available early providing pre and post touring advice leading into the Symposium, encouraging delegates to connect with the Alice Springs Visitor Information Centre to extend their stay and explore the region.
As the Symposium was scheduled towards the end of the week, many attendees joined locally guided tours or hired a car to visit major attractions with their families.
The Olive Pink Botanic Garden served as a central location for informal working lunches, supporting productive networking and collaboration at the Bean Tree Café. Group bookings were made at local restaurants, while site inspections, including visits to local health providers and research institutions, were organised directly with partner organisations.
Delegates enjoyed working lunches at the Bean Tree Café in the centrally located Olive Pink Botanic Garden
Seeking NT business events support?
Business events such as the Rural & Remote Health Scientific Symposium (RRHSS), are recognised by the Northern Territory Government as contributors to knowledge exchange, professional collaboration and sector advancement.
Northern Territory Business Events (NTBE) administers the Northern Territory Business Events Support Fund, which offers funding assistance to organisers of qualified business events. Priority consideration is given to business events that align with the Northern Territory’s economic and social strengths, including the health sector.
In their words
“Delegates appreciated the cultural significance of Alice Springs and the opportunity to engage with local Aboriginal culture during their visit. The location’s authenticity, beauty and connection to the heart of remote Australia were recognised with attendees extending their stay to explore the region, including the West MacDonnell Ranges, Uluṟu, and visit the local art galleries around town.”
“The location played a key role in attracting attendees, who gave overwhelmingly positive feedback and praised the event’s overall success.”
Chief Executive
Susi Tegen
National Rural Health Alliance (NRHA)