Workshop 3.1: The Next Generation of Participants - Over 50's

Tracks
Aquatic & Leisure Management
Wednesday, July 1, 2026
1:35 PM - 2:10 PM
Hospitality Suite 6

Details

Understanding the aspirations and expectations of western societies largest untapped cohort, to increase community participation.


Speaker

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Ricki Jones
Principal Consultant
Data Consulting NZ

Big Data: Looking at Participation Trends in Aquatic Recreation for Over 50s Across a Range of Recreational Contexts/Environments

Biography

Ricki Jones is the Founder and Principal Consultant of Data Consulting Limited, helping recreation, sport, and community organisations better understand how people interact with places. Through the combination of one of Australasia's largest human movement datasets and one of the region's largest visitation sensor networks, Ricki delivers evidence-based insights that support participation growth, facility planning, investment decisions, and community outcomes. Working across New Zealand and Australia, he specialises in transforming complex data into practical, actionable insights that help organisations connect people to places, remove barriers to participation, and make better decisions with confidence.
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Dr Will Koon
National Manager - Drowning Prevention Strategy
RLSSA

Over 50's - The Next Frontier of Drowning Prevention

Biography

Dr William Koon is a drowning prevention researcher focused on collaboration, collective impact, and multisectoral partnerships to address complex problems. Will is the National Manager of Drowning Prevention Strategy at Royal Life Saving Australia and an Adjunct Lecturer in the School of Population Health at UNSW Sydney.
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Floss Roberts
Executive Director
Royal Life Saving NT

Chair

Biography

Floss is the Executive Director of Royal Life Saving NT, an amazing organisation who provide water safety and drowning prevention programs and activities across the whole of the Northern Territory. Floss is an honest, fun and hard-working person who values a committed workforce. Her leadership practice is passion with purpose, she leads from the heart and Gets Stuff Done (GSD). Floss has championed water safety at every level; in the community, across Government and with industry for the past 20 years.
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