Equate '25 Speakers

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5 Compelling Quotes used by Neal

1. “AI is giving us a level of super intelligence that before, if you had an idea, you'd be limited by your own intelligence and your own network — but not anymore.”
    
2. “The last six months have been the most transformational of my 20-year tech career. The speed of innovation is breathtaking.”
    
3. “This is not about AI replacing you — it’s about people who use AI outperforming those who don’t.”
    
4. “Our CEO said it best — AI could be more profound than fire or electricity. Take a moment to think about what that means.”
    
5. “You don’t want to be the horse in 1918 watching cars go by thinking, ‘We’ve been around forever, we’re not going anywhere.’ Disruption happens gradually, then suddenly.”

5 Key Takeaways for the Thoroughbred Industry

• AI is a step-change beyond internet and mobile
  French positions AI as not just another tech wave but an exponential leap — more transformational than the internet or mobile — because it augments thinking, not just access.
   
• The building blocks of AI are already here and rapidly improving
  Compute (GPUs), storage (data centers), and data (now exploding at an unprecedented rate) are combining to make AI smarter, faster, and more available to everyone.
   
• Everyone now has a “PhD in their pocket”
  The best way to see AI? As your always-on, multi-lingual, context-aware assistant. From therapists to marketing strategists to tutors, AI can support complex tasks at speed and scale.
   
• AI Agents will be the next leap
  These autonomous task-completing bots — think employees that don’t sleep — will soon populate websites, calendars, inboxes and workflows, fundamentally reshaping operations.
   
• If you’re not using AI yet, start now — 10 minutes a day
  The tools are mostly free, the cost to learn is low, and the return is high. Whether you’re in breeding, marketing, compliance or training, French’s call to action is: experiment now or risk becoming obsolete.

5 Compelling Quotes used by Melissa

1. “These glasses will be your new laptop, your new phone… telling you what it sees, hears, and thinks in real time.”
   – On Meta AI wearables and the shift beyond smartphones.
    
2. “Imagine looking at a horse and asking: Who’s the sire? What’s the progeny record? That’s where we’re heading.”
   – On how AI glasses could transform inspections and sales prep.
    
3. “Creative is the new targeting — AI matches the right message to the right person, at the right time.”
   – On Meta’s marketing revolution powered by real-time personalization.
    
4. “You can now speak any language, anywhere. Just ask your glasses to translate — and you’ll hear it in your ears.”
   – On removing language barriers through embedded AI translation.
    
5. “At Meta, we said: Get comfortable being uncomfortable. The course content always changes.”
   – On embracing continual reinvention in a fast-moving digital world.

5 Key Takeaways for the Thoroughbred Industry

1. AI Wearables Will Redefine Horse Interaction
   Meta’s glasses can identify horses visually, pull up breeding or form data, translate conversations, and even support AR based staff training.
   → Imagine a bloodstock agent overlaying dam or sire lines during inspections — or a new stablehand learning OH&S protocols via simulated 3D Horse
2. The Marketing Playbook Has Changed — Again
   Meta’s AI delivers hyper-personalised ads using your existing customer data, automating everything from targeting to creative delivery.
   → Breeders, trainers, and syndicators can reach new owner markets more efficiently — even on lean budgets.
3. AI is Disrupting Traditional Search Behaviour
   Consumers are skipping clunky websites and using AI to make faster decisions (e.g. comparing cars or shoes).
   → If your brand isn’t present or optimised for Meta’s ecosystem, you risk being left out of the decision-making process.
4. Training, Safety & Welfare Have New Tools
   AR and VR can revolutionise stable onboarding, offering new staff immersive training before they ever step into a barn.
   → Safer, smarter, more compliant stables — without needing a real horse to start.
5. Short-Form Video & Creators Are Essential
   Meta’s “Reels” are dominating attention spans — and its AI can even help you find creators aligned to your brand.
   → Storytelling through short, authentic video will be key to attracting the next generation of owners and fans.

5 Compelling Quotes from Alex

1. “You don’t just take tech and throw it into an industry and have it work – you need a bridge between domain expertise, technical capability, and computational analysis.” – on why technology adoption in racing requires translators who understand both horses and algorithms.  
2. “Scalability and calibration are what we really want to achieve – without them, the best ideas remain unworkable.” – on the technical foundations needed before innovation can deliver commercial results.  
3. “Data is just information – what matters is how you use it, why you use it, and whether it’s measuring what’s truly important.” – on avoiding data collection for its own sake and focusing on relevant metrics.  
4. “With accurate 3D scanning, computer vision, and VR, you can assess horses anywhere in the world with more confidence than just watching a video.” – on the potential for technology to standardise bloodstock selection globally.  
5. “Innovation is not just a new idea – it’s the process, the hardware, and the implementation that makes it valuable to the industry.” – on the need for infrastructure to make AI and data solutions practical at scale.  

5 Key Takeaways for the Thoroughbred Industry

1. Racing’s complexity is an AI opportunity – the sport’s unpredictability and abundant data make it ideal for AI applications such as biomechanics analysis, stride efficiency tracking, and genomic profiling to support purchase decisions at yearling sales.  
2. Metrics must match objectives – avoid chasing superficial KPIs; for example, a trainer might measure recovery heart rate post-gallop rather than just raw sectionals to better manage equine welfare and peak performance.  
3. Calibration enables global comparisons – correcting for video and camera bias means a buyer in Hong Kong could accurately compare a New Zealand breeze-up horse to one in Argentina using the same biomechanical benchmarks.  
4. VR and phenotyping can broaden participation – immersive 3D conformation models could be shared with owners before syndicate purchases, or used to educate new entrants on physical traits linked to performance.  
5. A connected data ecosystem improves decision-making – integrating sale-yard 3D scans with race performance and veterinary history could help agents, breeders, and owners identify buying opportunities others might overlook.

5 Compelling Quotes from Josh

1. "It's all good and well to collect data, but it sits somewhere, whether it's in a spreadsheet or a data warehouse — and you don't know what to do with it."
   – on the importance of moving from data collection to actionable insights.
    
2. "Changing culture is tricky… you have to be gentle with it over time and show how it will make people more effective at their jobs."
   – on the human element of tech adoption in stables and racing operations.
    
3. "The data isn’t here to tell you who will be a superstar, but it can identify the small signals that help you make better decisions."
   – on realistic expectations of performance analytics.
    
4. "The big one for us was understanding how many training days we were losing to injury — because that’s not just a welfare issue, it’s a business one."
   – on linking sports science to both welfare and commercial outcomes.
    
5. "The data told us — but it’s still the trainer who makes the call. Our job is to make sure the decision is better informed."
   – on the partnership between analytics and horsemanship.

5 Key Takeaways for the Thoroughbred Industry
 

1. Centralised Performance Data is a Game-Changer
   – Platforms like SmarterBase allow integration of wearable tech, veterinary data, nutrition logs, and training notes into one interface. This eliminates siloed spreadsheets and supports long-term trend analysis across multiple locations.
    
2. Injury Prevention is Quantifiable
   – Using load-monitoring algorithms, heart rate variability, locomotion symmetry analysis, and historical injury data, stables can flag pre-injury states earlier. This not only improves welfare but also protects owner ROI by reducing lost training days.
    
3. AI Can Accelerate Stable Decision-Making
   – AI assistants can rapidly generate race plans, analyse sectional times, and highlight optimal race targets. This improves transparency in planning and frees up staff for higher-value tasks.
    
4. Nutrition and Health Data Links Directly to Performance
   – Metrics like ulcer grading, feed pH levels, and hindgut health show measurable correlations with win rates and expected performance, creating an evidence-based approach to feeding regimes.
    
5. Communication is as Important as the Analysis
   – Data teams must translate complex metrics into simple, actionable messages (e.g., traffic-light systems) for trainers and staff. Adoption relies on clarity, trust, and showing the “why” behind recommendations.

5 Compelling Quotes from Lonnie

1. "AI’s fantastic, but so far we’ve been told it’s all built around the data going into it — and the data is what we are missing as an industry."
   – on why better, continuous data collection is the foundation for real AI transformation.
    
2. "How many minutes a day do you actually monitor your horse? I suspect it’s a single-digit percentage of the horse’s time."
   – on the industry’s current welfare and performance monitoring gaps.
    
3. "Without this data, AI’s not going to solve your problems."
   – on why technology adoption must start with improving measurement, not just buying software.
    
4. "Shifting live foal rates from 65% to 75% isn’t just possible — it could be worth nearly $100 million a year to the Australian industry."
   – on the commercial upside of better breeding and pregnancy monitoring.
    
5. "Could any of this have been avoided? That’s the only question that matters in animal welfare."
   – on the ultimate test for preventative monitoring technology.
    

5 Key Takeaways for the Thoroughbred Industry

1. Continuous Monitoring is a Step-Change in Welfare
   – Implantable chips could capture 24/7 heart rate, temperature, movement, and recovery data — enabling early detection of illness, injury, and stress before they become career- or life-ending.
    
2. Breeding Efficiency Could Lift Industry Revenue by Tens of Millions
   – Real-time pregnancy and foaling alerts could materially improve live foal percentages, reduce losses, and boost sales volumes, creating significant economic benefit for breeders and sales companies.
    
3. Early Injury Detection Protects Horses and Owners
   – Continuous physiological data could flag pre-lameness changes, preventing catastrophic injuries, improving rehab outcomes, and reducing race-day scratches.
    
4. Operational Safety and Staff Efficiency Gains
   – Automated temperature and heart-rate collection reduces risky manual handling, standardises readings across staff, and frees up time for higher-value horse care.
    
5. Better Data Enables Cheaper Insurance and Stronger Owner Confidence
   – Insurers could reduce premiums where constant welfare monitoring is in place, while owners gain peace of mind through transparent, verified care data.

5 Compelling Quotes from John 

1. "AI is fantastic, but it’s only as good as the data going into it — and the data is what we are missing as an industry."
   – on why meaningful innovation starts with consistent, high-quality measurement.
    
2. "Innovation precisely means a new idea put into practice. If it’s not in practice, it’s not innovation."
   – on using precise language to avoid confusing ideas with implementation.
    
3. "In the dairy industry, what happens in the first 12 weeks of life sets the pattern for what’s achievable later on."
   – on the long-term impact of early-life management on animal performance.
    
4. "If you stuff up development, you can have the best research in the world — and nothing changes."
   – on the critical link between research, development, and real-world adoption.
    
5. "Agriculture isn’t sexy — but it’s important. If you like food, you should care about it."
   – on the challenge of keeping rural industries visible and influential in policymaking.
    

5 Key Takeaways for the Thoroughbred Industry

1. Early-Life Management is a Performance Multiplier
   – Just as calf health shapes future milk yields, structured, evidence-based care of foals in the first months can have lasting effects on racing and breeding potential.
    
2. Precise Definitions Improve Decision-Making
   – Separating research (answering questions), development (turning answers into change), and innovation (putting new ideas into practice) avoids wasted resources and unclear priorities.
    
3. Adoption Requires More Than Good Ideas
   – Success in dairy shows that new technology or processes need clear development pathways, industry-specific tailoring, and alignment with what motivates people on the ground.
    
4. Genomics Offers Both Opportunities and Risks
   – Genetic tools can accelerate performance gains but also narrow the gene pool; breeding programs must balance speed with diversity to avoid long-term vulnerabilities.
    
5. Societal Expectations and Regulation Shape What’s Possible
   – Technologies like virtual herding in dairy parallel potential equine welfare innovations, but their adoption depends on navigating state-based rules, public sentiment, and animal welfare standards.

5 Compelling Quotes from Nathan 

• "If 25% of the public believes horse racing is cruel, that’s enough to tip the majority against us — whether it’s fair or not."
  – on the urgency of controlling the narrative before it’s defined by critics.
   
• "Because they’re the ones putting out that information, their framing becomes the truth by default."
  – on how a lack of industry-supplied facts allows opponents’ versions to dominate public perception.
   
• "The most powerful thing any industry can do in the face of criticism is own the truth — especially the uncomfortable part."
  – on why honesty, even about shortcomings, builds trust.
   
• "Let’s not wait to be forced into transparency. Let’s lead with it."
  – on taking a proactive rather than reactive approach to welfare communication.
   
• "If we want people to trust what we do, we need to let them see it."
  – on the value of open access initiatives like National Thoroughbred Week.
   

5 Key Takeaways for the Thoroughbred Industry

• Transparency is a Strategic Advantage
  – Publishing clear, contextualised welfare data (injuries, fatalities, rehoming rates) enables the industry to set its own narrative and counter misinformation.
   
• Data Gaps Invite Mistrust
  – Without a central, credible source for key welfare metrics, the public and media default to activist sources, often without context.
   
• Owning the Difficult Numbers Builds Credibility
  – Framing statistics honestly (“139 horses died on track last year — here’s what we’re doing to reduce that”) signals accountability and commitment to improvement.
   
• Show, Don’t Just Tell
  – Public-facing access programs, such as National Thoroughbred Week, allow people to see real horse care practices firsthand, breaking down misconceptions.
   
• Cultural Change Starts Small
  – Even informal, localised acts of openness (posting about care routines, explaining welfare decisions) can ripple outward and create pressure for broader transparency.

5 Compelling Quotes from Michael

• "In 2010 most of our bets were via tote — now they’re via fixed odds. The shift is huge."
  – on the rapid change in punter behaviour and product demand.
   
• "There’s still over $100 billion annually wagered on tote worldwide — the opportunity is still there if we can combine pools."
  – on the unrealised potential of tote growth through national and international pooling.
   
• "In-play betting is 4% of the Australian market versus 54% in the US. That’s where it’s going — regulation is the only thing holding it back."
  – on the gap between local and international wagering trends.
   
• "Content is king. AI now allows us to cut and publish race highlights automatically in bite-sized formats for TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and more."
  – on AI’s role in driving fan engagement through rapid content creation.
   
• "The biggest challenge with tote is marketing — the engine is the same as Lotto, we just haven’t made it sexy."
  – on why product perception, not just technology, determines wagering growth.
   

5 Key Takeaways for the Thoroughbred Industry

• The Tote can be revitalised with scale and storytelling
  – A national pool linking NSW, QLD, and VIC could boost liquidity, create bigger jackpots, and make tote betting more appealing to modern punters.
   
• Digital + Retail integration is the future
  – “Omnichannel” strategies — linking mobile apps, on-course, and pub betting with tech like QR codes and bump stations — offer seamless wagering experiences and greater customer retention.
   
• AI is reshaping customer engagement
  – From personalised bet recommendations to automated race clips and targeted offers, AI is enabling highly tailored, instant interaction with audiences.
   
• In-Play Betting is a growth frontier
  – If regulation evolves, in-play could dramatically expand racing’s share of the wagering market, replicating US-level engagement.
   
• Problem Gambling technology is advancing
  – AI-driven behavioural monitoring can flag at-risk customers in real time, supporting industry integrity and responsible gambling commitments.