On Wednesday 3 October-Thursday 4 October the Council of Ambulance Authorities (CAA) will hold its annual national conference at Wrest Point in Hobart.

The 2012 conference theme is ‘Shaping the Future’ and will focus on the vision for Australasian ambulance services over the next decade.

The CAA brings together the ambulance sector and many of its stakeholders throughout Australia and New Zealand.

This year’s conference will feature a myriad of topics from international and national speakers, including:

• Thomas P Judge (US). Mr Judge is Executive Director of Lifelight of Maine, a non-profit hospital consortium critical care system, and a respected speaker on the future of ambulance services in North America

• Sonya Gale, Community Programmes Director, St John New Zealand. Sonya provides leadership and strategic direction to a range of health and well-being initiatives, coordinated by a volunteer workforce ranging in age from 6 to 101 years old

• Professor Frank Archer, Head of the Department of Community Emergency Health & Paramedic Practice, Monash University.

Council of Ambulance Authorities