Prominent national and international commentators were invited to address In the Zone.
The speakers provided analysis and provoked discussion on the state of the world and this region in late 2009. The aim of ensuring stability and continued economic growth for the emerging powers of this volatile century was a key theme of the presentations.
The Conference provided an essential forum for everyone interested in crisis, opportunity and the new world order and growth of countries within 'the zone'.
Speakers were
- Chris Evans, Australian Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
- Dr Ken Michael, Governor of Western Australia
- Colin Barnett, Premier of Western Australia
- Julie Bishop, Deputy Federal Opposition Leader
- Lisa Scaffidi, Lord Mayor of Perth
- Ziggy Switkowski, Chair, ANSTO
- Dr Megan Clark, CEO, CSIRO
- Zhang Junsai, Chinese Ambassador to Australia
- Prof Kim Beazley, Professorial Fellow of Political Science and International Relations, UWA
- Dr Michael Chaney, UWA Chancellor
- Sir Rod Eddington, Chairman, JP Morgan Australia and New Zealand
- John Langoulant, CEO Australian Capital Equity
- Tom Albanese, CEO, Rio Tinto
- Sam Walsh, Chief Executive, Iron Ore, Rio Tinto.
- Dr Susan Boyd, former diplomat; President, Australian Institute of International Affairs (WA)
- Peter Lee, Deputy Managing Director, CITIC Pacific
- Gareth Evans, President, International Crisis Group; co-chair International Commission on Non-Proliferation and Disarmament
- Paul Glasson, Chief Representative China, Australia China Business Council
- Paul Costello, General Manager, Future Fund
- Pramit Pal Chaudhuri, Hindustan Times
- Akio Mimura, Chairman Nippon Steel
- Des Browne MP, House of Commons London; Special Envoy to Sri Lanka
- Prof Howard Hunter, Director, Management University of Singapore
- Phil Lowe, Assistant Governor (Economic), Reserve Bank of Australia
- Graham Fletcher, First Assistant Secretary North Asia Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
- Alex Thursby, CEO for Asia Pacific, Europe and America, ANZ
- Winthrop Professor Tracey Horton, Dean, UWA Business School
- Peter Cleary, President, North West Shelf Australia LNG
- Jim Middleton, Chief Anchor, Ndewshour, The Australia Network
- Dr Ric Smith, former ambassador to China and Indonesia; special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan
- Prof Barry Marshall, Nobel Laureate
- Professor Emeritus SK Lam, Senior Research Fellow, University of Malaya
- Dr Bruce Robinson, Professor of Medicine, UWA
- Prof Fiona Stanley, Director, Telethon Institute for Child Health Research
- Taka-aki Kojima, Japanese Ambassador to Australia
- Eric Ripper, Western Australian Opposition Leader
- Prof Alan Robson, Vice Chancellor, The University of Western Australia
- Prof Sangkot Marzuki, Director, Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology, Jakarta; President, Indonesian Academy of Sciences
- Associate Prof Varakorn Samakoses, former Deputy Minister for Education, Thailand
- Dr Narongchai Akrasanee, Chair, Export-Import Bank of Thailand; former Thai Minister of Commerce
- Jeremy Philips, Executive Vice President, News Corporation
- Michelle Guthrie, Managing Director, Providence Equity Asia (Hong Kong)
- Ryan Stokes, Director, Australian Capital Equity
- Prof Margaret Seares (Conference Chair)
- Prof John Hay, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Queensland; Chair, Australian Learning and Teaching Council.
- Dr David Gruen, Treasury of Australia
- Des King, President, Chevron Technology Venture
- Indrani Bagchi, Diplomatic Editor of the Times of India
- Don Voelte, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Woodside
- Prof Richard Weller, Professor of Landscape Architecture at UWA
- Gauldino Da Silva, President, National Petroleum Authority, Timor-Leste
- Tjalaminu Mia, UWA Research Fellow (oral history and the arts), School of Indigenous Studies
- Elena Douglas, International Affairs and Media Advisor, In The Zone