You’re invited to our SILVER IS GOLD Veterans and Seniors Expo!
The 2022 Silver is Gold Veterans and Seniors Expo is designed to inspire, inform and foster connections for all older Canberrans, including the 26,000 members of the ACT veterans’ community, who reside in the ACT.
Collectively, this group of older Canberrans represent over 100,000 people or one quarter of the entire ACT population!
The Expo will serve as a large-scale event showcase for business, government agencies and community organisations which have synergies and appeal with the ACT veterans and seniors communities. The day will provide a relaxed, welcoming and inclusive atmosphere that incorporates safety and social-distance considerations.
The aim of COTA ACT is to connect older Canberrans at one great event, under one roof, and in the process, enable Expo exhibitors to impart information, promote their services, sell their products and increase awareness of their activities across a diverse range of topics that include:
- retirement living/aged care options and advice
- veterans’ affairs services and advice, including employment services
- government and community services for ACT seniors
- products and services for ACT seniors
- lifestyle/recreational options, hobbies and recreational activities
- health and fitness programs for veterans and seniors
Importantly, we want to increase the level of engagement for veterans and seniors resident in the ACT community, who are expected to attend this event – the first of its kind in Australia!
The Budawang Pavilion will comprise over 140 exhibition stalls, representing community organisations, government agencies and businesses, which will offer products, services and advice of relevance and interest to both veterans and seniors within the ACT community. There will also be a variety of stalls focusing on lifestyle and recreational activities and interests, including art, craft, hobbies, travel options and hand-made gourmet food and other products.
Special Attractions at the Expo
‘Spirit of the Anzacs’ Music Concert
featuring the Band of the Royal Military College Duntroon
Proudly sponsored by LDK Seniors Living
A specially-themed lunch time music concert, ‘Spirit of the Anzacs’ will be performed by Australian Army musicians and vocalists from the Band of the Royal Military College Duntroon and invited guests, in the Parkes Room at EPIC.
The concert will feature a program of songs by Australian songwriters including John Schumann, Lee Kernaghan, Iraq veteran Air Commodore Bob Rodgers AM,CSC and Canberra folk singer, diplomat and Afghanistan veteran, Fred Smith.
The concert program will poignantly and sensitively describe the experiences of Australia’s military forces in major conflicts, from the Great War to the War in Afghanistan, through lyrics, music and accompanying archival footage, which will be screened simultaneously on large projection screens.
Bookings are essential and tickets are available through Eventbrite here: Royal Military College Band of Duntroon: Spirit of the Anzacs concert Tickets, Wed 28/09/2022 at 12:30 pm | Eventbrite
The Green Hub
Proudly sponsored by LDK Seniors Living
The Green Hub will comprise a range of gardening and horticultural exhibitors and businesses and will feature Canberra gardening writer and media personality, Tracey Bool, who is well known through her gardening articles, tips and recipes that are regularly featured in the Canberra Weekly Magazine.
Tracey will offer advice and answer questions in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere for those expo patrons whose passion extends to all aspects of gardening in the Canberra region.
Visit the Green Hub and have a chat with Tracey and the other exhibitors who will be on hand to assist and enlighten you with their knowledge, advice and the ability to answer your questions.
Free Art Classes in the Artist’s Hub
with renowned Australian artist, Margaret Hadfield
Proudly sponsored by The Artists Shed, Fyshwick
Renowned Canberra artist and art teacher Margaret Hadfield will be offering Expo patrons the opportunity to participate in a series of free art classes that will be conducted at intervals during the Expo program.
Margaret won the Gallipoli Art prize in 2006 and has over twenty five works in her Gallipoli Series. Some of these emotive works have been exhibited in Europe and a selection of her works will be on display within the Artists Shed stall site.
Presentations and demonstrations throughout the day in the Presentations Hub
Expo Presentations – Listing of Session Times:
Morning Sessions
Session One: 10.40am – 11.05am
Department of Health and Ageing
Reviewing Quality Standards in Aged Care
Presenter: Simon Christopher, Quality and Assurance Division
Session Two: 11.10am – 11.35am
ActewAGL
Join the EVolution
Presenter: Daniel Redman, Sustainability Manager, ActewAGL
Session Three: 11.35am – 12.00pm
ACT Disability, Aged and Carer Disability Service (ADACAS)
‘Free Advocacy’
Presenter: Michelle Morris, Community Engagement Officer, ADACAS
Session Four: 12.00pm – 12.15pm
Curves Canberra Demonstration
Presenter: Anita O’Meara, Curves Canberra
Afternoon Sessions
Session Five: 1.25pm- 1.45pm
APT Travel Group and Travelmarvel
‘APT tours across the World’
Presenter: Rashelle Thompson, State Sales Manager (NSW/ACT) APT Travel Group
Session Six: 1.50pm – 2.10pm
ActewAGL
Join the EVolution
Presenter: Suhasini Razdan, Renewable Energy Engineer
Session Seven: 2.15pm – 2.35pm
Provolution Health
The Arthritis Solution
Presenter: Dr Marcus Chacos
Session Eight: 2.35pm – 3.05pm
Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate, ACT Government
Transitioning your home from gas to all-electric
Presenter: Sridhar Danda
Free Test Drive for Expo patrons in Electric Vehicles
with ActewAGL
Major Sponsor, Silver is Gold Veterans and Seniors Expo
ActewAGL will be conducting free test drives in electric vehicles for interested expo patrons. These will depart at regular intervals from their outside stand, located in the car park at the front of the Budawang Pavilion. To book your free test drive, visit the ActewAGL stall.
Hand-made Gourmet Food and other hand-made products
Hand-made gourmet food and other hand-made products will also be featured at the expo, and will include exhibitors who are also proud ACT veterans.
Parking and Transport
Exhibition Park in Canberra (EPIC) has an abundance of free car parking areas and disabled car parking areas for expo patrons within the EPIC site.
Transport Canberra, one of our major sponsors, will be providing free shuttle bus services to convey seniors and veterans from major bus interchanges, to the entrance of the Veterans and Seniors Expo, within the EPIC site.
Canberra Metro will also provide free light rail services on the day of the Expo to veterans and seniors, departing from either Gungahlin or Civic, for travel to the Canberra Metro Light Rail Stop, which is situated near the entrance to Exhibition Park in Canberra, on Flemington Road in Mitchell.
Entry to the Veterans and Seniors Expo is by gold coin donation.
If you require additional information or assistance in relation to the Silver is Gold Veterans and Seniors Expo, please contact the Events Coordinator at COTA ACT, at: events@cotaact.org.au or phone the office on 6282 3777 Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm.
