Smart Connection Consultancy

13/11/2025

🚀 New Release: 4th Edition of the Smart Guide Now Available!

Smart Connection Consultancy Pty Ltd is pleased to announce the official release of the 4th Edition of the Smart Guide to Synthetic Sports Surfaces, following its recent international launch at the IAKS - International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities Congress 2025 in Cologne.

Fifteen years after the first edition helped shape how Australia plans, designs, and manages synthetic sports fields, this latest edition represents the next generation of thinking - where performance, sustainability, and community outcomes sit at the heart of every decision.

What began as a guide focused on synthetic turf has evolved into a comprehensive industry reference covering:

🌱 long and short pile synthetic grass
🏃‍♂️ rubber athletics and multi-sport systems
🎾 acrylic courts
🌿 hybrid grass systems

The 4th Edition also aligns with key national and global frameworks, including:
📌 The NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, Guide to Decision Makers for Synthetic Turf.
📌 The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
📌 A Multiple Bottom Line approach examining People, Planet, Prosperity and Performance across the entire facility lifecycle - planning, design, procurement, management, and end of life.

This new knowledge base will be integrated into all sessions at the upcoming Smart Synthetic Sports Surface Seminar in Sydney this 4th December 2025, supporting attendees to make evidence-based decisions for community sport.

A copy of the Smart Guide will also be available for reading on the day!

📘 Be part of the next generation of thinking. Get your tickets here: https://nscevents.com.au/synthetic-sports-surface-seminars-2025

06/02/2025

How do you know when a field is ready to be replaced? Is it possible to extend its like, for another 12 months?

The Smart Synthetic Sports Surface Seminars in Melbourne and Sydney will be explaining how, when and what do you need to consider when replacing your synthetic sports field.
Over the last decade, the industry has embraced synthetic sports fields for all codes of football in NSW and Victoria and is now considering what we need to do next.

Martin Sheppard, Managing Director, Smart Connection Consultancy, will be exploring:
❓ Can it be recycled?
❓ Where do you start?
❓ How much does it cost?
❓ What are the new standards, and do we need to retrofit them?

Martin will be joined on panel sessions by
- Trent Cummings, Director, RE4ORM – the only recycling plant in Australia for synthetic turf
- Greg Heaps, Director, SYNERGY IN TURF – experienced in uplifting many fields already

👉 Register now! Limited tickets remaining https://nscevents.com.au/synthetic-sports-surface-seminars-2025

Melbourne
📍 The Hangar, Essendon Fields
📅 Thursday, 13 February

Sydney
📍 Lakeside Conference Centre, Macquarie University
📅 Thursday, 20 February

04/02/2025

❓Do you know the standards for synthetic success?

The most asked question is what standard should the synthetic grass be? Martin Sheppard, Managing Director, SCC, will explain why the FIFA Quality Standards are only the beginning and not the standards we should solely have for synthetic sports surfaces in Australia.

At this year’s Smart Synthetic Sports Surface Seminar in Melbourne and Sydney, Martin will explore the standards a new or replacement field should be, and discuss how local governments and sports need to embrace new environmental standards and best practices to ensure more sustainable and resilient synthetic turf solutions.

His unique perspective on standards sees him exploring these core considerations:
✅ Planet (environment) – including microplastic migration, water strategies and environmental impact
✅ People (community) – exploring the right surface standards for the intensity of usage
✅ Prosperity (economic) – The whole of life costings for the various types of sports surfaces
✅ Performance – The fit for purpose performance standards for the surface and the engineered pavement

With an exciting program featuring experts from across the industry, this is only one of the sessions that will have you thinking bigger and better when you leave the seminar.

Get in quick, tickets are limited https://nscevents.com.au/synthetic-sports-surface-seminars-2025

📍 Melbourne
The Hangar, Essendon Fields
Thursday, 13 February

📍 Sydney
Lakeside Conference Centre, Macquarie University
Thursday, 20 February

03/02/2025

🟩 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗲𝘀

The Smart Synthetic Sports Surface Seminars in Melbourne (13 February) and Sydney (20 February) will be exploring how councils, sports and the latest technology are aligning to encourage participation at the local level.

In 2025, many local councils are focusing on the design of multi-activity sports areas, where sport is the vehicle for engaging the youth through play and recreation.

It is now common to see single and double court size spaces with multi-coloured designs around tennis, basketball, 5-a-side football, volleyball and games for primary school children all on a single space.

Hear from our expert speakers on how surfaces have evolved to enhance user experience and excite people with their design
- Brett Pettersen (Tennis NSW) and Fiona Young (Tennis Victoria) – All forms of tennis on one court, including singles, doubles, pickleball and hotshots, plus more
- Geoffrey Walsh (Mapei Australia) and Caroline Field (ICP Group) – showcasing how colour can add a new dimension to the experience of these Activity Courts

👉 Don't miss out on your chance to join the conversation. Register now https://nscevents.com.au/synthetic-sports-surface-seminars-2025

22/01/2025

❗ Experience Sydney’s Top Synthetic Sports Venue!

Exclusive Site Tour
📅 Date: Thursday 20th February
📍 Location: Macquarie University Northern Fields

Get a closer look at Sydney’s top synthetic sports venue during our exclusive site tour! Join industry expert Martin Shepard FCIMPSA, MSAPIA, the Chair of the IAKS Outdoor Sports Surface Expert Circle as he takes you through the facility and shares insights into sustainable sports surface management. This tour will highlight the latest technologies and practices being used to optimise sports performance and minimise environmental impact.

Don’t miss the chance to see how Sydney is leading the way in sports facility innovation.

👉 Register Now https://nscevents.com.au/synthetic-sports-surface-seminars-2025

07/01/2025

Go behind the scenes of one of Melbourne’s Premier Synthetic Sports Venues.

📅 Date: Thursday 13th February 2025
📍 Location: Essendon FC Indoor Synthetic Sports Surface

Join us for an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of one of Melbourne’s premier synthetic sports venues! Our attendees will get a firsthand look at how innovative surface technologies are implemented and maintained at The Hangar.

Discover the sustainable practices being adopted, and meet the experts who are driving these advancements. You’ll hear from industry expert Martin Sheppard, the Chair of the IAKS Outdoor Sports Surface Expert Circle as he guides you through the facility, sharing insights on how to create high-performance, environmentally-friendly sports surfaces. This is a unique opportunity to network with industry leaders and gain valuable knowledge on the future of sports infrastructure.

👉 Register Now https://bit.ly/SSSMelb25

15/11/2023

💥 We’re all ready for our first Synthetic Sports Surface Seminar for 2023!

Can’t wait for a day of learning and networking with our industry. 📝

SPORTENG Martin Sheppard La Trobe Sport

20/09/2023

The Smart Connection Consultancy Synthetic Sports Surfaces Seminars are returning for 2023 in both Sydney and Melbourne! Come and learn about the latest issues, trends and how to embrace the suggested changes from the NSW Chief Scientist and Engineers Review Report, as well as tour sites showcasing the cutting edge of sports surfaces in Australia.

SYDNEY
23 November 2023
Blacktown International Sports Park

MELBOURNE
16 November 2023
La Trobe University

Register through the link in our event post. Spots are limited in both cities, so don't miss out!

SPORTENG Martin Sheppard

14/09/2021

The National Sports Convention 2021 realigns to offer expanded conferences and flexible participation - find out more here:

The National Sports & Physical Activity Convention (NSC) is pleased to confirm that this year’s event, scheduled 9-11 November, has now been realigned to meet the industry’s needs during Covid. The new format aims to redefine the future of industry conferences by offering a combination that flex...

28/04/2021

A great program to look forward to: The ARV Regional Conference brings together a diverse and knowledgeable group of industry leaders and decision makers from local government, aquatic, recreation and leisure facilities, product suppliers, service providers, consultancies, institutes of learning, and state government departments. https://www.aquaticsandrecreation.org.au/events/58433/

15/10/2020

cant wait to hear Pierre and the workshop panelists share their insights about the importance of physical literacy for play, recreation and community sport, both as young people and as older ones too :):)

𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐍𝐒𝐂 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐬 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟎.

Pierre Comis, Board Director of Bluearth Foundation. Pierre will be a part of the Workshop - Activating a Physical Literacy Approach for Children in Australia. Exploring the future of community sport in Australia post COVID-19.

Join us at NSC Forums 2020.

Register Now: https://nscforums.com.au/register/



https://youtu.be/AV7_84pVxYA

23/09/2020

After sharing our first Smart Webinar for Synthetic Sports Surfaces - Replacing a Synthetic Sports Surface, we are now pleased to be able to share this with the broader industry. With a significant number of fields over 10 years of age, it is important that local governments appreciate how they can embrace the latest technology, understand the latest design opportunities, reduce the impact on environment, be aware of the latest performance standards and why we believe that the International Federations (e.g. FIFA, World Rugby etc.) are not adequate by themselves for Australia’s conditions.
There are three other Webinars that can be seen at

Get in touch with Smart Connection Consultancy if you have a need to invest, plan or develop active communities through sport and recreation.