To celebrate their 20th anniversary, the not-for-profit organisation is gathering big thinkers, entrepreneurs, business and community leaders for a brainstorm event called 'Big Ideas for Regional NSW'.

"We don't want to hold another standard 'sit and be talked to' workshop or conference, we want to really spark creative ideas, fire up lively discussions and enliven our participants with a renewed enthusiasm for growing our regional communities," Juliet Duffy, WRI chair, said.

She invited anyone interested in the future of regional NSW to consider attending the event.

"This workshop is for anyone passionate about regional Australia, no idea is too big or too small if it leads to actionable change for the future of our regional communities."

Participants will be able to engage during the workshop using their phones, tablets or laptops, which the WRI is planning to enable through a special collaboration app provided through a sponsorship arrangement with the international software company who developed it.

"Bringing regional leaders together in this way has the potential to be very powerful," Kathy Woolley, WRI CEO, said.

"It only takes one idea, workshopped in a room full of potential collaborators, supporters and stakeholders to effect real change in regional NSW."

WRI is a regional economics and development research organisation that works with all tiers of government, not-for-profits, industry entities, universities and research institutes on a range of social and economic development projects and program evaluations in regional areas.

The event will take place on Thursday, September 26, 2019, at the Engineering Building at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst. For more information about the Big Ideas for Regional NSW event, including how to register your interest in attending, can be found at wri.org.au/big- ideas-for-regional-nsw