Egg Donor / Surrogacy National Conference Event - Growing Families

NATIONAL CONFERENCE, MELBOURNE

It Takes A Village!

Date: 17 – 18 June 2023

SECURE YOUR PLACE
Purchase Tickets

VIEW OUR EXPERTS
Speakers

EXPLORE THE EVENT
Agenda

Join us for our National Conference in Melbourne, hear from Local, National and Global IVF experts.
Learn how to grow or start your family as a single person, same sex couple or heterosexual couple.

As an intended parent, parent, egg donor, surrogate or expert, take the opportunity to network, share stores and learn from each other.

Join us for an interactive ‘Ask Me Anything’ conference!

It Takes A Village!

Saturday 17 & Sunday 18 June
9.00am to 5.30pm

Amora Hotel Riverwalk Richmond, Melbourne

who should attend:

  • Intended Parents – Singles, Same-Sex Couples & Heterosexual Couples
  • Parents
  • Surrogates
  • Egg Donors
  • Industry Experts
  • Industry Service Providers

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • Network with IVF Experts, Surrogates, Egg Donors, Parents and Children via Surrogacy
  • Network with Best in their Field Lawyers
  • Understand the best countries for your needs to engage
  • Know how surrogacy & egg donor options work in Australia and abroad.

The Conference

It Takes A Village Conference runs over two days with a different focus each day:

  • Saturday focuses on Egg Donor options and Domestic Surrogacy.
  • Sunday focuses on International Surrogacy – altruistic and compensated.

Each day will feature panels of experts, parents, surrogates and older children via surrogacy.

It Takes A Village Conference is curated to provide the most up-to date information for those starting or on a family building surrogacy / donor journey.

Our interactive format provides advice, introductions and answers to questions, no matter where you are in your journey.  We cover steps on how to first engagement with professional service providers to taking your baby home.

If you are an intended parent via egg donation and/or surrogacy, we recommend booking the two-day pass to maximise your understanding of options and take advantage of all social activities.

If you are a surrogate, egg donor or looking at becoming one, then book only for the Saturday. Tickets for surrogates and donors are free, but you MUST register.

Industry professionals (IVF doctors, counsellors, nurses, lawyers, cryoshippers, psychologists) can only purchase the industry professional ticket (2 days).

Ticket Includes:

Fully catered: morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea.  Along with a networking drinks & nibbles function Saturday evening.

One-on-One consultations with as many experts from the conference as you like. View the profiles of each speaker   and email us to arrange your consultation meetings.

SPEAKERS


Dr. Uliana Dorofeyeva
Medical Director, Ovogene, Slovakia

Dr Uliana coordinated the ground-breaking first international IVF procedure in Ukraine. Dr. Uliana has over 12 years’ IVF experience, performed over 5000 cycles, treated patients from 36 countries and has clinics all over the world.

Learn More
Sarah Bevan


Sarah Bevan
Attorney, Sarah Bevan Family Law, Sydney

Sarah led the team responsible for the landmark NSW decision for the first same-sex couple to be registered as parents on their child’s birth certificate, after that child was born through a surrogacy arrangement.

Learn More


Monica Buehler
Agency Director, Accel Conceptions USA

Monica is open-minded and leads with her heart – the epitome of compassion and fierce advocacy. She has two decades of industry experience and nursing background, there is no such thing as a silly question — seriously, just ask her

Learn More


Steven Swanepoel
Territory Manager, Tammuz Family, Australia

Steven is a parent currently via Colombia with his fiancé. He has a wide range of career experience in business, international airlines and hospitality before finding his passion for all things family and surrogacy.

Learn More
Wendie Wilson-Miller speaker at Growing Families


Wendie Wilson-Miller
Founder, Gifted Journeys , USA

Wendie is outgoing president of Society for Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy and serves on the board of Parents Via Egg Donation. She is also the co-author of “The Insiders Guide to Egg Donation: A Compassionate and Comprehensive Guide for All Parents-To-Be,” She runs two leading US surrogacy agencies

Learn More


Jan Silverman
Surrogacy Psychologist, Canada

For the past 25 years, Jan has worked in reproductive health; supporting, educating and advocating. Jan co-founded the first Canadian infertility support network. Jan established and ran the infertility support and education program at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto for 21 years. She is now in private practice providing counselling to Create Fertility Centre. Jan created her own family by adopting two (former) children.

Learn More

National Conference

Date: Saturday 17 & Sunday 18 June 2023
Time:  9.00am to 5.30pm
Location:  Amora Hotel Riverwalk Richmond, Melbourne

Ticket price includes;  one-on-one consultation with expert providers post event, lunch, afternoon tea, and complimentary networking drinks and nibbles.

The networking drinks provide an opportunity to freely talk with all expert speakers, donor, surrogates, recent parents and children.

Tickets

EARLY BIRD – Full Conference Ticket – Saturday & Sunday

Per Person – $150 + booking fee

* Ends Sunday 30 April

EARLY BIRD – Full Conference Ticket – Saturday & Sunday

Couple $250

* Ends Sunday 30 April

Full Conference Ticket – Saturday & Sunday

Per Person – $190 + booking fee

Donor & Domestic Day Only Ticket – Saturday 17 June

Per Person – $100 + booking fee

International Day Only Ticket – Sunday 18 June

Couple $100 + booking fee

Egg Donor & Surrogate Ticket – Saturday 17 June

FREE – Must book your place.

Counsellor / Academic / Nurse / Doctor – Two Day Ticket

Per Person – $350.00

Growing Families have 11 years of experience supporting over 3000 singles and couples engaging in international donor and surrogacy arrangements.

Children Holding Hands Growing families National Conference Melbourne

Agenda & Speakers 2023

Donor & Domestic Day – Saturday 17 June

9.15 – 9.30am Introduction Sam Everingham, Growing Families

9.30 – 10.55am

The Altruistic Headspace 
Local Egg Donor Options
Good Ingredients – Making Strong Embryos
International Donor Options 
Donor – ‘Ask Me Anything’ Panel

SPEAKERS:

10.55 – 11.25am

MORNING TEA

11.25 – 1.00pm

IVF Experts – ‘Ask Me Anything’ Panel 
Australian Surrogacy Agreements 
Surrogate – ‘Ask Me Anything’ Panel 
Doula Support

SPEAKERS:

1.00 – 2.00pm

LUNCH

2.00 – 3.30pm

Domestic Parent – ‘Ask Me Anything’ Panel
Legal Parentage after Domestic Arrangements
Looking After Your Surrogate, Donor & Yourself

SPEAKERS:

3.30 – 4.00pm

AFTERNOON TEA

4.00 – 5.10pm

The Impact on Surrogates Own Families
The Reality – Outcomes for Kids ‘Ask Me Anything’ Panel

SPEAKERS:

5.10 – 6.00pm

NETWORKING DRINKS

Enjoy drinks and nibbles while mingling with service providers, speakers and other intended parents on a similar journey to you.

Agenda & Speakers 2023

International Day – Sunday 18 June

9.10 – 10.30am

Considerations in Selecting a Country  
Considerations in Selecting a Surrogacy Agency & IVF Clinic
Ethical Considerations in Cross-Border Surrogacy 

SPEAKERS:

10.30 – 11.00am

MORNING TEA

11.00 – 1.10pm

IVF Experts – ‘Ask Me Anything’ Panel 
Surrogacy Experts – ‘Ask Me Anything’ Panel
International Parents Journey – ‘Ask Me Anything’ Panel 
Legal Experts – ‘Ask Me Anything’ Panel

SPEAKERS:

Dean Masserman, Vorzimer/Masserman , USA; Alex McNab, Moe Hannah, Canada; Sarah Bevan, Sarah Bevan Family Lawyers, Sydney; Ester Nunez, SudAmerica Surrogacy, Argentina; Monica Buehler Accel Conceptions, USA; Wendie Wilson-Miller, Gifted Journeys, USA; Megan Hall-Greenberg, Surro Connections, USA; Steven Swanepoel, Tammuz Family, Australia; Leia Swanberg, Canadian Fertility Consulting & Egg Helpers, Canada;  Dr. Uliana Dorofeyeva,  Ovogene, Slovakia;  Dr. Vuk Jovanovic, Tree of Life, USA; Dr. Ashim Kumar, Western Fertility, USA.

1.10 – 1.50pm

LUNCH

1.50 – 2.20pm

Breakout 1 

Surrogacy in USA 

1.50 – 2.20pm

Breakout 2 

Surrogacy in Canada 

1.50 – 2.20pm

Breakout 3 

Surrogacy in Georgia 

1.50 – 2.20pm

Breakout 4 

2.20 – 2.50pm

Breakout 5 

Surrogacy in USA 

2.20 – 2.50pm

Breakout 6 

Surrogacy in Argentina

2.20 – 2.50pm

Breakout 7

Surrogacy in Mexico / Colombia

2.20 – 2.50pm

Breakout 8 

Surrogacy in Kazakhstan /Greece /Albania 

2.50 – 4.20pm

Gamete Shipping Complexities for Australians (export & import) 
Insurance for your Surrogate & Newborn 
Citizenship & Passport Processes for Returning Infants
The Reality – Outcomes for Kids – ‘Ask Me Anything’ Panel

SPEAKERS:

4.20 – 5.00pm

AFTERNOON TEA

Mingling with service providers, speakers and other intended parents on a similar journey to you.

Meet Our Expert Speakers

Alex McNab
Surrogacy Lawyer, Canada
View Profile

Anna McKie
Surrogate & Support Manager, Surrogacy Australia
View Profile

Charmaine Staal
Brisbane surrogate
View Profile

Craig Fyfe
Travel Agent, Your Travel Expert
View Profile

Dean Masserman
Vorzimer Masserman - Fertility & Family Law Centre
View Profile

Dr Ashim Kumar
Medical Director, Western Fertility, USA
View Profile

Dr Shadi Khashaba
Reproductive Endocrinologist, IVF Australia
View Profile

Dr. Uliana Dorofeyeva
Founder, Director, Clinical Operations, Ovogene
View Profile

Dr. Vuk Jovanovic
Medical Director, Tree of Life Center, California
View Profile

Emma Solly
Administration Manager | DNALabs
View Profile

Hanneke Naus
SurroPlans, USA
View Profile

Heather Anderson
Australian Parent Support, Growing Families
View Profile

Jan Silverman PhD
Psychologist, Create IVF, Canada
View Profile

Jayne Mullen
Scientific Director & Embryologist, City Fertility
View Profile

Leia Swanberg
Founder, Canadian Fertility Consulting & Egg Helpers
View Profile

Megan Hall-Greenberg
Founder, Surro Connections, Oregon USA
View Profile

Monica Buehler
Agency Director, Accel Conceptions
View Profile

Renee Adair
- Founder and Director, The Australian Doula College
View Profile

Rodney Oldham
General Manager, PakAir
View Profile

Sam Everingham
Global Expert & Growing Families Director
View Profile

Sarah Bevan
Sarah Bevan Family Lawyers
View Profile

Stephen Page
Family & fertility lawyer, Page Provan
View Profile

Steven Swanepoel
Territory Manager, Tammuz Family Australia
View Profile

Tamari Kachlishvili
Global Surrogacy Consulting, Argentina
View Profile

Wendie Wilson-Miller
Founder, Gifted Journeys, USA
View Profile

Family Members Sharing Their Stories

Andrew Boyd..
Gay Dad via USA
View Profile

Charlotte Coombes
Mum via Donor IVF
View Profile

Charmaine Staal
Brisbane surrogate
View Profile

Ethan Chiang-Cruise
Teen via US Surrogacy
View Profile

Naomi Seddon
Mum via US Surrogacy
View Profile

If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with us via email: Info@growingfamilies.org.

Platinum Sponsors

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Community Sponsors