The 2018 ASEAN-Australia Codeathon, which brings together experts from around the region to work on new approaches to counter terrorism financing, will get underway in Sydney on Wednesday 14 March.

AUSTRAC, Australia’s financial intelligence agency, will host the 32-hour event involving about 100 technology and innovation specialists in the lead up to this week’s ASEAN-Australia Special Summit 2018.

AUSTRAC CEO, Nicole Rose PSM, will formally launch Codeathon on Wednesday morning, with the theme ‘Leveraging innovation to combat money laundering, terrorism financing and cyber risks’.

On Friday 16 March, the Minister for Law Enforcement and Cyber Security, the Hon Angus Taylor MP, will announce the Codeathon event winners.

The Judging Panel includes, Tony Sheehan, the Commonwealth Counter-Terrorism Co-Ordinator, Dr Maria Milosavljevic, Chief Information Security Officer for the NSW Government, Dr Alex Johnston, Head of Technology, Thomson Reuters Australia, Alex Scandurra, CEO Stone and Chalk, Paul Xuereb, Secretary Blockchain Association of Australia, Dr John Moss, National Manager, Intelligence, AUSTRAC and Leanne Fry, Chief Information Officer, AUSTRAC.

There will media opportunities to speak with these experts and participants and some of these judges will be available.

Media representatives who would like to attend the event should register on the Codeathon Eventbrite web page by 5.00pm AEST on Tuesday 13 March.

The following sessions will be open to media:

Wednesday 14 March 

Opening Ceremony

7.45am - Registration opens. You will be required to present photo ID.

8.30am to 9.00am - Opening ceremony, including announcement of challenges, with celebrity MC Adam Spencer.

Friday 16 March

Awards Ceremony

7.45am - Registration opens.

You will be required to present photo ID if it is your first time attending this event.

8.00am to 10.00am - Awards Ceremony, including door stop interviews.

Please contact the AUSTRAC media team below for details of the location of the event.

There will be live updates by following @AUSTRAC on Twitter.

Media contact in Australia:

AUSTRAC Media and Communications

P: (02) 9950 0488

M: 0418 103 107

E: media@austrac.gov.au

Follow us on Twitter @AUSTRAC