Conference Program 

Wednesday 12 June

Please note: Program subject to change

8:00am

Registration including refreshments

8:30am

Acknowledgement of Country and Smoking and sweeping ceremony

Wandana Aboriginal Education
8:50am

Welcome from Stu Speirs

8:55am

Keynote address:

Finding and amplifying your place’s songlines.

Alison Page – Indigenous storyteller, Founder – Zakpage

 

Module 1 – Place Brand, from theory to practice

9:20am

Globally admired, locally driven. The story of Brand Tasmania and how it is pushing the boundaries of what economic development can do.

9:45am

Shifting from “Destination” to “Place” thinking – How the Northern Rivers is leading this evolution in mindset for NSW.

10:10am

Empowering local enterprise: How to inspire stakeholder-led marketing and communications that align with state-level strategy.

Amanda McEvoy – Executive Officer, Launceston Central
10:30am

Fishbowl

Key questions for speakers and discussion
10:50am

Morning Tea

Module 2 – Defining and communicating your place’s identity in a modern world

11:15am

Where you’re (probably) going wrong in understanding place identity.

11:40am

A fresh start. Creating place, identity and culture in greenfield sites.

Andy Hoyne – Founder, Hoyne
12 noon

Fishbowl

Key questions for speakers and discussion
12:20pm

Lunch

Module 3 – Nation brands – How to use them, how to learn from them

1:00pm

Now for the leg work – Taking Australia’s Nation Brand to the world, one stakeholder at a time.

Jess Hamilton – General Manager, Communications & Marketing, Austrade – Australia’s Nation Brand
1:25pm

Listen to learn – how to seek and integrate a wider set of voices into your place’s brand identity.

Amy Knightley – Director of Marketing and Communications, New Zealand Story
1:50pm

From destination brand to place brand – the evolution of Fiji’s tourism brand.

2:10pm

Weaving indigenous story through your place’s narrative.

Panel discussion between Jess, Amy and Brent
Facilitated by Alison Page
2:40pm

Break

Module 4 – Events – A living, breathing demonstration of place

3:00pm

Shifting Cement – The story of how a place-based arts and cultural event helped a “cement town” face change.

Alex Wisser – Founder, Cementa
3:25pm

Major events – The true shopfront of a place?

3:50pm

Vivid Sydney – Now and Then. An open discussion about Vivid Sydney and its connection to place.

Gill Minervini – Festival Director, Vivid Sydney
Geoff Parmenter – Ex-CEO, Events NSW

4:20pm

Cheers and peers – Grab a drink with your fellow place branders.

Thursday 13 June

Please note: Program subject to change
8:30am

Registration including refreshments

8:55am

Welcome to Day 2 - Stu Speirs

9:00am
Keynote address:

A new take: Re-inventing infrastructure of a bygone era in a way that is true to place.

Module 5 - A ground up, community based approach to Place Branding

9:25am

Creating a shared place vision from the ground up.

Dean Cracknell - Co-founder and Executive Director, Town Team Movement
9:50am

Reaching across the aisle - Creating unity in a time it’s needed most.

10:10am

Fishbowl

Key questions for speakers and discussion
10:30am

Morning Tea

Module 6 - Identifying and telling the story of place - Moderated by Jennifer O'Brien

10:50am

Be yourself: Everyone else is taken. Uncover your place’s unique, compelling narrative.

Josh Centner - Head of product, Seek
11:15am

Forging deeper connections between visitors, locals and place.

11:40am

Show and Tell - How Canberra defined its story arc, and how it's being used today.

Brodie Fleming - Director, Brand Canberra
11:55am

Facilitation of a practical, outcomes led session that guides those looking to define and refine the story of their place.

12:30pm

Conference concludes - Stu Speirs wrap up and what's next for Place Branding Australia

- Followed by lunch