Conference Program
Day 1
Please note: Program subject to change
8:30am
Acknowledgement of Country and Smoking and sweeping ceremony
Wandana Aboriginal Education
8:50am
Welcome from Stu Speirs
8:55am
Keynote speaker to be announced
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.
Todd Babiak – CEO, Brand Tasmania
9:45am
Shifting from “Destination” to “Place” thinking – How the Northern Rivers is leading this evolution in mindset for NSW.
Jane Laverty – Regional Director, Business NSW, Northern Rivers
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.
Jessica Christiansen-Franks – CEO and Co-founder, Neighbourlytics
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 Knightly – Director of Marketing and Communications, New Zealand Story
David Downs – CEO, New Zealand Story
1:50pm
From destination brand to place brand – the evolution of Fiji’s tourism brand.
Brent Hill – CEO, Tourism Fiji
2:10pm
Weaving indigenous story and narrative through your place’s narrative.
Panel – Group discussion
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?
Geoff Parmenter – Chairman, New Sydney Waterfront
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.
Day 2
Please note: Program subject to change8:55am
Welcome to Day 2 - Stu Speirs
9:00am
A new take: Re-inventing infrastructure of a bygone era in a way that is true to place.
Keynote: Anita Mitchell - CEO, Placemaking NSW
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.
Zena Armstrong - Director, Cobargo Folk Festival
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.
Jarrod Pickford - Founder, Storytowns
11:30am
Show and Tell - How Canberra defined its story arc, and how it's being used today.
Brodie Fleming - Director, Brand Canberra
11:45am
Facilitation of a practical, outcomes led session that guides those looking to define and refine the story of their place.
Jennifer O'Brien - Founder, Stories INK
12:45pm