Transforming Experiences for Tomorrow’s Events

8:00am – 8:30am

Registration

Registration opens. Grab your name badge, settle in and connect with fellow attendees before the Summit begins.

8:30am – 8:45am

Welcome & Opening Remarks

The Summit team opens the day by introducing the key themes, setting the direction for the program and preparing attendees for a day of relevant discussion, practical insight and actionable takeaways.

8:45am – 9:30am

Opening Plenary: The Future of Event Design & Promotion: Designing Moments That Matter

As audiences become more selective with their time and attention, successful events need to create lasting value beyond the moment itself.

Featuring Ricky Colosimo, Andrew Roberts and Chris Toward, this opening plenary explores how experience design, venue strategy and promotion can work together to create events that connect, cut through and deliver measurable impact.

Drawing on experience across live entertainment, hospitality, venue sales, marketing and large-scale event delivery, the panel will examine how strong concepts move from briefing and promotion through to execution, audience engagement and post-event value.

9:30am – 10:15am

Panel Discussion: Event Hangover – The Burnout No One Talks About

Events are high-pressure, high-stakes environments, but the impact on the people delivering them is often overlooked once the event is over.

Featuring Craig Sheridan, Iain Morrison and Holly Scully, this candid panel explores burnout as a broader industry challenge shaped by leadership, culture and operational expectations.

Drawing on experience across major events, event strategy, incident management, burnout advocacy and people and culture, the discussion will examine what sustainable performance really looks like. The panel will share practical ways to recognise pressure early, support teams effectively and build resilience into the way events are planned, led and delivered.

10:15am – 10:40am

Morning Tea & Networking

Take a break, refresh with morning tea and connect with peers in the Innovation Lounge. This session break is designed to give attendees time to reflect on the morning content, continue relevant conversations and build professional connections.

10:40am – 11:20am

Panel Discussion: Corporate Experiences That Cut Through the Noise

Corporate audiences are time-poor, selective and harder to engage, which means a well-run event is no longer enough.

Featuring Stephanie Cassimatis, Blake Morgan-Monk, Deray Lombardi and Suvi Santhadkarn, this panel explores what makes corporate experiences genuinely stand out. Drawing on expertise across event strategy, venue partnerships, commercial growth and hotel events, the speakers will discuss how to balance audience connection, stakeholder expectations and business value.

The session will unpack what to prioritise, what to challenge and how to create corporate events that cut through the noise and deliver meaningful outcomes.

11:20am – 12:15pm

Keynote: Branding Beyond the Logo: How to Make Your Presence Unforgettable

Brands are no longer defined by logos, colours or taglines alone. They are shaped by how people feel, what they remember and the stories they share after the experience ends.

In this keynote, international speaker, bestselling author and award-winning entrepreneur Lorraine Murphy explores what it takes to build a brand that is felt, remembered and talked about.

Drawing on her journey from building a multi-million-dollar business to speaking on stages around the world, Lorraine will challenge attendees to rethink branding as more than a visual exercise. This session will explore how purpose, personality and presence show up through leadership, events, experiences and everyday interactions, leaving audiences with practical insight into how brands create lasting impact.

12:15pm – 1:00pm

Networking Lunch & Innovation Lounge Experience

Enjoy a lunch break while engaging with peers and exploring the Innovation Lounge. This session provides an opportunity to continue conversations, connect with partners and reflect on the morning program.

1:00pm – 1:40pm

Breakout Session 1

Building Sustainable and Scalable Event Strategies

As events grow in size, frequency and expectation, success is no longer about delivering one standout moment. The real challenge is building event strategies that can be sustained, repeated and scaled without compromising quality or purpose.

In this breakout session, Iain Morrison, Derrin Brown and Katrina De Jersey explore how organisations can move beyond reactive delivery to create deliberate, scalable event models.

Drawing on expertise across strategy, growth, communications and major event storytelling, the session will unpack how strategic clarity, audience insight, strong positioning and disciplined planning can turn event vision into long-term value. Attendees will gain practical insight into designing event programs that remain resilient, relevant and effective over time.

Event Industry Myth-Busting, What Really Works

The event industry is full of assumptions — ideas that get repeated because “that’s how it’s always been done”, even when they no longer reflect audience behaviour, budget realities or business priorities.

This candid session brings together senior leaders from across destination strategy, experience design, marketing communications and large-scale event delivery to challenge the myths shaping how events are designed, marketed and measured today. With experience spanning brand experiences, audience engagement and strategic communications, Kate Jones and Samantha Halpern bring valuable perspectives to the discussion, helping unpack how events are not only delivered, but also positioned and experienced more broadly.

Focused on practical insight rather than assumption, this session will encourage attendees to question long-held beliefs, rethink default approaches and make more informed decisions about where to invest time, energy and budget.

1:45pm – 2:35pm

Master Class 1

Digital Strategy for Events

A strong digital strategy can significantly amplify the impact of an event before, during and long after the doors close. This practical masterclass unpacks how to use digital channels strategically to drive attendance, engagement and long-term value, without overcommitting to every new platform or trend.

Digital channels power how audiences discover, engage and decide to attend events. In this master class, digital strategy expert Kate Toon breaks down how to build and implement digital strategies that support event goals from awareness to conversion. Known for her mastery of SEO, analytics and audience-centric content planning, Kate transforms complexity into clear, actionable steps.

Participants will walk through real-world approaches to selecting channels, measuring performance and linking digital outcomes to business impact.

Master Class 2

Your Leadership Brand: Your Intent, The Reality, and the Truth in Between

In this leadership masterclass, Rebecca Allen will explore the often-overlooked gap between how leaders intend to show up and how they are actually experienced by others. In high-pressure environments, leadership is not defined only by capability or authority, but by how consistently a leader communicates, responds, influences and creates clarity.

Drawing on her work with executives, senior leaders and leadership teams across organisations, including ANZ, Aquila Capital, ANSTO, the Ministry of Defence, AbbVie and UNSW, Rebecca brings a practical and highly relevant perspective on what effective leadership looks like in reality, not just in theory.

This session will help attendees reflect on the signals they send, the environment they create and the impact their leadership style has on trust, performance and alignment. Rebecca will unpack how stronger self-awareness, deliberate communication and clearer intent can help leaders navigate complexity, build credibility and lead with greater confidence. Attendees will leave with practical insight into how leadership brand is formed, where perception can diverge from intention, and what it takes to lead in a way that is both authentic and effective.

2:35pm – 3:00pm

Afternoon Tea & Networking

Take a pause to recharge, reflect and connect with fellow attendees over afternoon tea. This break offers time to continue relevant conversations, exchange ideas and build professional connections before the afternoon sessions resume.

3:00pm – 4:30pm

Interactive Workshop 1

Smartphone Photography & Content Creation Workshop

In a fast-moving event environment, the ability to capture strong content in real time is now an essential skill for event, marketing and brand teams.

Led by Andrew Thomasson, an internationally experienced photographer, this hands-on workshop shows attendees how to create professional, high-impact content using tools they already have, including smartphones.

Moving beyond basic tips and filters, the session will focus on how to capture authentic, on-brand content that supports promotion, engagement and storytelling while the event is still live. Attendees will learn how to identify key moments, frame shots in dynamic settings and create content that extends the reach and value of their event in real time.

Interactive Workshop 2

AI as Your Co-Creator: Enhancing Human Work in Events & Marketing

Artificial Intelligence is rapidly changing how event and marketing teams plan, create, communicate and deliver, but many leaders are still asking where AI genuinely adds value and where it creates risk.

Presented by Stephanie Cassimatis, Louise Gardner and Tony Agioski, this interactive workshop explores how AI can be used as a practical partner in modern events and marketing.

Bringing together perspectives across event production, transformation and technology, the session will move beyond hype and theory into real-world application. Attendees will explore how AI can support ideation, research, content development, workflow efficiency and insight generation, while also understanding the limitations, risks and governance considerations leaders need to manage.

4:30pm – 5:30pm

Close & Networking Sunset Drinks

Close out the day with final reflections from the Summit team before moving into networking drinks with speakers, partners and fellow attendees. This closing session provides an opportunity to continue conversations, strengthen new connections and conclude the day with relevant industry engagement.