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The Symposium is full of engaging content in a practical format, designed to ramp up towards the Australian Event Awards ceremony at the end of the day.
The Event Symposium will bring together leaders in the industry from some of Australia’s biggest events and festivals as well as offering a variety of sessions exploring the latest event trends, communication techniques and creatively enhancing events.
Simon was Founding Director of Ways and Means Consultancy – a consultancy on events, bids, issues management, sustainability and Indigenous programs. He is the Founding Chairman (2002-2023) , and was a Founding Director (2002-) of the Australian Himalayan Foundation and was a member of the successful First Australian Mt. Everest Expedition 1984.
His career has seen him be a journalist; author; trek guide; Ministerial and Prime Ministerial Senior Adviser, through to Board member (1993-5) and a General Manager at SOCOG (1995-2000); as well as Senior Adviser and Executive Editor/Writer for the successful Tokyo Bid for the 2020 (now 2021) Olympic Games. Also,
Australian Event Awards Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient
Board Member and Scholar Mentor, ITNewcom Foundation (2013-2019)
Member, IOC Evaluation Commissions for the Olympic Games of 2008, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018
Strategic Advisor, Media co-ordinator , Garma Festival/Yothu Yindi Foundation(2001-2010)
Senior Adviser (Environment, Indigenous Affairs, Sport) to Prime Ministers Hawke and Keating (1990-95), and Senior Adviser to Environment and Sports Minister (1987-90)
Winner, UN Global 500 Roll of Honour for Environmental Achievement 2001, for Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Environment program
International Olympic Committee (IOC) Adviser (2001-2011), including for Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, and Athens 2004 Games; Advisor to Beijing 2008 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games Organising Committees
Board Director, Clean Up Australia (1995- 2003)
Harry Barry is a regional hotelier and passionate advocate for tourism, live music, and strong local communities. As Managing Director of the North Coast Hotel Group, he oversees a network of coastal venues across NSW, including the iconic Hoey Moey in Coffs Harbour—renowned for its role in the East Coast touring circuit and its grassroots support for emerging artists.
Deeply connected to the region, Harry is an active board member of Destination North Coast and sits on the Destination Coffs Coast Committee and is a Board Member of the Coffs Harbour Surf Life Saving Club and Big Banana Fun Park.
With decades of hands-on experience in hospitality, events, and regional investment, Harry brings a practical, honest perspective to discussions around the future of festivals. He believes in their power to unite communities, drive local economies, and create opportunities for the next generation of creatives and small businesses.
Emma Bowyer is the owner and Chief Executive Officer of ICMS Australasia, and has the overall responsibility for the success of ICMSA concerning growth, external engagement and management of senior personnel.
ICMS Australasia has offices in three Australian cities (Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane), and opened the company’s first New Zealand office in Christchurch in 2023. Current plans are to have an Auckland presence in 2026.
The company has 34 full-time employees who specialise in event management, marketing, sponsorship and exhibition management, IT, website design, graphic design, communications and finance.
Emma drives the strategic direction of the organisation, building the reputation and legacy of ICMS Australasia, which in 2026 will celebrate 60 years of continuous operation.
She has been involved in the Events Management industry for over 20 years with proven successful outcomes in managing staff and suppliers. She has personally managed some of Australia’s largest and most prestigious conferences, been contracted to Federal and State Governments, the United Nations Department of Public Information, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and a number of the world’s leading Association’s during her career.
Emma has led numerous overseas delegations on behalf of ICMSA clients, facilitating trade negotiations, optimising existing networks whilst also establishing new ones.
Emma’s business acumen has been successfully applied to the procurement of over $50 million of sponsorship and exhibition funds on behalf of ICMSA clients over the past five years.
Derrin is a globally recognised leader in immersive event design and production, with a career spanning more than 23 years across Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
He has produced and led high-impact projects across Olympic and Commonwealth Games, FIFA and Rugby World Cups, United Nations ceremonies, and large-scale public parades and festivals, including Sydney Mardi Gras, White Night Melbourne, and Australia Day on Sydney Harbour.
Domestically, Derrin has collaborated with councils, state agencies, and arts organisations, including Belvoir, Riverside Theatres, and the Sydney Opera House. He also directed the Independence Day Ceremony for the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste on behalf of the United Nations, and most recently co-curated the record-breaking NOOR Riyadh Festival in Saudi Arabia.
Respected for his ability to fuse creative vision with operational excellence, Derrin has worked with Cirque du Soleil, The Royal Ballet, Opera Australia, the New York Philharmonic, and the Democratic National Committee. He brings expertise in large-format multimedia installations, site-specific design, and event innovation.
He is currently the CEO of the Australian Events Industry Collective, a peak body advocating for national industry cohesion and recognition, and serves as General Manager of The Mandala Social, creating sustainable experiential concepts for festivals, brands, and cities. Passionate about disrupting the status quo, Derrin champions deeper public engagement through immersive design, cultural storytelling, and creative collaboration.
Rebecca Butchart is a senior public sector leader with extensive experience in governance, strategic planning and community engagement across the ACT Government. In her current role as Senior Director of Governance and Operations for the National Multicultural Festival, Rebecca leads the delivery of one of Canberra’s most celebrated cultural events—an annual showcase of inclusion, diversity, and community spirit that attracts over 300,000 attendees.
Rebecca’s global perspective is deeply rooted in her personal journey—growing up in Hong Kong and living in France sparked a lifelong love for understanding and connecting with different cultures. Rebecca is deeply committed to fostering multicultural engagement and creating platforms that celebrate Canberra’s rich cultural tapestry. She works closely with community groups, cultural organisations, and commercial vendors to ensure the festival is inclusive, representative, and empowering. Her leadership ensures the event remains a safe, vibrant, and welcoming space for all, even amid complex operational and sensitive geopolitical challenges.
Throughout her career, Rebecca has held senior roles in governance, risk, and strategic planning, contributing to major projects and policy development to deliver ACT Government priorities with community focussed outcomes.
Shane Buzza is an experienced event professional and the Director of Blu Event Productions, leading a passionate team to deliver creative, seamless, and impactful events across Australia. With over 15 years in the industry, Shane has produced large-scale public events, festivals, and corporate activations for major brands, government, and community organisations.
Known for his collaborative approach and strong stakeholder relationships, Shane specialises in turning ambitious ideas into outstanding event experiences. Under his leadership, Blu Event Productions was recognised with a prestigious Melbourne Award in 2023 for The Long Walk in the category of Aboriginal Melbourne, celebrating the team’s commitment to meaningful, community-driven work.
Alongside his event work, Shane is the co-host of An Eventful Life podcast, sharing stories and insights from global leaders across the events industry.
Shane is passionate about creating experiences that bring people and communities together.
At best, events are explosions of life that change the perception of a place. David started Dionysus to practice this philosophy. Recently awarded Australian Event Management Company of the Year, his team designs and delivers cultural programs for destination precincts including Canberra City and Dairy Road.
Dynamic and strategic major event producer and management professional with over 30 years of proven success delivering live experiences across national and global markets. Specialised in sustainable event management systems, bringing innovation and environmental responsibility to large-scale productions.
Adept at delivering high-end corporate events, live productions, and marketing activations, with a strong technical foundation complemented by outstanding communication and interpersonal skills. Known for simplifying complex information to engage diverse stakeholders and ensure flawless execution.
A profit- driven leader, focused on aligning with corporate standards while enhancing brand value. Renowned for the ability to manage multiple priorities under pressure with clarity and precision.
Excels in relationship building and client engagement, while applying analytical, strategic, and creative thinking to meet and exceed expectations.
Committed to delivering superior customer service and maintaining high levels of corporate performance, with a passion for advancing sustainable practices in the events industry.
Stephanie is the dynamic force behind Pink Caviar Events, a full-service event management and styling company based in Sydney. With over 15 years of experience in events, tourism, and project management, Stephanie brings creativity, precision, and passion to every project she undertakes.
Stephanie’s career began in the tourism and events industry, where she spent eight years working across airlines, wholesalers, and cruise lines, gaining valuable insights into client service and logistics. In 2012, she pivoted into construction and property management, sharpening her business and project management acumen. During this time, she earned her PMP® Project Management certification and became a qualified Colour Consultant—further expanding her skill set in planning, styling, and execution.
In 2013, Stephanie founded Pink Caviar Events, combining her deep-rooted passion for creating memorable experiences with her meticulous organisational skills. Since then, she has grown the company into one of Sydney’s trusted name in events, known for delivering seamless, stylish, and stress-free celebrations. Whether managing a high-end corporate event or designing trade show programs, Stephanie thrives on seeing her clients’ faces light up when they walk into a space she has envisioned and brought to life.
A hands-on leader, Stephanie is just as likely to be found at a client consultation as she is rolling up her sleeves at a 12 a.m. bump-out. Her calm, reliable, and detail-driven approach continues to inspire her team and exceed client expectations.
Scott is an accomplished global communications and events specialist, who has worked on some of the world’s biggest sporting and cultural events for more than two decades.
With work that has spanned Australia, Asia and Europe, Scott has provided strategic advice and operational support to sporting bodies and organising committees, as well as government agencies and departments.
He has led communication campaigns and operational delivery for some of the world’s biggest events including Olympic and Paralympic Games, Commonwealth Games, FIFA Women’s World Cup and Rugby World Cups.
A recognised crisis communications specialist, Scott has provided advice and solutions to mitigate risk, especially in the events industry. He is a strong believer that identifying issues and being prepared is foremost to a successful event.
Katrina is a global leader in communications, media, and marketing, with a career that spans over 25 years across Australia, Canada, France, Qatar, China, the UK, UAE, and Russia.
She has led some of the world’s most high-profile and complex global campaigns, including Olympic Bids and Games, FIFA World Cups, Commonwealth Games, Rugby World Cups, UN Climate Conferences (COPs), and Asian Games.
Domestically, Katrina served as Head of Marketing and Creative Services for the City of Sydney for seven years, overseeing major public events such as Sydney New Year’s Eve and Lunar New Year. She also consulted with Canterbury-Bankstown Council on a three-year review and stakeholder engagement for the highly successful Ramadan Nights Lakemba event.
Renowned for her expertise in managing the intricacies of major events and multi-agency coordination, Katrina is sought after to help mitigate risk, protect reputation, and drive public engagement for major events.
She currently advises UAE-based Haddins Consulting and serves as the Oceania Development Lead for the World Karate Federation. Passionate about equity in sport, Katrina focuses on coaching and media training for women in sport across the Middle East and North Africa region, aiming to increase global participation and amplify the role of sport in shaping city and national profiles through tourism and international events.
Greg Donovan is the Managing Director of the Outback Music Festival Group which is a family company that organises, promotes and delivers 2 major out back Music Festivals, the Birdsville Big Red Bash which has been operating since 2013, and the Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash its sister event which has been operating since 2021. Prior to establishing these festivals Greg worked in the corporate world, in senior executive roles in the insurance and banking industries.
The multi day camping based festivals draw audiences from every corner of Australia and beyond, with crowds of up to 15,000 people, with many caravanners and motorhomers attending. They bring significant economic benefits not only to the towns they are held near, but to a broad outback and regional area, as patrons travel through many towns and regions on their way to and from the festivals.
David has over 30 years’ experience in delivering events, together with large scale conferencing and exhibitions, having also designed, produced and managed solutions across the sporting, corporate, cultural and economic fields both nationally and internationally.
His national recognition and acumen in event management, whilst acting as the creative lead, has ensured that he has been a senior member and visionary for many leading Committees including McDonalds, RMHC and InterContinental Hotels Group to name a few.
David has directed events and provided counsel to event organisers across Australia in Event Production, Creative Development, Technical Production and Manufacturing Production. His extensive skills have been demonstrated across celebrated gala dinners, prestigious award ceremonies, respected industry conferences and exhibitions, innovative product launches and national sporting events. Dave has also secured many industry awards over the years, including one of the prestigious 40/40 Awards presented by Business News WA.
Chris is an experienced communication, stakeholder relations and government relations professional. He was a Chief of Staff in the NSW State Government across eight portfolios for almost six years. During this time, he was in the Police portfolio during the Lindt Café Siege.
For two decades he has honed his craft using media to wield influence for people he has worked for.
In 2023 Chris was invited to sit on the Social Peak Reference Group for the NSW Government’s Greater Cities Commission.
Outside of work Chris is the Chair of Sport NSW.
Chris holds a Bachelor of Business with Credit majoring in Management with sub majors in Public Relations and Politics. He is also IAP2 qualified with community engagement experience.
Melissa Hamilton is a passionate advocate for driving sustainability within the events industry. As Principal Consultant for Sustainable Meetings & Events at EarthCheck, she works closely with clients across Australia and internationally to embed sustainability principles into event planning, operations, and reporting.
With over a decade of experience spanning high-profile events, stakeholder engagement, and operational leadership, Melissa brings a global perspective shaped by her early career in Washington, D.C., including roles at the U.S. Senate and the Council on Foreign Relations. Since relocating to Australia in 2019, she has worked at leading tourism and events attractions, SkyPoint and Dreamworld, with a strong focus on enhancing quality systems and operational performance.
Melissa holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations (Honours) with minors in Economic Policy and Italian from the University of Nevada, Reno. Her work today bridges policy understanding with practical sustainability action—helping organisations of all sizes measure and manage their event impact using EarthCheck’s evidence-based tools and frameworks.
Ant Hampel is a pioneer of the experience economy, creating moments people never forget—the kind that make brands famous, audiences feel something, and clients come back for more. As Founder and CEO of Alive, he has built one of Australia’s most well-known agencies, recognised with multiple Awards . His career sits at the intersection of creativity, production, and strategy, shaping experiences from intimate VIP launches to stadium shows for 100,000+. Ant has produced product launches, brand activations, exhibitions, roadshows, virtual and hybrid events, concerts, and award nights for global names including Nike, Optus, Porsche, Disney, W Hotels, and Government. His collaborations span icons like Kylie Minogue, Nicole Kidman, Robbie Williams, and Baz Luhrmann. Driven by a belief that hype fades but impact lasts, Ant leads a team turning ambitious briefs into unforgettable experiences—crafted with precision, purpose, and human-first creativity.
Simon Latchford is a seasoned executive with over 17 years of experience leading economic development, destination marketing, and event-driven tourism initiatives across regional Australia. As the Head of Economic Development & Tourism at the City of Coffs Harbour, Simon is spearheading record growth through strategic investment, high-impact campaigns, and the attraction and delivery of major events.
Under his leadership, Coffs Harbour has seen double-digit tourism growth and has been recognised as one of Australia’s top regional business and events destinations. Simon has a proven track record—spanning from the Sunshine Coast to Esperance—in using events as a catalyst for economic transformation, investment attraction, and place-based renewal.
Ben Lewis is a seasoned festival director and founder of Gig Big, an independent events agency based in Bellingen. With over 15 years of experience in live music and event production, Ben is known for delivering high-impact events that celebrate creativity, culture, and community.
His career began in 2010 with the launch of Roots Records, a boutique music store and cultural hub that hosted live performances and supported regional artists. This venture sparked Ben’s passion for event production and artist curation.
Since founding Gig Big in 2014, he has created and produced major regional festivals including River Sounds in Bellingen, The Big Bonanza in Coffs Harbour, and the upcoming Urunga Blues by the Sea. Gig Big events attract thousands of attendees and generate significant cultural and economic benefits for their host regions.
Ben blends creative vision with strategic execution, curating vibrant, inclusive festivals that leave a lasting impact.
Vicky Lowry is the General Manager of Deni Play on the Plains Festival Ltd, the organisation behind the renowned Deni Ute Muster. With more than a decade of experience in regional event leadership, Vicky has guided the event’s growth into one of Australia’s most celebrated rural festivals, drawing over 20,000 attendees annually. Under her direction, the Muster has successfully broadened its appeal to a family audience while staying true to its Ute culture roots.
Vicky is dedicated to community connection, regional economic development, and delivering inclusive, family-friendly experiences. She has led major infrastructure upgrades, secured critical funding, and prioritised best practices in safety, accessibility, and sustainability. A passionate advocate for mentorship and collaboration, Vicky actively promotes Deniliquin as a leading event destination and reinvests festival profits into long-term improvements. Her strategic leadership continues to drive innovation, support emerging talent, and strengthen the wider festival and tourism industries.
Paula is the Managing Director of Embrace Society which is a communications agency specialising in hard to reach audiences including CALD, Indigenous, women, youth, LGBTI, aged and disabled. Embrace Society is an acknowledged leader in values based behaviour change, community engagement, advertising and communications, and creative strategy and development.
Paula is a highly experienced and award winning strategist and communicator with a career spanning almost 35 years. She has held a number of senior positions including Director of SBS Radio.
Paula has extensive experience in developing highly successful communication strategies and broad experience in running social issues and community engagement campaigns in a diverse range of areas.
Paula has had numerous appointments to ministerial advisory bodies and sat on many boards including sitting on the Radio Advisory Group of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, Chair of Sydney’s Carnivale Multicultural Arts Festival and served for six years as a Community Relations Commissioner in NSW. She was on the National Women’s Advisory Council and shaped multicultural TV broadcasting as a member of the Ethnic Television Review Panel. Paula has been a Breast Cancer Network of Australia Media Ambassador and participated in the Field of Dreams.
Paula presently chairs many Waverley Council committees including the Arts and Culture Committee, Public Art Committee, RAP Committee, Multicultural Advisopry Committee, and has close involvement in the restoration of the iconic Bondi Pavilion and the heritage listed Boot Factory which will be a centre of innovation including an Innovation Civic Town Hall for the community.
Ingrid Maynard is renowned for revolutionising how organisations drive revenue growth and commercial outcomes, guiding some of Australia’s and New Zealand’s most iconic brands to exceed ambitious targets.
With over 25 years’ experience as the founder and managing director of The Sales Doctor, Ingrid partners directly with C-level executives and leadership teams to implement company-wide strategies that embed commercial competence and value creation at every touchpoint.
Her widely acclaimed methodology, The Sales Revolution, transforms businesses into engines of sustainable revenue by fostering a culture of customer consciousness and financial acumen throughout every department – not just sales.
Recognised for her honesty and actionable insight, Ingrid’s results consistently go well beyond basic sales uplift – delivering improved employee engagement, customer retention, and organisational profitability that endure far past the first transaction.
As a respected thought leader featured across major business media, Ingrid brings audiences powerful tools and proven frameworks to future-proof organisations for continuing commercial success. Event organisers value her for addressing the bigger picture: creating holistic, revenue-optimised cultures ready to meet today’s business challenges from the top down.
Petra McNeilly Rutledge is Senior Director, Creative and Engagement for the National Multicultural Festival in Canberra. With a career spanning government, education, and the arts, she is known for her strategic vision, inclusive leadership, and transformative programming.
Petra leads the creative direction of one of Canberra’s most iconic events, overseeing artistic programming, stakeholder engagement, sponsorship, and volunteer coordination. Her leadership of the 2024 Enlighten Festival resulted in record attendance and satisfaction and strengthened partnerships with national cultural institutions.
Previously, Petra worked with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, where she led Celebrate LA, a city-wide festival praised by the LA Times as “a cultural milestone and a model for arts institutions worldwide”. She also managed the launch of a Frank Gehry–designed music education centre and developed strategic plans for major cultural institutions in Los Angeles.
Petra is a passionate advocate for community-led cultural experiences and continues to champion initiatives that foster connection, celebration, and belonging.
Peta Moore is the Managing Director of Nectar Creative Communications and the 2024 PCO of the Year. With over 20 years’ experience delivering conferences and events for associations and purpose-driven organisations, she leads a nationally respected team known for high production values, human-centred design, and calm precision under pressure. In an industry where late registrations are becoming the norm, Peta brings sharp insights and practical strategies to help event professionals drive early commitment—balancing creativity with commercial realities.
Iain Morrison is the co-founder of The Imagination Collaborative, an Australian based previsualisation and event technology studio creating digital twins for some of the largest outdoor events in the world.
With over 35 years of leadership in the events industry, Iain’s not your typical tech founder. He’s the bloke who’s done the load ins, the walkthroughs, and the hard conversations at 3amwhen it all hits the fan. He’s been behind the scenes on everything from massive festivals and stadium tours to landmark productions with artists like Taylor Swift, U2, and Coldplay, and has delivered some of Australia’s most complex outdoor events.
A passionate advocate for rethinking how the events industry works, from planning systems to people management, Iain blends deep operational experience with cutting edge digital innovation. His company sits at the intersection of live experience, spatial technology, and scalable infrastructure, and is part of NVIDIA’s Inception Program.
He speaks with refreshing honesty about burnout, leadership, and what it really takes to build high performing teams under pressure. If your audience wants to know how to manage complex events without losing their minds or their people, Iain’s the one to call.
He’s based in regional NSW with his wife Tris(who’s also his business partner), and their overenthusiastic Kelpie, Miller. When not building tech or travelling in their caravan, they’re probably somewhere on site, solving problems before they become headlines.
One of Australia’s most respected and influential figures in the live music and events industry, Peter Noble has spent over five decades championing music, artist and cultural experiences that enrich communities.
He is the driving force behind Byron Bay Bluesfest, Australia’s premier blues and roots festival. Under his leadership, Bluesfest has grown into a globally recognised, multi-award-winning event, traditionally welcoming over 100,000 attendees annually and consistently ranked among the world’s top festivals, most recently placing #13 in the Pollstar global boxoffice chart.
Peter’s career has spanned roles as a musician, tour promoter, artist manager, and independent label founder, showcasing a lifelong commitment to artist development and cultural exchange.
In 2016, Peter was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his service to live and recorded music, tourism, and the local community. He continues to advocate fiercely for the importance of festivals in Australian culture, especially in times of social and economic challenge.
Garry is a qualified town planner. He has worked in local government in various planning and management roles on the NSW Central Coast. He has been a director and part-owner of a multi-disciplinary firm of architects, planners, landscape architects and ecologists. He has been the sole practitioner of his planning consultancy. He was a member of the Hunter Wine Country Tourism Board. Since July 2012, he has researched the regulation of events. He has lectured in tourism, events, and business at the University of Newcastle. Garry is a founding member of the Australian Regional Events, created as a common national voice to represent events across regional Australia during the COVID-19 Pandemic. In 2025, he was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy in Tourism and Leisure, which examined the complexities, inconsistencies and contradictions in the way individual decision-makers in local government regulate events in the New South Wales (NSW) Hunter Region.
Matt is the CEO and co-founder of Talk2 Media & Events. Talk2 ME is a boutique event organiser that has owned and run a variety of trade and consumer exhibitions throughout Australia. Every year Talk2 ME works with some of Australia’s best brands as partners on exhibitions that attract almost thousands of highly engaged visitors through their doors.
Talk2 Media & Events has organised Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME) in since 2019 and during this time the event has grown substantially. In 2025 there were over 675 exhibitors and 650 hosted buyers and a total attendance from the business events industry of 4500.
Prior to launching Talk2 ME, Matt was Managing Director of Diversified Communications Asia, with offices in Australia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore and India. Between these operations, he was responsible for over 60 events annually, including 30 trade and eight consumer shows, and 30 conferences / congresses. Matt was also International Director for Diversified Communications as it looked to expand into new markets.
Matt is a Board Member of the Australian Business Events Association and a Board Member of UFI, the international exhibition association.
Matt held senior positions in other media companies, including newspapers, magazines and television production.
Craig has consulted to major organisations and events in the areas of Risk, Security and Crowd Management, Emergency Management and Hostile Vehicle Management for both the private sector and government organisations both nationally and internationally.
Craig is a specialist in C4 Management through his experience as NSW Police Commander of The State Planning Unit, Major Events and Incidence Group for over 10 years and his role as Managing Director of Sheridan Consulting Group. Sheridan Consulting Group has expanded rapidly both across Australia and globally. Craig’s experience and knowledge places him in constant demand to perform the roles of Event Control Coordinator and Chief Warden at many events across the country and overseas.
Key events where Craig is engaged as the Lead Security Risk and Emergency Management Advisor are Vivid Sydney, SXSW Sydney, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, Sydney WorldPride as well as many major sporting events including World Cup Championships in basketball, swimming, football and cycling.
Craig holds an Executive Master of Public Administration, an Advanced Diploma in Police Management, Diploma of Vocational Education and Training, Advanced Diploma is Security Risk Management, Diploma in Training and Assessment Systems, Diploma of Event Management and Cert IV in Frontline Management (Business).
Craig is a current Member of OSAC – Overseas Security Advisory Council – US Department of State, Association Global Event Suppliers (AGES), ASIS International and ASIAL – Australian Security Industry Association Limited. Craig was appointed to the Board of Directors, Australian Mass Participation Sporting Events Alliance (AMPSEA).
With over 27 years of tourism industry experience, Michael Thurston has spent the past seven years leading Destination North Coast as General Manager. His career spans senior roles in product development, marketing, and destination management across Australia and international markets.
Michael has worked across a broad range of sectors including tour operations, accommodation, and both leisure and business events. His professional background includes leadership roles at organisations such as Destination Gold Coast, STA Travel, Thomas Cook UK, and Insider Journeys, as well as business ownership with Lennox Head Holiday Rentals. Michael brings a unique blend of commercial acumen and strategic destination development experience, making him a trusted voice in shaping regional tourism.
Linda is Managing Director of regional tourism and events agency, Tilma Group. She is a regional tourism strategist and practitioner boasting a suite of regional tourism and event expertise with LGAs and RTOs across Australia in regional tourism and event development, tourism strategy, destination marketing, regional branding, and event delivery. Linda is also the founder of Australian Centre of Regional Events, a national body that builds the capacity of event committees to run their events more efficiently and sustainably.
Linda has a strong tourism and events background, coupled with intuitive skills in community and regional development, and has worked on a range of regional tourism and events projects such as regional event strategies and committee capacity building, destination and event marketing planning and campaigns, destination branding, regional tourism strategic planning and development, and industry training and mentoring.
Well known for her regional passion and ability to harness the symbiotic relationship between tourism and events for destinations, Linda has an intimate understanding of regional Australia and an innate ability to connect with regional communities that has been a standout over the past fifteen years of her career in regional tourism and events.
Chris is one of Australia’s leading Event Directors, starting his career with IMG and Red Bull, now in his 27th year in the industry. Chris is the co-founder of one of Australia’s leading public event agencies, The Shift Corp, representing global brands Red Bull, FIFA, Vans, Reebok, Vodafone, Harley-Davidson, KPMG, Suzuki, Canon, ANZ, and G-Shock, as well as multiple local and state governments around Australia.
The Shift is well known for its “Anything’s Possible” approach across the Sports, Arts & Entertainment, Live Brand Events & Content Special Projects, and Major Public Events landscapes. In recent years The Shift is proud to have been awarded:
2024 – Public Event Management Company of the Year
2023 – Public Event Management Company of the Year
2023 – Best Brand Event of the Year (FIFA Women’s World Cup ’25 Days to Go’ Sydney Harbour Bridge)
2022 – Event Management Company of the Year
2022 – Best Charity/Cause-Related Event of the Year
Previously the agency has also twice won Small Event Management Company of the Year, and Chris was nominated for Event Producer of the Year.
Chris is also the co-founder of the Wiingman event platform, a tech platform bringing the event ecosystem together to support our industry.