Being content director of Cairns Crocodiles, presented by Pinterest really is one of the best jobs in the industry, writes Pippa Chambers.
It’s the fifth year of the event and my third year leading the content and genuinely, it gets better and better every year. Across multiple tracks, more than 150 speakers and nearly 60 sessions, one of the things I’m proudest of is that we continue to bring in voices that don’t always sit inside the traditional marketing circuit.
It’s brilliant working for a company like The Misfits Media Company (and what a team!) that genuinely backs ambition, originality and big creative swings, and gives us the freedom to build a program that doesn’t just follow the industry conversation, but tries to push it forward.
Yes, we’ve had huge, globally recognised names over the years, such as ex-Burger King CMO Fernando Machado, CEO of The Marketing Academy Sherilyn Shackell and CMO of the United Nations Foundation David Ohana. But we also try to strike the balance by bringing in more unexpected and unusual voices too, like fabulous author and marketing consultant Lola Bakare and global marketing advisor and former CMO Ana Andjelic.
One thing that’s become very clear to me while working on this year’s program is that there is a strong overarching theme emerging around creativity itself. Where ideas come from. Imagination. Instinct. Emotional truth. Creative bravery. And interestingly(!), many of these conversations are not rooted in AI at all.
In fact, some of the sessions I’m personally most excited by are the ones pushing beyond the endless industry conversation around tools and prompts and productivity. These are speakers talking about creativity at a far deeper level.
There’s a very clear thread connecting filmmaker Taika Waititi, chief strategy officer Paula Bloodworth, Chemical Brothers visual director Adam Smith, creative sociologist and CEO Amy Kean and leading actor Daniel MacPherson. Different worlds entirely, yet all exploring originality, instinct, reinvention, storytelling and what it really means to create work that resonates emotionally.
Having sat on all the pre-calls and planning conversations with every speaker and every panel, I’ve had the privilege of hearing where many of these discussions are heading before anyone steps on stage. And honestly, these are the sessions I think people will walk away from feeling inspired by.
It’s also not all about the keynote stage. There are some absolute gems of conversations within the tracks too, whether it’s the Building Brands track, the Rewilding Creativity track, the new Film & Screen track or Hemingway’s presented by News Australia.
You absolutely cannot miss Jiunn Shih, global chief marketing officer of Driscoll’s, speaking in the Building Brands track. This is a billion-dollar global company operating in one of the toughest categories in marketing, fresh food. His perspective around emotional connection, belief and modern brand building is incredibly sharp.
In that same track, we also have Brent Hill, chief marketing officer of Brisbane 2032 Olympics & Paralympics. Typically with organisations at this scale, it’s the CEO you hear from publicly. So hearing directly from the CMO about how you market a once-in-a-generation global event years before it even begins is going to be fascinating, particularly alongside Omnicom Oceania CEO Nick Garrett.
There are too many brilliant sessions to mention, but here are some of my personal top picks across the keynote stage, Building Brands, Rewilding Creativity, Film & Screen and Hemingway’s presented by News Australia tracks.
SEE FULL AGENDA HERE FOR DAYS & TIMES!
Keynote Stage (Cairns Convention Centre)
Cairns Crocodiles Special Announcement
A special live opening moment featuring the launch of the Cairns Crocodiles sonic identity, performed live on stage with a band.
David Hovenden, Co-Founder, The Misfits Media Company & B&T Editor-in-Chief
Rajeev Raja, Founder & Soundsmith, BrandMusiq
This is going to be one of those genuinely unexpected opening moments. Rajeev created Mastercard’s iconic sonic branding and will actually perform the Cairns Crocodiles sonic identity live on stage with a band.
Weirdism: The Revolutionary Act of Not Being Normal
Jetting in from the UK, Amy Kean unpacks her rallying cry against conformity, originality and creative sameness in modern culture and marketing.
Amy Kean, CEO & Creative Director, Good Shout
Jackie Frank, Director, Be Frank Group & Founding Editor of Marie Claire (Moderator)
Amy is genuinely one of the sharpest and most original thinkers in creativity right now. Her whole philosophy around “weirdism” feels like the perfect antidote to an industry increasingly flattening itself into sameness. Lucky attendees also get to see Amy twice across the festival, as she’s also moderating one of the wildest and most imaginative sessions in the Rewilding Creativity track.
Leading Growth Through Change
Fresh off leading growth at Mars Petcare, Najoh Tita-Reid explores leadership, transformation and scaling modern organisations through disruption.
Najoh Tita-Reid, Former Global Chief Growth Officer, Mars Petcare
Sarah O’Carroll, Editor-in-Chief, Forbes Australia (Moderator)
I think this one will be incredibly honest and practical. Najoh has operated at enormous scale and there’s something really valuable about hearing from leaders navigating transformation inside billion-dollar businesses in real time.
In Conversation With Taika Waititi
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Taika Waititi explores creativity, leadership and storytelling across film, television and global brand campaigns.
Taika Waititi, Director, Filmmaker & Actor
Edwina McCann, Editorial Director & Publisher, News Prestige and Condé Nast titles Australia
This one will obviously be enormous, but what excites me most is that Taika’s work consistently balances humour, humanity, cultural truth and creative fearlessness in a way very few people manage. I suspect this conversation will go far deeper than celebrity or filmmaking stories.
Don’t Steal From Culture. Add To It
Paula Bloodworth explores how creativity can shape culture, influence behaviour and create genuine impact beyond advertising.
Paula Bloodworth, Founder & Chief Strategy Officer, Alien Baby
Adam Ferrier, Founder, Thinkerbell (Moderator)
Having heard Paula speak in the lead-up to the event, I think this could quietly become one of the smartest sessions of the entire festival. Her thinking around how brands participate in culture rather than simply extracting from it feels incredibly timely. Paula is co-founder of Alien Baby alongside Idris Elba, which probably tells you everything you need to know about the calibre and ambition of the work she’s creating.
The Art of Fearless Creativity
Award-winning filmmaker and visual director Adam Smith reflects on curiosity, instinct, collaboration and the creative process behind unforgettable work.
Adam Smith, Director & Visual Artist, The Chemical Brothers
Poppy Reid, Founder, Curious Media (Moderator)
Adam is one of those creatives whose work people often know before they know his name. From The Chemical Brothers visuals to music videos, documentaries and film, there’s a rawness and instinct to his work that feels increasingly rare. The conversation around play, experimentation and creative courage is going to resonate with a lot of people.
Beyond the Script: Craft, Instinct and Creative Courage
Daniel MacPherson reflects on reinvention, instinct and navigating a creative career across global productions, television and film.
Daniel MacPherson, Lead Actor, Beast, TV Star & Logie Winner
Poppy Reid, Founder, Curious Media (Moderator)
After speaking with Daniel ahead of the event, what struck me most was how thoughtful and raw he is around reinvention, resilience and substance over relevance. This won’t just be an actor speaking about acting. There are broader themes here around instinct, longevity and navigating industries constantly reshaped by pressure, reinvention and change. He also had a really interesting perspective on becoming a parent and how that has influenced creativity and purpose, but no more giveaways, you’ll have to be in the room for that one.
Building Brands Track (Cairns Convention Centre)
Marketing The Moment That Changes Everything
Brisbane 2032 Olympics & Paralympics CMO Brent Hill explores how storytelling, belief and emotional connection can transform a global sporting event into a nation-shaping brand moment years before it begins.
Brent Hill, Chief Marketing Officer, Brisbane 2032 Olympics & Paralympics
Nick Garrett, CEO, Omnicom Oceania
This is a fascinating branding challenge. How do you build emotional investment, global attention and belief for a moment that’s still years away? It’s also rare to hear directly from the CMO at this scale of organisation, which makes this session feel particularly special.
Turbulence & Takeoff: Branding in Travel Today
Travel marketers from Webjet, Carnival Cruise Line and Nuanu Creative City unpack how travel brands are rebuilding relevance, emotional connection and global desire in a rapidly changing category.
Oonagh Flanagan, CMO, Webjet Group
Ida Ayu Astari Prada, Brand & Communications Director, Nuanu Creative City
Anton Loeb, Assistant Vice President Sales & Marketing AU/NZ, Carnival Cruise Line
Jules Hall, Founder, The Hallway (Moderator)
I love the mix of perspectives in this session. You’ve got airline and travel ecosystem thinking, cruising and then an entire branded destination in Bali. Travel has had to reinvent itself faster than almost any category over the last few years and I think this conversation around resilience, reinvention and emotional connection will be incredibly strong.
The Conviction Effect: Why Belief Drives Growth
Driscoll’s Global CMO Jiunn Shih explores emotional connection, instinct and memory in an era obsessed with optimisation and short-term ROI.
Jiunn Shih, Global Chief Marketing Officer, Driscoll’s
Chanel Clark, Marketing Consultant & Chair, The Marketing Club ANZ (Moderator)
This is a huge role within a billion-dollar global business operating in one of the toughest categories in marketing, fresh food. There’s nowhere to hide in a category like this. Hearing Jiunn’s thinking around emotional connection, conviction and long-term brand building over pure optimisation metrics feels incredibly relevant right now.
Earning Access In An Age Of Invisible Influence
A sharp look at hidden influence systems, luxury audiences and why brands must rethink desirability and growth in a world where decisions are often made before brands enter consideration.
Jessica Yue, Founder & CEO, POLARIS+
Arvind Hickman, Features & Analysis Editor, B&T (Moderator)
Gavin Merriman, Strategic Brand & Marketing Leader, Jaguar Land Rover
Chen Chen, Private Client Director Australia & New Zealand, Moët Hennessy
It’s rare to see brands like Moët Hennessy and Jaguar Land Rover appear at industry events like this, let alone hear directly from someone like Chen Chen, who works exclusively with ultra-high-net-worth clients. This is going to be a fascinating and very unique conversation around influence, desirability and access. The agency Jess is running is genuinely one of a kind. I’m hoping she may hire me one day.
Rebuilding a Nation’s Telco: Creativity, Courage and the New Rules of Brand
One New Zealand’s marketing leader unpacks the bold decision to walk away from Vodafone and rebuild an entire national telco brand from scratch.
Georgia Mahaffie, GM of Brand and Marketing, One New Zealand
Keeva Stratton, Global Brand & Media Strategist (Moderator)
This is just a brilliant modern branding story. Walking away from 30 years of Vodafone equity and rebuilding an entire telecommunications brand from scratch is the kind of challenge most marketers would never want sitting on their desk.
SEE FULL AGENDA HERE FOR DAYS & TIMES!
Rewilding Creativity Track (Cairns Convention Centre)
Protecting Culture in the Age of AI
An important conversation around Indigenous cultural intellectual property, AI scraping and how brands can work with communities respectfully and authentically.
Nina Fitzgerald, Director, Going North
Emma Fraser, Consumer Marketing Manager, Tourism NT
This feels incredibly timely and necessary. I particularly love that this session moves beyond simply discussing the problem and instead focuses on how brands can work meaningfully and respectfully with communities.
Lessons in Fantasy-Driven Creativity
Fantasy, suspense, weirdness and emotional storytelling collide in one of the most imaginative sessions on the program.
Tigest Grima, Fantasy Writer & #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
Tim Farmer, CMO, DiDi Australia & New Zealand
Adam Smith, Film & Music Video Director, The Chemical Brothers
Amy Kean, CEO & Creative Director, Good Shout (Moderator)
Nudgy, Nighttime Legend & Flutist (will he be there? turn up to see!)
This sounds gloriously chaotic in the best possible way and the whole session was created after I fell down a Tigest wormhole (I do also like vampires and dark stories). But underneath it is a really smart conversation around atmosphere, imagination, suspense and emotional storytelling. Tigest Grima is a genuine bestselling fantasy author with an enormous fanbase, while Tim Farmer will unpack the brilliant Nudgy campaign, which I never get sick of watching.
Victory Lap or Post-Mortem?
The Australian Steelers turned the absence of a sponsor into the campaign idea itself. Now the industry gets to find out live whether creativity converted commercially.
Chris Nay, CEO, Wheelchair Rugby Australia
Ryley Batt, Wheelchair Rugby Athlete
Josh Murrell, Group Creative Director, Ogilvy
Giselle Moor, Speaker & Writer (Moderator)
This is one of the sessions I’m most intrigued by because the story is still unfolding in real time. Wheelchair rugby is such an incredible sport and the campaign itself was brilliantly simple: removing sponsor logos and replacing them with “Officially Unsponsored” alongside a live QR code asking brands to step up. Also, Giselle Moor is an absolute force in herself, having just completed the London Marathon.
Artists, Rights and the Rise of Agentic Media
A future-facing conversation exploring AI, personalised media systems, creative ownership and what agentic media means for artists, agencies and brands.
Finbar O’Hanlon, Innovator, Inventor & Entrepreneur
Keeva Stratton, Global Brand & Media Strategist (Moderator)
My pre-call with Finbar was honestly one of the most fascinating conversations I’ve had while programming this year’s event. I couldn’t keep up to be frank. That conversation still perplexes me. He is incredibly smart, his brain genuinely feels one of a kind and, on a completely separate note, his guitar collection is next level.
Film & Screen Track (Cairns Convention Centre day 2)
Brand new for this year, the Film & Screen track has been headed up and curated by Nancy Hromin, Co-Founder of Irresistible Magazine and Director of The Misfits Media Company, alongside co-curator Catherine De Clare. The slate across this track is so intentional, thoughtful, important and just all round brilliant.
Poptimism
Celebrating the power of popular screen consumption for good, this session explores nostalgia, horror, true crime and what audience viewing habits reveal about modern culture and storytelling.
Suzanne Strasser, VP, Global Head of CTV Brand and Agency Partnerships, Tubi
Catherine De Clare, Co-Founder & Editorial Director, Irresistible Magazine (Moderator)
Cody Greenwood, Producer, RUSH Films
Shontell Leah Ketchell, Screenwriter & Producer
I love how culturally smart this session feels. The idea that audiences are simultaneously craving nostalgia and darker storytelling says a lot about the emotional state of modern culture right now.
The Maestros Of Microdramas
An exploration into the exploding world of vertical storytelling, short-form drama and mobisodes, and how brands are rapidly entering the format.
Timothy Oh, General Manager International, COL Group Co
Nikyah Hutchings, Executive Producer, Commercial & Partnerships, SBS & B&T 30 Under 30 Grand Prix Winner (Moderator)
I am officially in my micodrama era and I cannot see it ending! This is one of those sessions where I suspect people will walk out feeling like they’ve discovered an entirely new entertainment ecosystem they weren’t paying enough attention to.
Visionaries Behind The Vision
A conversation with award-winning creatives working across film, commercials and visual storytelling at the highest level.
Warwick Thornton, Director, Screenwriter & Cinematographer
Toby Oliver, ACS Cinematographer
How lucky are we! (I mean you!). A no doubt brilliant conversation between two masters of visual storytelling. Less polished panel, more fascinating creative fireside yarn.
Hemingway’s Presented by News Australia (at Hemingway’s Brewery)
What’s A Sheila Got To Do To Get a Beer Around Here? Invent it.
Jane Evans created Australia’s first major craft beer brand in 1998, sparked a revolution, and turned James Squire into the category leader it is today. Flying in from London, Evans shares the bold moves and forgotten lessons behind an icon, and what the history of beer really taught her. And if you think James Squire was a criminal, wait until you meet the bad guys.
Jane Evans, B&T Lifetime Achievement Award Winner, Founder, Author, Keynote Speaker, Matriarch, Futurist & Myth Buster
Leah Morris, Founder, Mavens (Moderator)
Jane is an absolute legend. She’s always been on my radar as a bucket-list type of speaker, so I’m genuinely thrilled she’s joining us. This is also one of two appearances she’s making across the festival and absolutely not to be missed.
Using AI to Make Gen Z Care About Safe Sex
Launching the same day as the session itself, this feels incredibly current and very Cairns Crocodiles. Rather than talking abstractly about AI, Emotive and AiCandy are unveiling live work designed to break into culture and provoke conversation using AI filmmaking, absurdity and social-first storytelling.
Kent Boswell, Co-Founder & Head of Production, AiCandy
Simon Joyce, Founder & CEO, Emotive
Marcus Tesoriero, Co-Founder & Head of Creative, AiCandy
Having perhaps had a sneak peek at some of this creative already, trust me, you’re going to want to be in this session. Plus there are giveaways.
G-RUIN – Industry Retro & Roast
Inspired by the spirit of Gruen, this is adland taking the piss out of itself in the best possible way. Somewhere between over-serious strategy decks and LinkedIn self-congratulation, we forgot how to laugh at ourselves. Expect sharp takes, chaos and interactive audience moments.
Jules Stretch, Senior Creative, Copywriter, Content Creator & Founder, Friends of Rhonda (Moderator)
Elle Bullen, Partner, Hellions & B&T Women in Media Creative of the Year 2025
Shyaire Ganglani, Associate Creative Director, Leo Burnett, Stand Up Comedian & Co-Head of Online AWARD School
Seamus Fagan, Assistant Creative Director, Leo Burnett, Industry-Declared Nicest Guy & Co-Head of Online AWARD School
Alex Sol Watts, Executive Director of Strategy & Social, Poem
What a fabulous group of creatives doing awesome, fun and mega-creative things. If you ever thought you were cool and creative, just for a second, then don’t follow Shyaire Ganglani on Instagram, as you will soon be grounded in reality. This session features a good old-fashioned industry roasting and genuinely sounds like chaos in the best possible way. Also not to be missed: the Friends of Rhonda meetup afterwards.
Who Gets Cast, Who Gets Missed, and Why It Matters
A candid conversation exploring visibility, representation and the realities of inclusion across entertainment, advertising and media.
Tina Provis, Senior Influencer Specialist, Havas Red & TV Personality
Seamus Fagan, Assistant Creative Director, Leo Burnett
Rowdie Walden, Executive Producer, Writer & Host, ABC *NEWLY ADDED!
Paul Nunnari, CEO, Inclusively Made & Paralympian (Moderator)
I think this conversation is hugely important because representation discussions can sometimes become overly sanitised or performative. This panel feels grounded in lived experience and honest conversation.
When The Shit Hits The Fan: Leadership Decisions That Make or Break a Crisis
A sharp discussion on crisis leadership, reputational risk and the brutal speed at which backlash now spreads across culture, media and AI platforms.
Andrew Knowles, Co-Founder & Partner, SKMG
Patricia Malay, GM, Bud Communications APAC
Celia Harding, Founder, LEOPRD (Moderator)
I’m especially excited for this one because it’s going to feel very real and very live. We’re planning to unpack an example on screen in real time (which they won’t have seen) and explore how quickly crises now evolve publicly across media, culture and AI-driven conversation.
SEE FULL AGENDA HERE FOR DAYS & TIMES!
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