Cairns Crocodiles, Presented by Pinterest, has unveiled the first sprinkle of its Asia-Pacific speaker line-up for 2026, announcing five heavyweight innovators from Singapore, Bali and Mumbai who bring fresh creative, cultural and commercial firepower to the festival.
Leading the cohort is Aseem Puri, digital CEO of Unilever International, who oversees one of the world’s most influential brand portfolios.
With more than 15 years driving major category growth across India, China and Southeast Asia, Puri has doubled and tripled brands, launched global innovations and built sophisticated CRM and e-commerce engines across emerging markets.
His Crocodiles session will examine what it takes to grow brands at speed and scale across wildly diverse markets.
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From Bali, Lev Kroll (below), CEO of Nuanu Creative City, and Ida Ayu Astari Prada, Nuanu’s brand and communications director, will unpack one of the most ambitious cultural developments in the Asia–Pacific region.
Nuanu Creative City is a 44-hectare creative and cultural ecosystem on Bali’s west coast that blends art, architecture, nature and technology into a living, breathing innovation hub. The city features monumental artworks like the Earth Sentinels, immersive media parks, dance and glassblowing studios, and AI-driven installations. It offers a bold new model for how cities can be designed around creativity, culture and community.
From exploring how future cities are built from the ground up, while unpacking how Balinese heritage and contemporary culture and creativity shape Nuanu’s global brand narrative, this session is not to be missed.
Returning to Cairns after a standout 2025 appearance is Rajeev Raja, founder and Soundsmith of BrandMusiq. A former advertising executive and celebrated jazz-fusion flautist, Rajeev pioneered the concept of MOGOs (musical logos) and has created sonic identities for brands including Mastercard, Vistara, HDFC Bank and Kraft Heinz. His 2025 Crocodiles session drew major acclaim (and FOMO from those that missed it!) and he returns in 2026 with new thinking on the emotional power of sound in brand-building.
Completing the line-up so far is Subhash Kamath, one of India’s most respected brand leaders. The former CEO of BBH and Publicis Worldwide India and former Chairman of ASCI, Subhash has shaped brand strategy and creative direction for Unilever, P&G, Johnnie Walker, Audi, Red Bull, Dabur and more. With nearly four decades in advertising leadership, he brings a rare mix of strategic clarity, creative instinct and cultural intelligence to the Crocs stage.
This first wave of Asia Pacific speakers follows the recent announcement of keynote Paula Bloodworth from Alien Baby (formerly Nike and Uncommon), along with the news that Adam Smith, the visionary visual director behind The Chemical Brothers, will also appear at the landmark event.
Together, these five speakers signal a bold expansion of Cairns Crocodiles’ Asia-Pacific footprint, with more regional leaders still to be revealed.
In case you missed it, Cairns Crocodiles has officially launched an office in Mumbai, doubling down on its explosive growth across the Asia-Pacific region. And did you catch our MCs? Maz, Luli, Steph, Scooter and Arushi know how to hold a room, spark meaningful conversations and create moments that stay with people! See here for more.
Cairns Crocodiles Presented by Pinterest is Australia’s fast-rising festival of creativity, media, culture and brand innovation, taking place from Tuesday 12 May to Thursday 15 May 2026 in tropical Cairns, Queensland. Across three packed days, content unfolds throughout the Cairns Convention Centre, and each afternoon ‘Hemingway’s, Powered by News Australia’ takes over the heritage-listed Hemingway’s Brewery with on-stage sessions, conversation and connection.
In addition to the main conference program, the Masterclasses Presented by News Australia, the Cairns Crocodiles Awards and Cairns Hatchlings, presented by Yahoo, all take place on the Thursday, celebrating excellence and emerging talent across the region. Cairns Extra, a series of partner events and activations that run before and after the on-stage content, further brings the festival to life across the city. See here for more on Cairns Extra.
See Cairns Crocodiles Speaker Spotlight HERE.
