Cairns Crocodiles, presented by Pinterest has launched its 2027 festival, unveiling a bold new creative identity as it gears up for its biggest year yet.
Returning to Cairns in Far North Queensland from 25–27 May 2027, the festival will once again bring together some of the most exciting marketers, brands, creatives and cultural forces from across Asia Pacific and beyond.
The new look pairs a vibrant palette of electric blue, acid green, orange, purple and pink with bold graphic illustrations and repeating patterns. Crocodiles and cassowaries sit alongside playful creative motifs including microphones, cameras and laptops, creating a contemporary, energetic identity.
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Rolling out today across the festival’s digital presence and communications, the creative will come to life on the ground in Cairns in May 2027.
“The new identity reflects where we’re heading in 2027: bigger, bolder and more ambitious, while still retaining the personality and irreverence that makes Crocs unmistakably Crocs,” said David Hovenden, co-founder of Cairns Crocodiles and CEO of The Misfits Media Company.
“We’ve evolved, we’ve matured and we know exactly who we are and where we’re going. Brands and creativity are at the heart of everything we do, and this new look brings that evolution to life in a way that feels unmistakably Crocs.”
Cairns Crocodiles has also revealed its first wave of speakers for 2027, with leaders from ŌURA, Grab and IKEA Korea among the new names joining the program. The first speaker drop spans Australia, Asia, Europe and the US, with global marketers, creators, journalists and creative leaders set to take to the stage in Cairns next May. See the speakers here!
Further speaker announcements will follow over the coming months. See 2027 speakers HERE.
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Major speakers in 2026 included Academy Award-winning filmmaker Taika Waititi, S4 Capital founder and executive chairman Sir Martin Sorrell, endurance athlete and philanthropist Nedd Brockmann, creative leader and Idris Elba collaborator Paula Bloodworth, advertising industry icon Jane Evans, The Chemical Brothers’ long-time visual director Adam Smith and a trio of powerhouse IKEA marketers from Korea, Japan and ANZ.
The senior design duo behind the new creative, Elizabeth Sharko and Olivia Gordon from The Misfits Media Co, said the 2027 identity takes Crocs in a sharper, more contemporary direction.
Gordon said the stripped-back illustration style and refreshed colour palette create a simpler, more recognisable and sophisticated aesthetic, while the festival’s much-loved Croc and Cassowary remain firmly at the centre.
“The crocodile and cassowary will always be at the heart of Cairns Crocodiles, but how we interpret them can constantly evolve. That gives us the freedom to keep pushing the creative somewhere new each year, while always keeping it unmistakably Crocodiles,” Gordon said.
The festival’s tentpole events, including the Cairns Crocodiles Awards, Cairns Hatchlings and Cairns Masterclasses, have also received their own bespoke iterations of the reinvigorated identity.
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The Cairns Crocodiles Awards is open for entries today, with two new categories, Advocacy and Pet Care, added for 2027.
“We’re always looking at where great creative work is emerging and making sure our awards evolve with it. Advocacy and Pet Care are two areas producing increasingly interesting and impactful work, so it felt like the right time to give them their own categories,” said Rosie Oakshott, managing partner, The Misfits Media, B&T and Cairns Crocodiles.
The festival welcomed more than 2,300 delegates in 2026, its biggest audience to date and further evidence of Cairns Crocodiles’ growing support across the region.
Melinda Petrunoff, managing director, Australia and New Zealand, Pinterest, said she was looking forward to 2027.
“We’re proud to continue our partnership with Cairns Crocodiles. The festival has built incredible momentum year after year, and we’re excited to be part of its continued evolution and see what 2027 brings.”
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Refreshed Advisory Boards
The new creative look coincides with refreshed festival advisory boards for both Cairns Crocodiles and the Film & Screen track, bringing together senior leaders from across Asia Pacific’s marketing, media, creative and entertainment industries.
New additions to the Cairns Crocodiles board include Morihiko Hasebe, global executive creative director at Hakuhodo; Jessica Yue, founder and CEO of POLARIS+; Sangeeta Leach, founder, executive coach and board member; and Shyaire Ganglani, See It Be It 2026 alum, head of AWARD School Online, Mavens editor, ACD at Leo Burnett and stand-up comedian.
They sit alongside industry leaders and Crocs supporters including the legendary Esther Clerehan and Rob Galluzzo, CEO of Finch.
“It’s important that we mix up our advisory board each year and make sure we’re soaking up smart insights and fresh perspectives from a mix of people, markets and disciplines,” said Cairns Crocodiles content director Pippa Chambers.
“Hakuhodo is one of the creative powerhouses of Asia Pacific, with an incredible legacy of ideas and creative excellence, Polaris is a one-of-a-kind agency connecting visionary brands with Chinese audiences worldwide, Shy is a brilliant creative force in our industry and Sangeeta is a hugely respected voice in our industry and someone whose perspective I’ve long admired.”
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New Ambassadors Join The Festival
Cairns Crocodiles has also announced a new line-up of festival ambassadors, who will champion the event across key markets in the lead-up to May 2027.
The growing ambassador group currently includes:
- Gill Zhou, Shenzhen-based, ex-IBM and Motorola marketer, former Condé Nast China MD, Chair Shenzhen International Fashion Week and Adjunct Professor at Shenzhen Finance Institute, Chinese University of Hong Kong
- Yuli Park, Seoul-based Country Marketing Manager, IKEA Korea
- Hideo Rai, Tokyo-based Founder and CEO, Rainmaker Advisory
- Rajeev Raja, Mumbai-based Founder, BrandMusiq.
“Rajeev is coming back for his third Cairns Crocodiles, having already given us a keynote, a masterclass and helped launch our sonic logo. He’s a fascinating person and a brilliant ambassador for us in India,” said Chambers.
“Gill has had an incredible career and is a Marketing Academy legend, Yuli is already helping us uncover brilliant talent out of Korea and Hideo is incredibly connected across Japan. They’re exactly the kind of people we want as our eyes and ears across the region.”
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Film & Screen Returns
The Film & Screen track will return for 2027 following its debut this year, with its own take on the new brand identity and a supercharged advisory board.
Sharko, who is also creative studio manager at The Misfits, said its return gave the design team a “whole new world to play with” when developing the creative assets and visual storytelling.
“Getting to bring in motifs like the mic and camera alongside those classic Aussie animals makes everything feel even more playful and full of personality. And, of course, I had to sneak in a jandal for my New Zealand family,” Sharko explained.
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New additions include Gavin Merriman, strategic brand and marketing leader at Jaguar Land Rover; Annabelle Gigliotti, managing director at Organic; Georgia Woodward, chief operating officer at The Post Lounge; Thinkerbell founder Adam Ferrier; and Stephanie Taylor-Carrillo, senior director, communications at Warner Bros. Discovery, among others.
The Film & Screen track brings together filmmakers, actors, directors, producers and other leading voices from across the industry to unpack the ideas, craft and culture behind the picture.
“We launched Film & Screen this year and it was an immediate hit, with a brilliant response from audiences and speakers alike, so bringing it back for 2027 was a no-brainer,” said Nancy Hromin, director and owner of The Misfits and co-founder of the Film & Screen track.
“Film and screen sit at the heart of culture, shaping what we watch, talk about and obsess over, and the track is fast becoming a staple of Cairns Crocodiles.”
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Media Accreditation Now Open
Media accreditation is also now open for journalists, photographers, editors, bloggers and content creators looking to cover the festival from the inside.
Successful applicants will receive an all-access pass for the full festival, including entry to sessions, networking events and selected experiences for accredited media. Apply HERE.
The Topics in the Tropics submission portal also remains open until the end of October, giving the industry the chance to pitch ideas for the 2027 program. Submit a session idea HERE.
Cairns Crocodiles Presented by Pinterest takes place from 25–27 May 2027 at the Cairns Convention Centre. Secure your tickets now.
Keep an eye out for more on Cairns Hatchlings, launching next month. The program gives emerging creative talent from across Asia Pacific the chance to tackle a real-world brief, with finalists heading to Cairns to take on a live brief and showcase their thinking in front of the industry.
And there’s plenty more to come, including the reveal of the industry leaders who’ll be leading the Cairns Masterclasses in 2027.
Snap up your tickets now at cairnscrocodiles.com
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