This year, we, the Boomtown Insiders – the industry advisory council of emerging talent, championing regional media – took on the Cairns Crocodiles for the first time. We walked away with invaluable experiences and insights, and along the way we collected memories, connections and a few questionable souvenirs that we’ll be talking about for years.
What follows is our honest reflection on three days that challenged how we think about creativity, culture and our place in this industry, plus everything you need to know if you’re thinking about making the trek north for the first time in 2027.
If you’re thinking about heading to the Cairns Crocs next year (you should), take our advice and sit at the front during the sessions. You need to be ready to drop into jumping jacks at a moment’s notice (thanks for keeping us on our toes, Stephanie Tranquille), but the energy was high, and the giveaways were relentless.
We saw everything from Formula 1 tickets won via a mid-conference dance-off to front row attendees scoring passes for Cairns Crocodiles 2027. Between the champagne, merch hauls and endless lolly bags, the week proved the biggest wins go to those who lean all the way in.
If free tattoos are your thing, you want to be early to sign up at The Original Pinterest Tattoo Parlour. The queue was never-ending as everyone from industry peers to Nedd Brockmann and Taika Waititi queued up for fresh fine line ink. There are two sessions per day, so if you’re not an early riser (those sign-ups start from 9am), then the afternoon session would be for you (go and speak to them from lunchtime).
If you’re not into tattoos, there were plenty of other activations this year, and if they return, you should definitely check them out, but be warned, the morning crowds on Day 1 are intense; there is a lot to see, and everyone is arriving fresh-faced on that first day.
We tried our luck at Are Media’s claw machine, walking away with Swarovski jewellery and an iconic Arnott’s cookbook. Other souvenirs included a personalised pouch we designed ourselves, a style reading based on recent trends (thanks, Pinterest!), and a bag (or two) full of pick n’ mix lollies, courtesy of Criteo.
For emerging talent in media, Cairns Crocodiles is the ultimate career accelerator and a rare chance to see the industry’s biggest hitters in their most unfiltered form. The real magic lies in the keynotes where legends like Paula Bloodworth and Jon Evans strip away the corporate jargon to reveal what actually drives impact, challenging our generation to stop playing it safe and start leaning into “weirdism” and authenticity.
It’s a space where you can absorb insights from IKEA or Driscoll’s in the morning and then find yourself debating the future of AI with those same leaders at a Netflix lunch or a Pinterest party that evening. If you want to stay ahead, you have to be in the room to catch the energy and the bold ideas. Come for the world-class sessions, stay for the hustle and lean all the way in because at the Crocs, the best opportunities move fast.
Beyond the sessions is the networking. We know, it’s a buzzword, but the reality is nothing quite prepares you for suddenly finding yourself at Hemingways – or one of the many Cairns Extras events – rubbing shoulders with the people you got into this industry because of.
The names you read about from your desk in B&T, the campaigns you’ve studied, the leaders you’ve admired from a distance. Cairns strips away many of the formalities you’d find in a meeting room and replaces them with a laid-back vibe and honest conversation. For emerging talent like us, that kind of access is genuinely rare. If you’re willing to introduce yourself to a stranger, you’ll leave with so much more than a few more LinkedIn connections; you’ll leave with a shifted perspective and the realisation that the “giants” of our industry are just people looking to be inspired, too.
The biggest lesson from the week?
You can’t be everywhere at once, but it is absolutely worth trying.
One of our own Insiders was the ultimate example of this, always at one thing or another as they jetted between keynote rooms, Netflix lunches and Teads breakfasts. Even when your schedule is packed to the limit, there’s always one more event calling your name.
Cairns Crocodiles is a high-speed chase, and while you might not catch every single moment, the hustle is half the fun. Make the most of it, talk to strangers and make connections because you never know who’s shouting the next round or has an exclusive invite to a late-night karaoke party.
Also, one of the best pieces of advice we got when we arrived was to wear comfortable shoes – and weren’t they right, your feet will thank you!
Written by Matthew Tan, investment manager at Starcom, Courtney Birch, media manager, Enigma Communications and Zoe Gothard, sales executive at Nine.
