Here, the Boomtown Insiders – an industry advisory council of emerging talent championing regional media – give their thoughts on the first whirlwind day of Cairns Crocodiles, presented by Pinterest. ‘But who are the Boomtown Insiders?’ we here you cry. They are: Matthew Tan, investment manager at Starcom, Courtney Birch, media manager at Enigma Communications and Zoe Gothard, a sales executive at Nine. And we couldn’t be happier to have them all in Far North Queensland.
The Boomtown Insiders have officially touched down for Cairns Crocodiles 2026, and if Day 0 is any indication, the industry pilgrimage north has well and truly begun.
If you didn’t see a flash of hot pink the second you stepped out of Cairns Arrivals, were you even at the airport? The Boomtown Bus, decked out in unmistakable hot pink, was waiting at the curb to whisk us away. Inside, the “Boomtown Beats” were already setting the tempo. Overheard during the 20-minute transit? A frantic logistical puzzle from attendees trying to figure out how to squeeze three Cairns Extras into a single evening.
We kicked things off officially with the Boomtown Welcome Cocktail Party at Sails and as first-timers to the Crocs, we made it our mission to seek out as much veteran advice as possible before the first keynote. Two core pieces of advice emerged as the undisputed commandments for the week:
Wear comfy shoes. You might want the heels, but your blisters will not.
We could not have asked for a better start to Day 1 of Cairns Crocodiles than Nedd Brockman. Opening with a masterclass in living purely and authentically, Nedd is living proof that you are not defined by just one thing, you are defined by your willingness to show up and follow through on your words. He spoke about the mental battle of running around Australia, reminding us that if you say you are going to do something, you do it, even when every part of you wants to quit. His energy was infectious and his best advice? “If you have to sell yourself on the idea, it’s probably not the right call.” It is a call to trust that gut spark and commit to what feels right.
This flowed straight into the Weirdism session, which challenged our instinct to play it safe and mould our ideas to fit what’s considered “normal”. We were reminded that being truly memorable and creative means embracing the weird, and in a world full of sameness, Amy Kean encouraged us to lean into it, to be and do weird things for the sake of it. Cheese rolling festival, anyone?
Later in the day, we were treated to a global exclusive from the incredible David Ohana and Angus Ingham on their latest project with the United Nations, Reunite. It’s an ambitious initiative with a powerful purpose, aiming to raise $23 billion to help save 87 million lives by 2026, and it also forms the foundation of this year’s Hatchlings brief (good luck, guys). Keep an eye out in the coming weeks for more details on Reunite.
Speaking of different, Taika Waititi was easily the most fun keynote of the day. With cheese boards being delivered mid-keynote, gifts of custom Doc Martens designs and an all-over-the-place energy, he showed us that creativity can come out of the strangest situations, including the priest at a friend’s dad’s funeral.
Pinterest has made sure we are not just hearing about “personal style” on stage, but actually decoding it ourselves. At the “Discover Yourself” activation, we found our signature taste by turning blocks on the wall to create a larger image based on the styles that drew us in. After picking up our “Personalised Style Reading Cards” based on our selections, the Insiders are officially walking away as a mix of “Heirloom Chic,” “Industrial Noir,” and “Gilded Scholar.”
The takeaway today is the same: the real impact happens when you stop trying to be “normal” and start being your true, authentic self. On that note, we’ve got to go! The Pinterest party is calling!
