In this final Cairns Crocodiles wrap, the Boomtown Insiders, Matthew Tan, Courtney Birch and Zoe Gothard, take readers through a jam-packed final day of AI debates, neurodiversity discussions, berry-snacking cinema predictions and even IKEA sleepovers. From regional media pride to Pinterest-fuelled nostalgia, the emerging talent advisory council proves Cairns Crocs isn’t just about big ideas on stage – it’s about the weird, wonderful and wildly human moments in between.
We all knew it wouldn’t last forever, and now the time has come for the final day of the Cairns Crocs conference. From listening to incredible speakers share their knowledge to making connections over lunch (or a few drinks), the last three days have been absolutely jam-packed.
The final day opened with Defining Marketing’s Next Era where panellists – Oliver Allis, Jonathan Kerr, Florence Paoli, and moderator Melissa Fein from Accenture Song – set the tone with a focus on balance.
We learnt that protecting brand equity while managing quarterly results cannot be done in isolation.
Putting yourself in the customer’s shoes does not automatically mean you know what they want, and while learning from past campaigns is valuable, it is just as important to “un‑learn” and avoid falling back on media strategies simply because they worked before.
The session wrapped with two clear reminders: there is a new wave of mistrust, particularly around AI, so brands need to think more carefully about how they build trust, and they must listen closely to their customers, who are already telling them what they think, good or bad.
That idea of listening rather than reacting carried into Growing in the Attention Recession, which, according to Kedda Ghazarian, Lauren Best and Ally Doube, should really be seen as Growing in the Attention Opportunity.
The panel challenged the assumption that measurable always means memorable, calling out our tendency to over‑invest in social media simply because it is easy to track. They left us with a cultural shift worth watching, a growing rebellion among Gen Z against technology, including moves away from smartphones and AI, which could shape how future generations engage with brands as they grow up.
A standout from the morning sessions was Creativity Needs Different Brains, led by Josh Mann, Charlotte Adorjan, Michael Skarbek and Nat Taylor.
The panel explored the creative strength neurodivergent thinkers bring to the workplace, sharing that 48 per cent of people in creative roles identify as neurodivergent.
Rather than positioning this as a challenge, the focus was on how small changes can unlock better outcomes for everyone. The most powerful moment came from Charlotte’s personal story about her son, the youngest ever winner of a D&AD Award (woodism.co.uk), reinforcing that meaningful cultural disruption often starts with workplace disruption too.
A fresh perspective came from Jiunn Shih, global CMO of Driscoll’s, who suggested a total change of pace for our next cinema trip.
On a more delicious note, he’s reimagining a move away from the usual popcorn, suggesting we swap the salty snacks for blackberries and blueberries instead. He even handed out the fruit at the start to the front row to test it out, offering a fresh take on movie fuel that feels as good as the film.
On a global scale, Yuli Park from IKEA Korea showed us how to turn a furniture warehouse into the ultimate playground.
They’ve been busy redefining “retail therapy” by hosting everything from a 5km run through the store aisles to actual in-store sleepovers. It’s a brilliant, high-energy example of a global powerhouse leaning into local culture to turn a shopping trip into a total core memory.
Who knew a trip to IKEA could involve a personal best and a pyjama party?
Between talks, we ducked into the activations space, where Pinterest continued to bring its “designing the exit” philosophy to life through the Seal It and Stamp It activation.
Phones down, we created cards and notes for loved ones using stamps, pens and stickers, all ready to be sent home. It was simple, creative and unexpectedly nostalgic, the kind of fun that takes you straight back to being a kid again.
And just like that, it’s a wrap from us. Huge thanks to Boomtown and B&T for an unforgettable few days. We’ve had an absolute blast in Cairns (go regional) and are already hoping to be back next year.
