Unity took centre stage in Melbourne last week as Ethnolink convened its flagship multicultural communications summit, even as anti-immigration protests played out across the country.
Held at Zinc, Federation Square, on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, the summit drew nearly 300 professionals from marketing, communications, and creative industries. The event provided a platform for government, not-for-profits, and creative agencies to explore how inclusive communication can strengthen trust and connection with migrant communities at a time of heightened scrutiny around migration.
It was not lost on the audience that the summit took place in the lead-up to Sunday’s protests, underscoring the vital role practitioners play in shaping inclusive communication that counters division and builds cohesion.
“My dad came to Australia at 13, as did all of my grandparents. Our families worked hard to build a life here, and I feel proud of that legacy. This summit was a reminder that inclusive communication honours those stories and strengthens the society we share,” said Costa Vasili, CEO of Ethnolink and a recent inductee into the Victorian Multicultural Honour Roll.
Ahead of Sunday’s rallies, Ethnolink released a statement condemning the protests and reaffirming its long-standing commitment to multiculturalism: “We believe in an Australia where every person—regardless of background, birthplace, religion, or language spoken—has a place. An Australia built on freedom, respect, fairness, and equality of opportunity.”
Speakers from across the public, not-for-profit, and creative sectors included the Victorian Multicultural Commission, Brand Asia, Jean Hailes for Women’s Health, Punchy Digital Media, Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia (PANDA), the Office of the eSafety Commissioner, Monash University, Hume City Council, and Ethnolink. A consistent theme emerged: multicultural campaigns achieve their greatest impact when co-created with the very communities they aim to serve.
Census data underscores this urgency. More than half of Australians (51.5 per cent) were born overseas or have at least one parent born overseas, while more than one in five (22 per cent) speak a language other than English at home—demonstrating the importance of culturally resonant and in-language communications.
The summit follows Ethnolink’s refreshed brand launch in July, marking the agency’s evolution into a full-service multicultural communications firm.
It also coincides with a significant national appointment: leading an eight-language natural hazard preparedness campaign for multicultural communities on behalf of the Queensland Reconstruction Authority, backed by $1.5 million in federal funding.
