Swarm 2017 has announced the first speakers for Australia’s premier community management conference, as tickets go on sale for this year’s event to be held in Sydney from 30^th-31^st August.

Swarm brings together international and Australian community management leaders and innovators for two days of presentations, workshops, mentoring and networking opportunities.

Respected industry experts Australia Post head of content, search and social Matt Lucas, Guardian News audience editor Dave Earley, and Feverbee head of community Sarah Hawk are the first speakers confirmed for the sixth annual Swarm conference.

An expert in the community management space, Lucas has extensive experience building brand communities on both client and agency side. Earley is an innovator in digital news distribution and mobile journalism who has developed digital and social media strategies for The Courier Mail, Quest Community Newspapers and 7 News. Hawk is an online community stalwart and a user experience maven.

In addition to ticketed conference events, the free #turnmeon Symposium on day two will put the role of humans in automated media systems under the microscope.

“There’s never been more focus on the important role our industry plays in building and managing communities, as businesses, brands, governments, organisations and movements increasingly acknowledge and look for ways to harness the power of social networks and online communities,” said Alison Michalk (left in photo), co-founder of Swarm and CEO of Quiip.

“Swarm connects local and global experts with new talent for two days filled with ideas, inspiration, insights, best practices, networking and collaboration as we unpack the issues and opportunities facing the industry, making it an ideal forum for community managers who want to stay on top of their game.”

Venessa Paech (right in photo), co-founder of Swarm, said: “Community professionals are grappling with machine learning, automation and artificial intelligence in their working lives. It’s a challenging, exciting time, as the market learns the unique value of human beings in community management, and how technology can support that value.”

Swarm was the world’s first online community management conference when it launched in 2011, the brainchild of co-founders, industry pioneer and CEO of Quiip Alison Michalk and international online community authority Venessa Paech. Since then, Swarm has become firmly established as the authority in the community management industry in Australia, attracting local and international delegates from a wide cross-section of digital, creative, government, not-for-profit and corporate organisations and industries.