Yes, it was only yesterday that we announced Taika Waititi is headlining Cairns Crocodiles Presented by Pinterest, but wait, we have more.
The latest instalment of incredible speakers has landed for Cairns Crocodiles Presented by Pinterest, with an even bigger wave still to come.
The growing slate brings together world-class marketers, cultural leaders, creatives and founders, reinforcing Cairns Crocodiles’ reputation as the must-attend marketing and creativity event in the Asia-Pacific.
New additions to the program represent some serious brand firepower. From luxury jewellery icon Tiffany & Co. and electric vehicle giant BYD, to global storytelling favourite Tonies and travel powerhouse Webjet, the line-up is built on brands shaping culture, commerce and consumer behaviour right now.
The program also welcomes the marketing leader tasked with one of the biggest brand challenges of the decade: shaping the global narrative for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. If Brent Hill, chief marketing officer of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, wasn’t enough, new speakers have also been added from Reckitt and the Australian Grand Prix and more.
Also joining the agenda is Going North is Nina Fitzgerald, director of Going North, an Indigenous-owned, Northern Territory-based culture studio and consultancy with deep roots in art, music and fashion.
“With global CMOs, category disruptors and cultural heavyweights all confirmed, this latest speaker drop signals just how ambitious Cairns Crocodiles 2026 is shaping up to be,” said Pippa Chambers, content director of Cairns Crocodiles.
“The latest additions reflect the festival’s commitment to bringing fresh brand faces and distinctive stories to the stage, and there’s plenty more still to come.”
NEW:
- Brent Hill – Chief Marketing Officer, Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games
- François Fournier – Omnichannel Director, Tiffany and Co.
- Emma Pinwill, Chief Commercial Officer, Australian Grand Prix
- Kate Hornstein – Chief Marketing Officer, BYD Australia and New Zealand
- Florence Paoli – Marketing Director, Reckitt ANZ
- Lauren Best – Senior Marketing Manager ANZ, Tonies
- Oonagh Flanagan – Chief Marketing Officer, Webjet Group
- Alice Bowden – Global Brand and Content Director, Tourism NT
- Katrina Barry – Group CEO and Managing Director, Webjet Group
- Nina Fitzgerald – Director, Going North
- Jessica Yue – Founder and CEO, POLARIS+
- Jules Hall – CEO, The Hallway
- Melissa Fein, Managing Director, Media, APAC, Accenture Song
- Andrew Bucklow – Reporter and Podcast Host, Free News and Lifestyle Editorial
Lauren Best, Senior Marketing Manager, ANZ, Tonies
Did you catch these top marketers also on the agenda?
- David Ohana – Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, United Nations Foundation
- Kedda Ghazarian – Head of Marketing, Bonds
- Ida Ayu Astari Prada – Brand and Communications Director, Nuanu Creative City
- Georgia Mahaffie – GM Brand and Marketing, One New Zealand
- Tim Farmer – CMO, DiDi Australia and New Zealand
Check out more top speakers for this May’s event here:
- Adam Smith – Visual Director, Film and Music Video Director, The Chemical Brothers
-
Nedd Brockmann, Australian Ultramarathon Athlete & Young Australian of the Year 2026
- Rachel Kennedy – Professor, Ehrenberg-Bass Institute
- Paula Bloodworth – Co-Founder, Alien Baby with Idris Elba
- Jon Evans – Creator and Host, Uncensored CMO Podcast
- Aseem Puri – Digital CEO, Unilever International
- Molly Wright – Actress, Thrive by Five TED Talk Star
- Hugh van Cuylenburg – Co-host, The Imperfects
- Ryan Shelton – Co-host, The Imperfects
- Aaron Draplin – US Graphic Designer, Entrepreneur, Author
- Gill Zhou – Former IBM, Motorola and Condé Nast China Executive; Chair, Shenzhen International Fashion Week
- Amy Kean – Creative Sociologist, Bestselling Author, CEO and Creative Director, Good Shout
- Tigest Grima – Fantasy Writer and #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
- Bruce Poon Tip – Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, Founder, G Adventures
- Chris Nay – CEO, Wheelchair Rugby Australia
- Gavin Singleton – Owner and Director, NGIRRI
- Humphrey Ho – CEO, Helios and Partners; Board Director Asia Pacific, Worldwide Partners
- Lev Kroll – CEO, Nuanu Creative City
- Morihiko Hasebe – Global Executive Creative Director, Hakuhodo Inc.
- Rajeev Raja – Founder and Soundsmith, BrandMusiq
- Subhash Kamath – Consultant; Former CEO BBH and Publicis India; Former Chairman, Advertising Standards Council of India
- Melinda Petrunoff – Country Manager, Australia and New Zealand, Pinterest
- Adam Pinto – Head of Strategy and Emerging Industries, News Australia
- Chloe Noel De Kerbrech – Chief Customer Officer, The Misfits Media Company
Our fab MCs:
- Maz Farrelly – Former TV Producer, Now Keynote Speaker
- Luli Adeyemo – CMO, Tendertrace; Founder, Best Case Scenario
- Stephanie Tranquille – Global Speaker Coach and Director, SpeakerStephSpeak
- Arushi Srivastava – Host and MC, The Debate Club; Client Services, The Trade Desk
- Grant Patterson – Australian Paralympic Swimmer and Motivational Speaker
- Adam Pinto – Head of Strategy and Emerging Industries, News Australia (Masterclass MC)
Get your tickets HERE, book your hotel HERE and get planning your Cairns Extra slate HERE.
