The Independent Media Agencies of Australia (IMAA) has announced the line-up for its first Melbourne Sound-Byte conference.
The event will be held on Wednesday, 30 July at independent agency Half Dome’s Melbourne office, is supported by Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA), and will feature all the nation’s major audio players, including ARN, Southern Cross Austereo (SCA), NOVA Entertainment, NINE and Mamamia.
The Melbourne event is designed to delve into the Australian audio industry, with many of the nation’s most experienced radio hosts, podcasters and audio executives set to share their expertise to help IMAA members better harness the power of audio. It follows a Sydney event earlier this year.
A keynote presentation will be delivered by Nick Riewoldt and Rosie Walton from SCA’s new Triple M Melbourne Breakfast show, Mick in the Morning with Roo, Titus & Rosie. Riewoldt is a former AFL player who joined the show last year, while Walton has a 30-year career history with Triple M, including stints on various shows like The Shebang, Tough Love and The Cage.
Half Dome founder and head of clients, Will Harms, will lead a panel discussion around “Content is still king: The art of entertainment”, with Joel Creasey from Nova’s national Drive show Ricki-Lee, Tim & Joel, podcaster and former Married At First Sight contestant Ella Mae Ding, Adelaide and Perth radio announcer, Craig Huggins, and Mamamia head of content, Eliza Sorman Nilsson.
CRA CEO, Lizzie Young, will moderate a discussion on the future of audio, focusing on AudioID and measurement, and featuring panellists including SCA head of digital ad product and operations, Kim Loasby, NOVA Entertainment chief commercial officer, Nicole Bence, and ARN director of digital strategy, data and digital ventures, Ben Campbell.
How to win in the growing podcasting market will also be on the agenda, with a panel discussion led by ARN head of digital audio, Corey Layton, and including Mamamia head of audio sales, Belinda Cook, LiSTNR operations and audience executive head, Grant Tothill, and NOVA Entertainment head of podcast partnerships, Kim Kerton.
The event follows the success of the inaugural Sound-Byte event, which was held in Sydney last month, and featured presentations from a range of national audio industry stars including KIIS Breakfast hosts, Kyle and Jackie O.
IMAA CEO, Sam Buchanan, said: “The Australian audio industry continues to grow, particularly across digital formats like streaming and podcasting, while traditional radio also remains a growing medium. The ongoing growth of the sector means it’s important for our members to understand the value of audio in their media planning and how they can leverage audio channels to deliver results.
“Our Melbourne Sound-Byte event is an opportunity for our Victorian members to exclusively hear from some of the local audio industry’s most experienced talent, both on-air and behind-the-scenes, to get some fresh insights into the future of the sector and why they should invest in audio.”
CRA CEO, Lizzie Young, said: “Audio is known for its intimacy, immediacy, and innovation. Sound-Byte is a great opportunity to learn about audio’s evolution and how brands can best harness its power to deliver results that drive business growth, whilst investing in local media that funds the content communities rely on.”
The Sound-Byte events are part of IMAA’s popular Byte series, which launched with the Digi-Byte events last year.
The Melbourne Sound-Byte event will be held on Wednesday, July 30.
