Place Branding Australia

John, the Founding Partner of Essential Economics, is an Economist and Town and Regional Planner with forty years of consulting experience in urban and regional economics, and in land use planning and development, both in Australia and abroad.

He is a Life Fellow of the Planning Institute of Australia and a Fellow of the Victorian Planning and Environmental Law Association, and is a past Board member of each organisation.

An event producer and director holding a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Electronic Media (2003, University of Tasmania (UTAS)), and a Bachelor of Fine Arts with First Class Honours in Visual Communication (2005, UTAS), Travis has passionately dedicated himself towards leading a cultural resurgence in his hometown of Queenstown in Tasmania.

This passion has culminated in the development of the biennial contemporary art event, the Queenstown Heritage and Arts Festival which is now known as The Unconformity. He has been the Festival Director since 2011 and has overseen its emergence to become a multiple award-winning event.

Director of Strategy at the Hunter and Central Coast Development Corporation, Anna is responsible for working across all levels of government, industry and the community to deliver the Hunter Regional Plan 2036. Anna is a town planner with tertiary qualifications in urban and regional planning, social geography and environmental management. She has worked in strategic and statutory planning, sustainability policy and practice, planning and housing policy as well as land development.

CEO of Screen Australia, Graeme has over 20 years of international experience in film, television and multimedia businesses. From 1998 to 2002 he was president of worldwide acquisitions for Universal Studios. He then joined Channel 4 Television UK as Head of Media Projects and later as Managing Director of Rights before moving to New Zealand to lead the New Zealand Film Commission from 2009 to 2013. Graeme has a keen interest in the contribution Film has in creating a sense of place and creation of a place's brand.

Amber Dale is the Senior Communications Manager at the Hunter and Central Coast Development Corporation.

Amber’s role in the organisation is to provide leadership and deliver effective corporate brand positioning communications that drives awareness and social currency. Amber’s experience leading communications for the $650million Revitalising Newcastle program provides a wealth of understanding in important stakeholder engagement and how to bring the community along a meaningful journey through the process of change

Nick is Strategy Director for Australasia’s leading independent branding agency, Principals (NZ).

He’s worked across brand consultation, research, strategy, design, communications and advertising for 20 years. Nick offers in in-depth place branding experience with expertise facilitating large-scale community consultation to develop consensus around brand positioning/story definition and its creative execution – a process that often requires skilful stakeholder navigation.

Group Strategy Director with Principals, Tim is a brand specialist who has worked across the brand consulting, design, market research and communications sector for 25 years. His place branding experience include nation brand projects with Australia and Malaysia and place branding spanning destinations like Crown Casino to economic development zones for the Malaysian government.

Kiersten Fishburn has been Chief Executive Officer of Liverpool City Council since late 2016. Liverpool is one of the fastest growing and most diverse communities in Sydney. Kiersten’s priorities include supporting the delivery of the Western Sydney Airport and creating associated jobs, investment and infrastructure for the community of Liverpool.

Craig Donarski has been Director of Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre (CPAC) since November 2016. With Craig at the helm of policy and programming for CPAC, Liverpool’s arts and culture presence, deeply connected to the area’s rich multicultural and Indigenous heritage, continues to gain positive exposure. For more than three decades Craig has been a major contributor to Australia’s vibrant arts and culture, having managed Marketing & Communications for Sydney Film Festival and the 16 regional events under the Travelling Film Festival banner prior to his current role.

Sonia is an optimist, lateral thinker and marketing consultant, and co-owner of The Articulate Pear, a marketing, digital and design agency. With more than 20 years’ experience in marketing and business development roles, Sonia has an energetic approach and depth of knowledge to share. In addition to her marketing capability, Sonia is an experienced non-executive director. In the interests of diversity, Sonia is keen to see more marketing professionals take up roles in the boardroom.

Simon Wright has held positions in private, public gallery and museum realms since 1993, having delivered in excess of 250 exhibition, programming and publication projects. Currently Assistant Director (Learning and Public Engagement) at Queensland Art Gallery / Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) and since 2013 has served as a Board Member of the Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane.