City Nation Place acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this event takes place. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and recognise their deep connection to this land.
 | The inaugural City Nation Place Australasia provided an essential forum for places working to join the dots between what makes a great place to live, work, visit and invest. |
Key Takeaways:
- Place branding is not a side project - it’s a core driver of economic growth. We need better education to help government officials understand that place branding and placemaking aren’t cost centres, but are instead an investment in the future of your people.
- Nurturing a city brand is complex and nuanced; no one organisation can do it alone and we need to collaborate to drive impact.
- The greater the overlap between the perceptions of your residents and your visitors and what you say about yourself, the stronger your place brand is. But you need a part of your brand proposition to be weatherproof – if crisis strikes and things start to crumble, what core values will hold the fort for you?
- Connection to your community is a superpower, because at the end of the day, your place brand belongs to your residents. Engaging with them every step of the way is key to building pride in your community and shaping the future ambassadors for your place.
- Be intentional. Think about the events, the visitors, and the investments that you attract and focus on the high contributors who will deliver longer-term value for your place.
- Don’t let your plan sit in a drawer either. Take action and make decisions – you won’t always get it right, but it builds confidence in your key stakeholders.
- We think we have to get it completely right, but it will always take iteration and change. The character of place is both well-planned and spontaneous.
- Ask yourself – are you being a good ancestor? What actions can you take today that will leave the world and your place a better place than the day before?
- Surround yourself with brilliant people, and then give them the tools they need to be the agents of change that you need.
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Lisa Barrett is Destination Canada’s Director of Strategic Planning. Lisa plays a key role as the organization embarks on a transformative journey to deliver smart growth for Canada’s tourism sector that strengthens prosperity, while enhancing long-term resilience.
Lisa's current focus is on leading the development of a comprehensive measurement framework, the Wealth & Wellbeing Index. This strategic benchmarking tool will provide the industry with a new way to track progress in economic, social, and environmental sustainability and resilience at all levels—from national to provincial and territorial. This Index provides a yardstick to measure the ripple effects of tourism beyond traditional metrics.
In her role, Lisa contributes significantly to Destination Canada's mission, ensuring a measured and holistic approach that ultimately helps the organization realize its aspiration that tourism generates wealth and wellbeing for all of Canada while enriching the lives of its guests.
Prior to her current role, Lisa worked as part of Destination Canada’s Partnerships team, fostering alignment and connections with Provincial and Territorial Tourism Marketing Organizations from coast to coast to coast.
Clare is the Founder and Director of City Nation Place, the global forum for the people and stories behind places.
City Nation Place creates connections and shares best practice between country brands, regional brands, and city brands around the world through articles, interviews, surveys, white papers, the advisory group network, and conferences.
Clare’s interest in the complex area of place branding was sparked whilst working on a series of Nation Branding Masterclass events, led by Simon Anholt, one of the first thought-leaders to speak about and promote the concept of place branding. Having listened to Simon address audiences in Accra, Delhi, Dubai, London and Singapore on how policy, governance, and symbolic actions need to combine with branding and marketing to create a competitive identity and drive economic growth, she continued to follow the growth in this sector.
Clare launched the first City Nation Place Global conference in London in 2015. CityNationPlace.com has been steadily building followers and in 2017, the first City Nation Place Americas conference was launched. In 2018 City Nation Place Asia Pacific took place in Singapore, and 2019 saw the first City Nation Place UK, specifically for towns, cities and regions across the UK, and the launch of the first City Nation Place LatAm & Caribbean event.
Clare manages the small team at City Nation Place alongside providing event consultancy and management for a number of clients in the publishing and trade association sector, including running the World Media Awards for the World Media Group and event consultancy for the UK Association for Online Publishers.
Justine is Cúpla's Creative Director. She leads the team to develop brands that put the audience's needs and client's objectives at the core of every piece of work. Her passion for creating meaningful brands has been honed through over 15 years of experience working on projects that span the globe, across a diverse range of industries. She is at the heart of Cúpla's place branding expertise, having designed, and overseen, place and destination brand and communications for many regions throughout Victoria and NSW, as well as national tourism campaigns. At home in Victoria's beautiful Beechworth, she is passionate about regional storytelling and growing local economies in the right way.
Meaghan Ferrigno is Destination Canada’s CFO & Chief Data and Analytics Officer (CDAO), a role which positions Destination Canada as an Insight Driven Organization, curating industry data to optimize both supply- and demand-side decisions.
She leads Destination Canada’s data strategy to help maximize the competitiveness and resilience of the Canadian tourism sector, making good information and analysis broadly available to tourism partners, businesses, local communities and government.
From her past roles, Meaghan brings an exceptional range of expertise in data-enabled competitive strategies and business agility. She is a certified CPA, CMA who holds an MBA in Management Technology from SFU’s Beedie School of Business as well as PMP and agile designations.
One of her most important and current priorities at Destination Canada is to build and launch the Canadian Tourism Data Collective, in partnership with Statistics Canada, other major data providers, and many industry businesses. This national platform harnesses the power of tourism data, to generate a source of long-term collaborative advantage, drive innovation for Canada's hosting economy, empowering decision-makers across public and private sectors.
Meaghan joined as the Crown corporation’s CDAO in August of 2021.
Annabelle defines her careers purpose as leveraging tourism as a force for good. Her diverse tourism experience spans 25 years in wholesale, retail, trade, marketing, and destination development, providing her with a well-rounded industry perspective, gained in different contexts around the world and Australia. During her work for a Destination Marketing Organization in Sydney, Annabelle had a key realization that success in tourism centred on growth and promotion, with little emphasis on managing it sustainably. This insight fuelled her passion for sustainable tourism, which deepened during an 18-month stay on a remote island in the Solomon Islands from 2018. There, she led the development of a tourism master plan for the Central Province Government, while completing a Masters in Sustainable Tourism Management. This pivotal experience reinforced her commitment to fostering tourism that benefits both the environment and local community. Before relocating to Western Australia, Annabelle spearheaded the award-winning rebrand of South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, “Eyre the Wild Side,” which earned gold at the 2023 South Australian Tourism Awards. Since moving to Esperance in early 2024, she has continued to champion sustainable tourism, leading initiatives like the “Esperance. In Your Element” brand and the creation of the “Esperance Promise” to support the thoughtful management of the region’s tourism sector.
Originally from Adelaide, Australia and now living in Fiji, Brent is a multi-award-winning marketer and leader, and joined Tourism Fiji as CEO in mid-2021 after 6 years at the South Australian Tourism Commission. Brent led the incredible effort to reopen Fiji to the world in December 2021, achieving double the visitor arrivals target in 2022. Brent leads a team based in Nadi, Fiji as well as offices across the world, in pursuit of the goal of $3B in tourism revenue by December 2024 – equating to 38% of Fiji’s economy.
- With Ernst & Young LLP for more than 12 years
- With STB for more than 10 years
- Chartered Accountant by profession
- Certified Train the Trainer
- Responsible to initiate and develop Sabah Rural and Community Based Tourism since 2014
As Cúpla's lead strategist, Lyndal is a champion of the audience perspective - challenging traditional demographics to focus on the behaviours, wants, needs and motivations of the people a brand serves. She believe this is essential in building a strong place brand, starting with the communities that call the place home. In her 22 years of experience, she has developed an approach to brand strategy that is simple, highly effective and anchored in audience insights, which has been honed through place branding projects throughout Victoria and NSW, as well as broader sectors in Australia, Singapore, Europe and the US. She is particularly experienced in regional and rural place branding, and how to activate local communities to own, advocate and promote on behalf of their shared place brand.
Lyn Lewis-Smith is CEO of BESydney and leads a global team of professionals spanning Europe, North America and Asia who are charged with securing global meetings of strategic, economic and social benefit to Sydney, Australia. The organisation works across sectors which include infrastructure, technology, professional services, advanced manufacturing, education and health. Lyn has led transformation globally, passionately advocating for Australian business, scientific and cultural achievements on the world stage and received the Destination International’s Humanitarian Award for her co-authored and published research with UTS: Determining Business Events Legacies beyond the Tourism spend.
An experienced non-executive director, Lyn is a Fellow of the UTS, Adjunct Professor and Co-Chairs the University of Technology Sydney Business School Advisory Board, Director of Destinations International, Committee for Sydney and the Women’s Resilience Centre.
Ken Morrison is an experienced chief executive and non-executive director of for-purpose organisations operating within complex environments. He is passionate about the future of our cities and has helped shape public policy and industry outcomes for two decades.
Mr Morrison is the CEO of the Bradfield Development Authority, responsible for delivering the new Bradfield City and attracting investment to the Western Sydney Aerotropolis, a role he commenced in August 2024. The Western Sydney Aerotropolis and the 114-hectare Bradfield City are the largest urban renewal project in Australia and leverage the $20 billion of investment now underway into the new Western Sydney International Airport and surrounding infrastructure.
Mr Morrison is also currently the Chair of the inaugural Board of Metropolitan Memorial Parks, a newly merged NSW Government social infrastructure and services entity. This appointment in 2023 followed his six-month term as the organisation’s Ministerial-appointed Administrator leading it through a merger and a governance, organisational and strategic transition.
Prior to these roles Mr Morrison was the chief executive of the Property Council of Australia, one of the nation’s most respected business groups, and a member of a range of industry and government boards and advisory bodies. He was a director of the Green Building Council of Australia and the Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council, a member of the National Affordable Housing Alliance, deputy chair of the Business Coalition for Tax Reform and he co-founded the Property Champions of Change to promote gender diversity across the property industry. Before this he was the CEO of the Tourism and Transport Forum, a CEO forum and the peak body for Australia’s tourism, aviation and transport sectors.
He holds an MBA, is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, has completed the Advanced Management Program with INSEAD and has undertaken an executive course in organisational renewal at Harvard Business School.
Recognised as a ‘Queensland Great’ in 2013, Anthony is a well-respected and self-confessed sport loving local who is known for the passion and entrepreneurial spirit that he brings to all professional endeavours.
An inspiring leader with a proven track record in delivering strategic business outcomes and strong partnerships, Anthony is responsible for leading BEDA to drive sustainable economic growth for the City.
As Brisbane’s champion, BEDA works with stakeholders to enhance the City’s reputation globally, drive visitation and attract investment and talent, whilst looking ahead at emerging opportunities for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Previously CEO of Youngcare, Anthony pioneered the transformation of the national not-for-profit organisation into an innovative and entrepreneurial company that provides meaningful solutions and choices for young people with high physical care needs.
Amanda is an accomplished strategist and designer who transforms cities, precincts, and organizations through an innovative 'inside-out' approach. Her work seamlessly integrates strategy, design, and change management to create lasting impact across public and commercial sectors. By drawing on her multidisciplinary expertise, she develops solutions that strengthen organizations internally while enhancing their external presence and influence. This unique methodology has consistently delivered measurable results, whether revitalizing urban districts, reimagining corporate spaces, or fostering positive organizational change. Her deep understanding of both human-centered design and strategic planning enables her to create solutions that resonate at every level - from internal operations to citywide initiatives.
Her Worship the Mayor of Rotorua, Tania Tapsell, is from Te Arawa tribe and is the first Māori woman to be elected as Mayor of Rotorua. She leads a Council responsible for over $2 billion of community assets and in 2023 was recognised as one of the most influential women in today’s society by The New Zealand Herald in their feature marking the 130th anniversary of Women’s Suffrage.
Restoring Rotorua’s reputation and brand as a world-class destination has been a top priority for Tania. Under her leadership Rotorua Lakes Council has delivered significant investment into major projects such as rebuilding the Rotorua Museum, completing development of the Rotorua Lakefront precinct and Aquatic Centre, and incorporating the unique Māori culture of Rotorua into these significant projects.
Tania has served 11 years in local government after being first elected to Council at 21 years old. She has also worked in tourism and top finance firms, BNZ Business Partners and Deloitte, helping businesses to invest and grow. Tania is a qualified Resource Management Commissioner, has a Bachelor of Management Studies from the University of Waikato, and Diplomas in Business and Marketing. Prior to becoming Mayor she was the Deputy Chairperson of the NZ Community Board Executive Committee which represents 110 boards across the country.
Nicky loves turning strategy into reality. With a background in financial communications and designing customer-centric learning experiences for senior teams, Nicky has worked with organisations to implement strategies across North America, UK and Europe, Japan, China and Australasia.
Nicky currently leads New Zealand Story’s strategic partnerships with a focus on the private sector. She believes in the power of collective branding and scaling individual impact through bold collaboration. Nicky is responsible for developing growth pathways for New Zealand exporters, based on authentically leveraging the brand of New Zealand for tangible commercial results.
Nicole Vilalte is a seasoned advertising professional with an impressive skill set rooted in account management, strategic planning, creative development, broadcast/digital, brand content production, and brand experience activations.
She is a force to be reckoned with in the advertising industry with over two decades of experience with some of the world's most recognized brands, including Fortune 500 companies like IBM, Unilever, E*Trade, and Target. Her experience boasts positions at some of the top award-winning agencies in the world, such as Ogilvy and Mather in New York and Wieden + Kennedy in Portland.
Nicole is the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at InvestPR, where she spearheads all marketing initiatives to promote the island as a business destination.
Nicole's passion for brand building and proven record of success have made her a highly sought-after expert in the advertising industry. She graduated from Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in Puerto Rico with a bachelor's degree in Communications and Advertising.
Eamon’s career has spanned the social, economic and urban needs of Sydney.
He started his career working side-by-side with people experiencing long-term homelessness in Penrith and Blacktown to understand their challenges, and undertook the first Homelessness Street Count in the Western Parkland City.
Prior to joining the Committee as CEO, Eamon was the Chief Strategy Officer of the Department of Enterprise, Investment and Trade, sitting on the Executive of the Department and leading strategic projects across the Investment, Industry and Trade, Arts and Culture, Sport, Tourism and Hospitality and Racing sectors.
Before this, Eamon was Deputy CEO and Policy Director at the Committee for Sydney, Director of Policy for Youth Action NSW, the peak body for young people and the services that support them across NSW, and worked in social services including UnitingCare and Marist Youth Care.
As the Committee’s Policy Director, Eamon delivered more than 40 reports, including work on Density Done Well, Benchmarking Sydney’s Performance, the Sandstone Mega-Region and Safety After Dark.
Eamon is also engaged in broader Sydney society as a member of the Monkey Baa Theatre Company board, and previously served as a Board Director of the NSW Council of Social Services (NCOSS), Sydney Community Foundation, and Sydney Alliance.
Callum Wood is an accomplished marketing professional who leads BEDA’s Marketing team and champions the Brisbane destination brand globally.
With a focus on driving economic growth, Callum leads a diverse team of marketing and place activation professionals to develop and execute impactful marketing strategies across diverse sectors and audiences.
From tourism, business and major events, to business growth, trade, and investment, Callum manages the Brisbane destination brand holistically, both domestically and internationally.
Prior to joining BEDA, Callum held several destination and event marketing roles across Melbourne and regional Victoria, including City Marketing Manager for the City of Melbourne. Callum has completed an MBA with a focus on marketing and brand management. He is also admitted as an Australian Lawyer.
Mat is currently the Chief Executive at Destination Queenstown (DQ). Prior to joining DQ, Mat was head of sales & services at Cardrona Alpine Resort (CARL) and Treble Cone and was involved in the acquisition of Treble Cone, securing the rights to develop into the SOHO Basin. Mat moved from CARL to join the parent company RealNZ as GM of Experience Whakatipu to oversee the Queenstown operation of the TSS Earnslaw, Walter Peak, Jet Boating and Water Taxis.
Mat has a strong background in governance, He is currently a Director at Regional Tourism NZ and Racers Edge in Wānaka. Recently he was on the board of Snow Sports NZ and the Chair of Lake Wānaka Tourism.
Before joining the tourism industry, Mat had extensive experience in outdoor adventure sports retail, he was the managing director of R&R Sport before selling to The Warehouse Group, merging R&R Sport with Torpedo 7.