City Nation Place Australasia

Sydney

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As the conference agenda continues to develop, there may be changes to the following timings and session descriptions.  Sign up HERE for agenda updates.

  • 09:00

    Optional morning tour

    Join tour guides from the Committee for Sydney on a walking tour of the Tech Central district, Sydney’s innovation heart. The scale and opportunity of Tech Central is extraordinary. Learn about the big projects around the central precinct, a special insight into the exciting innovation and technology being developed, opportunities for the future, and examples of great urban renewal. You’ll be given the insider’s perspective on how the ecosystem has been developed, and how the district is delivering for Sydney.

  • 13:15

    Welcome to Country

  • 13:30

    Welcome

  • 13:45

    Opening keynote: Aligning government priorities for place-led economic growth

    The Right Honourable John Graham
    The Right Honourable John Graham Government of New South Wales
  • 14:10

    Sydney’s global brand: working towards a unifying strategy

    • Understanding the reputation risk when the performance of your city is running ahead of perception
    • Why a unified brand, focussed on the people of Sydney, will deliver dividends across business events, talent attraction, capital investment, education etc. 
    • Developing the Our Change Starts Here Agenda – promoting the city’s brilliant minds, high achievers, big thinkers and unique places to differentiate our marketing and deliver more authentic experiences
  • 14:40

    Making the economic case for a place brand

    • How local culture can drive economic growth
    • Unified strategy and action versus contradictory plans and random tactics
    • Go from “all things to all people” to “this feels like it can only happen here”
  • 15:05

    Refreshments

  • 15:35

    Round Table discussions

    Join groups of your peers in smaller group discussions to address common challenges and opportunities for place-led brand and marketing

  • 16:25

    When the going gets tough: how a place brand contributes to resilience to the place economy

    In 2020, Tamaki Makaurau Auckland won the Place Brand of the Year Award in the City Nation Place Awards for the foundational work done to develop a unifying and compelling place brand narrative. Over the past five years, the brand and the team behind it have weathered Covid, a change of government, and a tightening of funding. How has the place brand strategy continued to deliver for the place economy?  

    Shelley Watson
    Shelley Watson Director, Marketing, Communications & Growth, Tataki Auckland Unlimited
  • 17:00

    Close of Day One

  • 18:00

    Drinks reception

    Welcome Reception, hosted by BE Sydney, Committee for Sydney and Dexus Real Estate at the award-winning Quay Quarter Tower.  
    Join us on the 30th Floor of 50 Bridge Street, at the heart of the cultural hub that is the Quay Quarter, for drinks and canapés. We advise travel to the Quay Quarter by light rail [allow 20–30 minutes from the conference venue].

  • 08:30

    Registration for Day Two

  • 08:50

    Introduction to Day Two

  • 09:00

    Data-led x wellbeing-led place branding & marketing: lessons from Destination Canada

  • 09:25

    Building resilience and strong crisis management into your place brand positioning

  • 09:50
  • 10:30

    Refreshments

  • 11:00

    Leveraging the private sector and place-led collaboration to deliver successful place making and brand building

    • How does Downtown Van, as a Business Improvement Association with private sector funding, fit into the place-led organisational ecosystem of Vancouver?
    • How BIA led place making and community engagement is helping drive the city’s economic growth
    Jane Talbot
    Jane Talbot President & CEO, Downtown Van
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    11:25

    Join your choice of breakout session, led by our expert partners

    • 11:30

      Redefining place brands in a dynamic world: innovative strategies for differentiating your place

      • Rethinking brand categories: how destinations can break free from traditional categorisations to create unique market positions
      • Learn from analysis of places and organisations that have successfully changed perceptions by altering or thinking “outside the box” about their brand categories
      • Methodologies and tools to create your point of difference
      • How Port Macquarie has repositioned its destination brand to focus on lifestyle
      Carl Solomon
      Carl Solomon Director, Destination Marketing Store
      Charlotte Prouse
      Charlotte Prouse Director, Destination Marketing Store
    • 11:30

      Session TBC

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    12:10

    Join your choice of breakout session, led by our expert partners

    • 12:10

      A breath of fresh air: building authentic, distinctive and compelling place brands in rural and regional towns and cities

      Regional and rural communities are well placed to capitalise on compelling drivers for visitors, residents and investors - natural environments, space to thrive, close communities, authentic interactions, and distinctive, often untapped, experiences. Join this session to…

      • Focus on effective community-led strategies for articulating regional and rural stories to build unique, actionable place brands that can strengthen local economies and community bonds while attracting new residents, businesses, workers and visitors.  
      • Learn from case studies from South Gippsland Shire, Northern Grampians Shire and Shepparton & Goulburn Valley
    • 12:10

      Session TBC

  • 12:45

    Lunch

  • 13:45

    What can we learn about creating better places from the opportunity to create a new city from scratch?

  • 14:15

    Panel discussion: Leveraging private sector engagement in place shaping, place reputation and economic development

    • How to ensure public and private sector objectives are aligned
    • Ensuring a long-term vision for community benefits and place attractiveness is the driver for economically successful development

    Panellists include:

    Georgina Pikoulas
    Georgina Pikoulas Manager Economy, Design & Place, Wyndham City &, President of Mainstreet Australia
    The Honourable Stuart Ayres
    The Honourable Stuart Ayres CEO, Urban Development Institute of Australia
    Ed Steane
    Ed Steane Director, Urban Policy, Transport for NSW
  • 15:00

    Refreshments

  • 15:30

    Bringing your brand to life through private sector partnerships: learnings from the New Zealand Story Export Storyteller programme

    • What problem was the Export Storyteller programme set up to address and how is it working?
    • How is the programme evolving to scale for more impact?
    • Next step: Utilising the Brand New Zealand Ambassador Group to connect with exporters
    Nicky Toresen
    Nicky Toresen Director of Strategic Partnerships, New Zealand Story
  • 15:55

    Leveraging the nation brand to compete on the world stage

    • Understanding international perceptions and why the nation brand is the first level of influence
    • Place layering: how can states and cities leverage the nation brand to build an international profile
    Sarah Holder
    Sarah Holder Head of Communications and Marketing, Austrade
  • 16:20

    Brisbane rising: Redefining identity, growth and legacy

    Our closing keynote will delve into the city of Brisbane’s ascent as a dynamic global destination, focusing on…

    • How place branding, collaboration, and strategic development converge
    • How the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games are serving as a catalyst for legacy-building and sustainable growth well into the future
  • 16:50

    Key takeaways and close of conference