Conference 2026

Laugh and learn with one of Australia’s most dynamic and engaging minds, Adam Spencer is the iconic star of radio and television and now a leading conference MC and keynote speaker on artificial intelligence (AI), cyber security, the future of work, and the Chat GPT revolution.

Adam has hosted award-winning breakfast radio shows in Australia’s toughest markets and live current affairs TV. He shared the 2013 TED stage in California with Elon Musk, Ben Affleck and Bono. He has won improvised theatre competitions and once interviewed John Travolta in front of 75,000 people. Whether it’s a technically demanding event with dozens of moving parts, or flying by the seat of your pants, Adam prides himself on the high level of energy, engagement and entertainment that he provides whenever on stage, set or screen.

With 25 years experience in television, radio and events, Adam loves curating challenging and thought-provoking conversations and keynote presentations. As a leading conference speaker on artificial intelligence (AI), cyber security, the future of work, and the Chat GPT revolution, he’s informative, fun and guaranteed to impart take- aways you’ve never heard before.

As an MC and conference host, Adam loves doing the research and crafting the narrative that helps people tell their story – just watch what he can get out of them. He has interviewed prime ministers, Hollywood stars, Fortune 500 CEOs, Nobel Prize-winning scientists and Australians of the Year… and he was also the first person in the world to ever interview our legendary Thai cave rescuers. All done with an obsessive focus on keeping to time that only 15 years of working in breakfast radio can bring.

Head of Consumer | AFL

Ticketing Services Coordinator | Glen Street Theatre

Patrice is a ticketing professional with over a decade of experience in people leadership, ticketing, and CRM systems. Since joining Glen Street Theatre in 2021, she has played a key role in transforming the venue into a more modern and connected space for both audiences and clients.

As Ticketing Services Coordinator, Patrice oversees all aspects of ticketing and box office operations, with a strong focus on accessibility and delivering a seamless patron and client experience. She works collaboratively with marketing and venue services to ensure every visit is welcoming and memorable. Patrice led the successful migration and digitisation of Glen Street Theatre’s ticketing systems, streamlining operations and strengthening audience engagement. Her strategic approach to platform optimisation and digital transformation, was recognised with the Northern Beaches Council Ignite Business Award.

Box Office & Front of House Officer | Glasshouse Port Macquarie

Karly began her career in the performing arts industry in 2009 as a Customer Service Officer at the Glasshouse Port Macquarie, joining the team during the venue’s first year of operation. In 2014, she was appointed the role of Box Office and Front of House Officer, to which she has held since.

Driven by commitment to audience experience and operational excellence, Karly has also contributed within acting and support roles across the organisation, including Front of House Coordinator, Event Services Officer, and Marketing Support Officer. Her cross-functional experience has fostered a deep understanding of venue operations and strengthened her impact on the Glasshouse’s reputation as a leading cultural destination.

Head of Digital & Audience | Anthem

Davey leads Anthem’s digital and audience strategy, drawing on 10+ years connecting audiences to culture across live entertainment. He blends creativity with performance, combining campaign strategy and data-informed insight to drive engaging results.

Bella has spent the past four years at Anthem working across some of Australia’s biggest live entertainment productions. She leads LIVE HIVE, Anthem’s creator led paid media approach, designed specifically to drive awareness and ticket sales. Her work sits at the intersection where audience insight meets the right talent and the right content.

Charlie has been part of Spektrix for 16 years, joining the company’s early start-up days and helping shape its growth while focusing on supporting the organisations it serves. With experience spanning box office, marketing, and ticketing, Charlie has held roles across Client Success and Strategy & Operations, helping clients grow, refining processes, and driving organisational efficiency. Charlie is excited to bring Spektrix to the region with the aim of supporting arts and cultural organisations in connecting with audiences, driving revenue, and strengthening their operations. Charlie is co-founder of the UK theatre company Yet To Be and has prior experience working at The Albany and Greenwich Theatre in London.

With nine years at Spektrix, Samantha Bagwell helps arts and cultural organisations in Australia and New Zealand achieve their goals through smarter ticketing, fundraising, and audience engagement. As Spektrix’s Business Expansion Lead for the region, she works closely with organisations to unlock their full potential, streamline operations, and deepen connections with their audiences. Prior to this role, Samantha held positions across implementation, global fundraising, and client relations, and she began her career in box office and fundraising, most recently with the Individual Giving Team at New York’s Roundabout Theatre Company.

Matilda Dwyer is a recipient of the Venue Management Association’s Young Venue Professional of the Year award, and a ticketing leader with vast experience in commercial arts and community theatre. As Ticketing Manager at Theatre Royal Sydney, she works closely with producers and hirers to maximise event performance through data-driven insights, audience development strategies, and exceptional customer experience. She also played a leading role in the venue’s ticketing system migration to Tixly, making Theatre Royal Sydney the first commercial venue in Australia to adopt the platform.

Alongside her professional career, Matilda has been an active contributor to the community theatre sector for more than a decade through her involvement with Willoughby Theatre Company. From her days as a high school volunteer to now serving on the Committee of the company, she has gained firsthand insight into the unique opportunities and challenges faced by community arts organisations.

Angus Macdonald is a seasoned professional in venue management with over two decades of experience that continues to shape and drive his energetic approach to ticketing and events.

As Consumer Business Lead at Stadiums Queensland (SQ), Angus is responsible for shaping and leading the strategic direction and operational execution of SQ’s consumer business functions, specifically ticketing and membership. He is also responsible for – and incredibly passionate about! – leveraging consumer data to inform ticketing, crowd building and growth, membership, content attraction, and fan experience.

Prior to his current position, Angus held various key roles within Stadiums Queensland’s high performance venue portfolio, including Venue Manager of Sleeman Sports Complex and the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre. His experience also extends to the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, where he managed client relationships and venue hire, showcasing his versatility across different aspects of venue operations.

Angus’ love of ticketing began when he joined Ticketmaster in 2011, where he served as Senior Client Manager and then as State Manager for Queensland, further developing his expertise in client management and business operations. With a strong foundation in both operational and strategic roles, he brings a wealth of knowledge to the industry. Angus is passionate about focussing on true partnerships with venue hirers and ticketing providers to create memorable experiences for audiences and is dedicated to driving innovation within the industry.

Started in sport in 1992 taking on the role of administration officer at a newly built velodrome.  I was involved in managing all aspects of a venue from contracting staff to managing contracts, promoting our own events to venue hiring and ticketing to security. I then moved into venue management accumulating with managing 3 venues for the SA State Government.  From here I had the opportunity to be Events Manager with the SA Cricket Association before moving to Cricket Australia with a sole focus on ticketing operations.

Many highlights during this time including sold out concerts at Adelaide Oval, indoor triathlon,  track cycling world records, promoting cycling events regional, our venue being a training base for 8 countries pre the 2000 Sydney Olympics, record breaking Ashes season of International Cricket.

My venue experience has been a major factor in my current role.  My passion is around our customers and ensuring they have the best possible experience.

Founder | Antix Management

With more than 25 years’ experience in the entertainment industry, Angela is recognised for her deep industry knowledge, global connections and data-driven insights on the Australian and New Zealand markets. Angela is known for fostering a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration within the entertainment sector.

Angela formed Antix Management in 2007 to support international and domestic producers with sales and ticketing strategy for live events across Australia and New Zealand. Antix Management is currently contracted to provide sales strategy and ticketing management services to a range of first class live events, including Disney’s The Lion King, The Book of Mormon, Pretty Woman, SIX – The Musical, and A Beautiful Noise – The Neil Diamond Musical.

Brenton works for Cricket Australia, across commercial modelling, venue & event optimisation, and ticketing analytics. On the ticketing side, he builds sales and attendance forecasting models, including ticket sales target curves, and tracks buyer behaviour and demand across formats to understand how and when fans are likely to purchase. He also completes commercial modelling of financial match returns and future fixturing for international cricket and other projects across Australian cricket.

Before moving into sport, Brenton spent over 10 years in banking roles at Commonwealth Bank and Westpac, and completed a Masters in Sport Analytics in 2023. Outside of cricket, he reluctantly supports the GWS Giants and would describe himself as an enthusiastic but not entirely competent hobby farmer.

Jerry Hodgins is Director of Data, Insights & Technology at Melbourne Theatre Company, where he leads the organisation’s data, CRM, business intelligence and technology functions. With more than 20 years’ experience across customer strategy, analytics and technology, his work focuses on turning complex data into practical insights that inform organisational strategy, audience development and commercial decision-making. Jerry is particularly interested in how organisations can move beyond simply reporting what has happened to using data to understand why it happened – and what they should do next. His work brings together audience behaviour, ticketing and CRM data, financial performance and digital analytics to build a more complete picture of customers and support decisions across the organisation. More recently, his focus has expanded to the role of automation, AI and emerging technologies in making data more accessible and useful. He is passionate about building evidence-led organisations where data is not confined to analysts and dashboards, but becomes part of everyday decision-making.

Rhiannon is passionate about the detail behind the magic. She combines commercial strategy, data-led audience insights and operational expertise to turn standout live events into unforgettable live experiences. As a people-first leader, she develops high-performing teams equipped to thrive in the fast pace of touring and deliver for artists and fans.

Before Live Nation, Rhiannon was Head of Ticketing and International Attendance Growth at Cricket Australia and Ticketing Manager at the AFL, building deep experience across major events, premium hospitality and large-scale fan operations.

Dale Perkins is the Ticketing & Sales Team Leader at Ticketlink, based at the Cairns Performing Arts Centre in Far North Queensland. With extensive experience in ticketing, box office operations and venue services, Dale leads a team supporting ticketing operations across Cairns Regional Council’s network of cultural and performance venues.

In his role, Dale oversees the day-to-day delivery of ticketing and customer service operations, working closely with venues, promoters, producers and marketing teams to deliver seamless experiences for both clients and audiences. He has a particular interest in improving systems, streamlining processes and finding practical solutions to the unique challenges faced by regional venues.

Dale is passionate about the role ticketing plays beyond simply selling a seat, recognising it as a critical connection between venues, artists, clients and their audiences. His experience working across a diverse regional performing arts environment has given him a strong appreciation for the flexibility, collaboration and problem-solving required to deliver successful events in regional Australia.

As a leader, Dale is focused on building capable and confident teams, fostering a positive workplace culture and continually looking for opportunities to improve the way ticketing services are delivered.

Grace Carruthers is an experienced events and ticketing professional who thrives at the intersection of people, technology and live events. As Ticketing Operations Manager at Stadiums Queensland, Grace leads ticketing operations across key portfolio venues and events, from onsales and event builds through to event-day delivery, access control and customer experience.

Always curious and energetic, Grace loves connecting with industry peers, sharing ideas and helping shape the future of ticketing.

With more than 10 years’ experience across ticketing, membership and consumer roles, Alex has built her career at the intersection of customer experience, commercial growth and professional sport, including roles with Ticketmaster, the AFL and leading Australian sporting clubs.

Alex helped shape one of Australia’s most successful and loved expansion clubs, the Tasmania JackJumpers. A foundational staff member ahead of its inaugural NBL season, Alex built the club’s membership and ticketing programs from the ground up before progressing into executive leadership of the consumer and commercial portfolios.

Alex led the JackJumpers’ fan growth and engagement strategy, selling out memberships in just 26 minutes, achieving league record sell-outs of home games, establishing a membership waitlist, and supporting the club through three finals campaigns, including an historic Grand Final appearance in its inaugural season and an NBL Championship just its third.

Alex is now a key member of the Tasmania Devils, leading the consumer portfolio across membership, ticketing and retail as the club captures the passion and services the fandom of a unique football heartland, building a strong and sustainable supporter base and fan engagement program in preparation for entry to the AFL in 2028.

Passionate about creating best-in-class, customer-first programs, Alex brings a strong commercial mindset to fan engagement, focused on building meaningful relationships with supporters while driving revenue, participation and long-term growth.

Ali Herborn is the Head of Membership and Ticketing at the Dolphins NRL, leading the membership and ticketing strategy for the NRL’s 17^th team. With more than a decade of cross-code experience in the Australian sporting landscape, spanning Super Rugby, A-League, AFL and NRL, Ali joined the Dolphins in March 2022 – exactly one year ahead of its historic entry into the competition in 2023.

A dream role for any ticketing professional, Ali was tasked with building the membership and ticketing program for the Dolphins from the ground up. Over the past four seasons, Ali and the Dolphins have achieved significant growth and success, including milestone membership numbers that cemented the club among the NRL’s top five membership bases by year one, repeated sell-outs at Suncorp Stadium and Kayo Stadium, and record-breaking attendances.

Passionate about all things membership and ticketing, Ali is focused on elevating the member experience by breaking the mould of traditional membership and creating a model that is more relevant, engaging and valuable for the modern day member.

Nick Falzon serves as General Manager and chief executive of the newly formed Australian company, InTown, focused on developing audiences through innovation in ticketing, tourism and technology.

Prior to transitioning to Melbourne, Australia, Nick was based in New York as Vice President, Sales & Analytics for Disney Theatrical Group where he drove advances across digital marketing, tourism cultivation, group sales, yield management, dynamic pricing, ticketing operations and consumer relationship management for nearly twenty years. In that time, Nick oversaw THE LION KING’s pricing and sales strategy, which has been featured in the New York Times (“Ticket Pricing Puts THE LION KING Atop Broadway’s Circle of Life” – 17 March 2014), helping it become the highest grossing global entertainment property ever. While breaking multiple records across numerous North American productions for Disney, Nick’s most fulfilling work was to support countless international productions worldwide from Australia to Japan to Mexico.

Nick earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Theory & Composition from NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, is a graduate of The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut and holds a Certificate in Hotel Revenue Management from Cornell’s School of Hospitality Administration. As an educator, he served on the faculty of Columbia’s School of the Arts for almost a decade. While Nick is in Australia now, his wife Laura, sons Asher and Axson and daughter Nora will all be calling Melbourne home at the start of 2027 – chronicling their travels on YouTube through the channel Five Hungry Travelers.

Asher is the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lead at the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC), where her work spans strategy and operations across the MCC, MCG and the Australian Sports Museum.

Asher led the accessibility response to Taylor Swift’s 2024 The Eras Tour, including the Accessibility Familiarisation Day. She was responsible for establishing the MCG’s two sensory friendly spaces, implementing the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower and delivering the MCC’s first Diversity and Inclusion Strategy driving positive change for staff, stakeholders, and customers.