Todd Babiak is the co-founder of Story Engine, a consultancy based in Vancouver that uses narrative to solve business problems and build brands. In 2011, one of his clients, the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation, changed his life because he fell in love with place-branding. Many clients later, his strategy work for Tasmania turned into a job, which led to another job, possibly the best job in the world: CEO of Brand Gold Coast.

David is a former Victoria Police Detective and former member of the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission with over 15 years of experience in law enforcement.

Throughout his career, David witnessed first hand the challenges faced by police investigating crimes - particularly the hundreds of thousands of hours spent collecting CCTV footage manually from businesses and homes.

With his unique background in both law enforcement and technology (30 years of software development), David founded Safer Places Network to bridge the gap between community safety and efficient policing - while maintaining the highest standards of privacy protection.

Hannah Belsito built the destination management function at Destination Cleveland beginning in 2011. Today, destination management includes destination engagement, experience, development, and impact. With a background in urban planning and civic engagement, Hannah’s team focuses on strengthening Cleveland as a destination product by activating and engaging local networks, place-building, and scaling collaborations to broaden economic impact of visitation. This work allows her to live her passion for connecting people to place. Hannah’s work has contributed to major events including the 2019 MLB All-Star Game, 2021 NFL Draft, 2022 NBA All-Star Game, 2024 NCAA Women’s Final Four & Total Solar Eclipse. She’s most proud of the now-renowned Cleveland script signs and the impact they’ve made on local pride. Hannah holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from John Carroll University and a master’s degree in urban planning, design & development with a specialization in historic preservation from Cleveland State University. Hannah and her family frequently take advantage of the city’s outdoor experiences, including Edgewater Beach and biking through the Ohio & Erie Canalway Towpath Trail.

Yoge Biju is an accomplished leader in placemaking and urban revitalisation with more than 20 years of experience in strategic development, and community-focused city shaping across several local government areas in Melbourne. As the Head of Placemaking and Revitalisation at the City of Greater Dandenong, Yoge has led major urban renewal, economic development, and cultural activation initiatives that have transformed some of Melbourne’s most diverse and dynamic neighbourhoods.

Her leadership of the flagship Dandenong Market Precinct Plan is a 20‑year vision for one of Victoria’s most iconic markets which demonstrates her commitment to innovative precinct planning, investment attraction, and sustainable urban growth. Yoge has also driven transformative projects including the Springvale Revitalisation Action Plan, Revitalise Central Dandenong, Little India Precinct and Afghan Bazaar Revival, and the Living Neighbourhoods Place Activation Program, each celebrating cultural diversity, strengthening local economies, and enhancing community cohesion.

Passionate about community wellbeing and economic resilience, Yoge brings political acumen, strategic insight, and a deep commitment to placemaking excellence to every project she leads.

Kevin is passionate about supporting local businesses, attracting investment and growing local economies. Having led economic development, events, place management and marketing functions in several councils in Western Sydney, Kevin brings significant experience and capability in developing strategies and nurturing partnerships to build resilience in local economies. He is currently in a leadership role at Penrith City Council as the Head of Economy and Marketing, a portfolio that includes economic development, investment attraction, place activation, tourism, city marketing and international partnerships.

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, benchmarking reports, awards, 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 and 2019 saw the first City Nation Place UK, specifically for towns, cities and regions across the UK. In 2025, the first Australasia conference was held in Sydney, and one-off events have been held in Singapore and Costa Rica.

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.

Neil Frauenglass has over 25 years of marketing experience with McCann Worldgroup, Ann Taylor Stores and most currently, VISIT PHILADELPHIA. Over the course of his marketing career, he’s led integrated, multi-channel teams across agencies and countries to yield award winning campaigns for his clients. His experience spans a broad variety of categories, including travel, retail, consumer package goods and financial services. He is adept at building partnerships, understanding the demands of businesses that run at retail speed, and the power of branding to rise above deals and promotions. His clients over the years have included Qualcomm, OppenheimerFunds, HomeGoods, Coca Cola, Johnson & Johnson, Verizon, Kohl’s, and MasterCard.

At VISIT PHILADELPHIA, Neil leads advertising, social, web and paid media, and is currently leading efforts to build programming and marketing for America’s semi-quincentennial in Philadelphia throughout 2026.  

Neil currently resides in Old City, Philadelphia on Elfreth’s Alley, the nation’s oldest continuously residential street. He oversees the preservation and programming for this National Historic Landmark as president emeritus of the Elfreth’s Alley Association.

Jeremy Gill is Head of Policy at the Committee for Sydney, a not-for-profit urban policy think tank, where he also leads economic policy. Jeremy is a public policy expert, working across economic development, innovation and industry policy, strategic planning, housing, energy, culture and transport. Jeremy chairs the Sydney Innovation District Alliance - a coalition of innovation district stakeholders advocating for Sydney's innovation ecosystem.

Mayor Teresa Harding was officially sworn in as the 51st Mayor of Ipswich in April 2020 and is the first female Mayor in the city’s 166-year history.

She brings to Council more than 35 years of business, government and not for-profit leadership, and more than 25 years’ experience in leading large teams and managing complex projects within the public sector. Mayor Harding held senior roles in the private sector in the fields of information technology and sales.

She holds a Master in Management, Post Graduate Diploma in Management, Post Graduate Certificate in Information Technology, Diploma in Small Business Enterprises, has completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course and is a graduate of the Australian Command and Staff course at the Australian War College.

Mayor Harding was named 2021 McKinnon Emerging Political Leader of the Year for her work in leading transformational transparency reforms to improve the accountability of officials elected to local government.

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.

University of Southern Maine; 30 years of experience
Matthew Kruchko is the Head of Global Operations for Gravity Global. Over a 30-year career, Matthew has progressed from owning and leading brand marketing agencies for 20 years to serving as a CEO and EVP of Global Strategy and Marketing for a publicly traded company. His expertise, honed in Silicon Valley's challenging environment, combines strategic growth initiatives with a disciplined, collaborative approach to sales, marketing, brand, and operations. He has partnered with clients such as Qualcomm, Warner Bros., Lexus, Smithsonian Institute, Sony PlayStation, the Toledo Region, the City of Detroit, the City of Calgary, UPS, Amway, Detroit Auto Show, and RSA.

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.

Amanda is the Managing Director of AT+ M Marketing, part of a national business services group. An active member of the committee of management for Mainstreet Australia, she developed a passion for place activation, place branding and community collaboration during her 7 years serving as EO of Launceston Central, a successful and innovative traders association in Tasmania. Her expertise spans destination marketing, B2B sales, small business growth and leadership across Australia and the UK. She has worked in and with sectors across commerce and government including professional services, industrial, retail and events , and has an active interest in the not-for-profit sector.

Based in Launceston, with clients across Australia, Amanda leads her team of 13 staff with a focus on client relationships and delivering results. Passionate about community and place, she serves two not for profit boards and has a secret passion for governance.

Talia Melic is a Policy Analyst in the OECD’s Local Employment and Economic Development (LEED) Programme. In this role, she leads research and facilitates global dialogues on innovative approaches to strengthening local economies and communities, working with governments at the national and subnational level. As part of the OECD’s Transforming Places project, she leads a workstream on place identity, local pride and branding. She has also developed a new OECD programme on neighbourhoods. This programme focuses on area-based initiatives that combine regeneration of the physical environment and high streets with economic, social and community capacity measures.

Prior to joining the OECD, Talia gained over a decade of experience in international policy with the Australian Government. She holds a PhD in Human Geography jointly awarded by the University of Melbourne and University Paris-Est, a Master in Community and Regional Development, and a Bachelor of Arts.

Talia teaches at the Paris School of Urban Planning, and is engaged in local community initiatives in her neighbourhood in the Paris suburbs.

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.

Jess Radford is the Acting CEO of Brand Tasmania, leading the organisation’s mission to define, amplify, and leverage Tasmania’s unique identity as a driver of social, economic, and cultural growth.

Brand Tasmania works closely with the community, using research-driven insights and engagement to develop projects that bring the brand to life across government, business, and society while addressing policy challenges and harnessing Tasmania’s distinct competitive advantages.

With a passion for Tasmanian-ness, Jess specialises in uniting diverse stakeholders, co-designing strategies, and shaping narratives that foster sustainable, thriving communities across the state. Her work ensures that Tasmania’s brand is a tool for meaningful action.

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.

Marie Scalia has been part of the marketing team for Destination Cleveland since 2012. In her current role, she is responsible for overseeing the organization’s integrated marketing efforts, including development and management of the Cleveland brand, digital marketing, web development, and major event campaigns. Marie holds a bachelor’s degree in interpersonal communications with a minor in marketing from Kent State University and an MBA from Cleveland State University. Shortly after joining the organization, she was part of the work to define and introduce the Cleveland visitor brand, resulting, most notably, in the creation of the now-viral hashtag #ThisIsCLE and Cleveland script signs. She was a key part of the work to bring ABC’s “The Bachelor” to Cleveland for an episode in 2019 and instrumental in the local marketing efforts for the 2021 NFL Draft and 2022 NBA All-Star Game. In 2021, Marie was named a Distinguished Sales and Marketing Award recipient by SME Cleveland. Her list of Cleveland favorites includes strolling the stalls at West Side Market, chowing down in Little Italy, experiencing the city’s culture at the Cleveland Museum of Art and connecting with nature along the lakefront.

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.

As the Sydney Road Brunswick Association Manager, Troy leads a highly dedicated and refined delivery for over 575 businesses within Sydney Road Brunswick precinct – located in Melbourne’s bustling inner north.

Immersed into the industry of main street management in 2021, Troy’s experience and approach comes from over 15 years of working across branding, marketing, and communications; consumer and corporate events; award programmes and competitions; tender writing, and strategic planning.

Troy’s had the fortunate opportunity to work for various industry leading companies and organisations – all leaning into their key points of difference and never being afraid of standing out, or standing up to a challenge.

Today, Troy applies his vast experience and knowledge to the beloved bohemian that is the Sydney Road Brunswick precinct – a premier commercial corridor stretching 2.5km and part of the longest shopping strip in the southern hemisphere.

Delivering across business development and empowerment; events and activations; advocacy, tourism and visitation; and importantly, promotion and destination marketing – Troy’s multi-disciplinary background and exposure has come into its own within the industry of main street management.

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 a strong skill set spanning account management, strategic planning, creative development, broadcast and digital media, brand content production, and brand experience activations.

She brings over two decades of experience working with some of the world’s most recognized brands, including Fortune 500 companies such as IBM, Unilever, E*Trade, and Target. Her career includes roles at top award-winning agencies such as Ogilvy & Mather in New York and Wieden + Kennedy in Portland.

Currently, Nicole serves as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at Invest Puerto Rico, where she leads all marketing initiatives to position the island as a competitive and compelling business destination.

Known for her passion for brand building and a proven track record of delivering impactful work, Nicole is a respected leader within the advertising industry. She is a graduate of Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in Puerto Rico, where she earned 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.

Tēnā koutou. Amanda Wellgreen is a seasoned place leader and strategic communications specialist with over 20 years of experience navigating the complex intersection of business, governance, and community. As the Director of Impact(ful) Management, she is dedicated to moving local economic development beyond "survival mode" into a state of sustainable growth.

Amanda’s career is defined by her ability to professionalise organisations and lead through friction. From managing internal communications at IBM New Zealand to spearheading major community engagement for national infrastructure projects, she has a proven track record of building trust in high-stakes environments. Most recently, as a prominent Town Manager within the Auckland BID network, she led significant strategic transformations, including achieving a 75% increase in member engagement through innovative digital storytelling and podcasts.

Currently serving as the Town Manager for the Panmure Business Association, Amanda is focused on transitioning the district from a "scattergun" community model to a mature, data-driven business improvement district. A staunch advocate for the power of the "archipelago," she believes that the resilience of our main streets depends on the strength of the connections between the practitioners who lead them. Amanda holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Management Communication, accreditation in public relations from Public Relations Institute of NZ, and has served in several key governance roles, including Presiding Member at Onehunga Primary School.

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.