Entered by Committee for Sydney

Sydney is one of the world’s most recognisable cities, but it is not fully understood. For decades, its global identity has been dominated by the postcard: the harbour, beaches, and lifestyle. These are extraordinary strengths, but they tell only part of the story. Sydney’s economic depth, innovation capability, cultural diversity, and talent base remain comparatively under-recognised.

This matters because cities are competing more deliberately than ever for talent, investment, students, businesses, and influence. Sydney’s yearly benchmarking research has identified a persistent gap between the city’s underlying performance and global perceptions across key brand dimensions, suggesting that the city is not converting its strengths into consideration and economic opportunity as effectively as it could.