We’ve curated a speaker line-up that reflects both national perspective and strong Western Australian credibility who are ready to unmask what’s really driving the industry forward.
Our speakers will represent expertise across:
Designing events with purpose and outcomes
Commercial decision-making in event planning
Cultural considerations for all events
Budgeting, pricing and value perception
Risk management and operational leadership
Audience engagement that actually resonates
The future of events in Western Australia
speakers
Learn from the People Shaping the Future of Events
Discover Events brings together a carefully curated line-up of industry leaders, creative thinkers and event professionals who are actively delivering, influencing and transforming the events landscape across Australia and beyond.
From global event trends and world-class experience design to community engagement, major events, sustainability and the commercial realities of running an event business, our speakers will share honest insights, practical lessons and real-world experiences that attendees can take away and apply immediately.
Our program is intentionally designed to move beyond theory and trends, creating conversations that challenge thinking, inspire new ideas and help event professionals design events that deliver genuine impact.
You'll hear from leaders representing:
Major event agencies and creative producers
Corporate and resources sector event teams
Venues and destination organisations
Local government and community events
Festival and cultural programming
Sustainability and experience design specialists
National industry and business events leaders
master of ceremonies/panel host
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David Yakas is a transformative leader, visionary strategist, and creative force who inspires individuals and organisations to think bigger, connect deeper, and create moments that truly matter.
With over 15 years of experience, David has redefined the events industry and beyond, delivering over 1,000 unique experiences that leave millions of lasting memories.
Recognised for his ability to turn bold ideas into actionable strategies, Dave blends creativity, authenticity, and innovation to foster collaboration, build trust, and drive meaningful change. His hands-on leadership approach, combined with a deep belief in people’s potential, empowers teams to achieve more while ensuring clarity, purpose, and excellence in every encounter.
As a sought-after speaker, Dave’s inspiring keynotes and dynamic workshops challenge conventional thinking and spark transformation. Whether consulting with organisations, hosting immersive experiences, or leading strategic initiatives, he brings energy, insight, and a dedicated commitment to progress.
David’s mission is simple yet profound: to craft moments that inspire, connect, and transform. He is not just a leader—he is a catalyst for change, helping individuals and teams create a legacy of innovation, collaboration, and unforgettable impact.
speaker
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Damian Udall is Partnerships Manager at Carbon Neutral, where he works with organisations across Australia to develop practical sustainability initiatives that deliver real value for businesses, their customers and the environment.
With more than 20 years helping Australian businesses take climate action through carbon measurement, offsetting and environmental restoration, Carbon Neutral brings deep expertise to the events industry. Damian's message is simple: sustainability doesn't need to be overwhelming. From planting a tree for every delegate to measuring and offsetting an event's carbon footprint or achieving full carbon neutrality, solutions can be tailored to suit any event, budget and client objective.
As clients increasingly seek events that align with their own sustainability commitments, Damian helps event professionals turn environmental initiatives into a genuine point of difference — strengthening client relationships and creating positive impact well beyond the event itself.
speaker
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Melissa Yu is a dynamic force in the worlds of entrepreneurship, personal branding, and purpose-driven leadership. As the Director of MCO Events and the founder of Ego Expo – Australia’s first streetwear and urban culture expo—Melissa has redefined what it means to create meaningful platforms that empower, connect, and inspire.
A personal branding expert and motivational speaker, Melissa helps individuals and businesses craft powerful narratives that leave lasting impact. Her journey is one of resilience, creativity, and connection. After losing her long-term partner to suicide, Melissa transformed her grief into a mission to break stigmas, becoming a national voice for mental health awareness and suicide prevention. With a degree in Psychology and a background in crisis counselling, Melissa brings both lived experience and professional insight to every stage she steps onto.
Beyond the stage, Melissa is a business mentor and host of The Authentic Me podcast, where she interviews Australia’s most inspiring creatives, entrepreneurs, and change-makers on their journeys of mindset, purpose, and personal evolution.
Keynote speaker
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Bruce Keebaugh is the director of The Big Group, one of Australia’s largest privately owned catering and event management companies.
The Big Group was established in 1990 by Bruce Keebaugh and his wife, Chyka Keebaugh. Together there inspiration was to bring a fresh and original approach to the Melbourne catering scene.
In the beginning the business evolved from a tiny back space in Bruce’s father’s office and cooking food took place in their parent’s kitchens.
Word quickly spread of their imaginative and precise approach, a major corporate giving the company the first taste of large scale event management. The event was at Southgate for 5000 guests. Bravado and talent for delivering exceptional planned and executed events held them in good stead; and looking back Bruce pinpoints that event as the launching pad for the business’ future success.
Today The Big Group is a bespoke hospitality and creative agency that arranges truly unique events both throughout Australia and overseas. Our client list forms the top 500 International corporations and the owners and directors of those companies. We also work with a wide range of governments, philanthropic agencies and also celebrities.
Imagination, perfectionism, experience, passion and thinking BIG are what The Big Group are renowned for, continually transforming the common place into the exception on every single occasion.
speaker
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Jahna Cedar OAM is a proud Nyiyaparli woman from the Pilbara region of Western Australia, with ancestral ties to the Bardi Gija people of the Kimberleys. A highly respected Indigenous leader, Jahna has spent over 28 years advocating for equal rights, reconciliation, and economic empowerment for First Nations communities. She has represented Indigenous Australia on the global stage, addressing the United Nations in New York four times.
With expertise in governance, leadership, business and human resources management, Jahna has held executive and board roles across multiple industries, including health, education, research, investment, and Indigenous enterprise. She has successfully driven strategic growth, policy reform, and Indigenous-led innovation, fostering meaningful pathways for First Nations people, businesses, and communities.
Jahna is a TEDx speaker, a founding Blak Angel Investor, and an advocate for Indigenous entrepreneurship and economic self-determination. Her leadership has been recognised through numerous accolades, including induction into the WA Women’s Hall of Fame, the Telstra Businesswomen’s Award, the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM), and the Australian Awards for Excellence in Women’s Leadership.
Committed to breaking down barriers and creating sustainable opportunities, Jahna continues to challenge stereotypes, elevate Indigenous voices, and inspire future generations to lead with courage and authenticity.
speaker
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Paul ‘Yoda’ Iskov is the Head Chef of Fervor. Yoda established Fervor to give back to his community by connecting people to local ingredients. Many of these have been marginalised because of food inequalities.
Passionate about sustainability, First Nations rights and local excellence, Yoda has trained many young chefs in the pleasures and challenges of high-end cooking, thinking through production and taste along the way.
Although he has experience in the world’s best restaurants including time at Amuse (Perth), Noma (Copenhagen), DOM (Sao Paulo), and Pujol (Mexico City), Yoda loves the coastline of Noongar Country, especially near Kinjarling (Albany) in the Great Southern, and can often be found in the water, his second home.
speaker
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Abbie McCrisken is an international Executive Producer known for her global perspective, delivering impactful brand experiences across Singapore, Australia, USA, and beyond.
Recognised for her ability to bridge global thinking with local, market-specific execution, Abbie believes that what truly drives impact in live experiences around the world is the clarity of the idea, powerful storytelling woven into the creative application, and strong contextual understanding. She is particularly known for her perspective on applying international inspiration meaningfully, helping teams elevate work without relying on scale or budget alone.
Internationally and locally, Abbie partners with forward-thinking brands across industries, fusing technology, creativity, and cultural insight to create work that is original, honest, and brave.
speaker
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Melissa Brown is the inaugural CEO of the Australian Business Events Association. She is a business development and marketing specialist with over 20 years of experience driving results for multinationals, not-for-profits, SMEs, and start-ups across industries and geographies, including the UK, USA, and Hong Kong. She has worked with leading organisations such as the Australian Chamber of Commerce in London, Australian Associated Press, Telstra and Talent International.
Brown holds key advisory roles, including being a member of the ACCI Tourism Committee; a Tourism SWAG Member for Service and Creative Skills Australia (SaCSA); an Advisory Panellist for Curtin University Tourism, Hospitality, Events Discipline & Tourism Research Cluster; and on the Advisory Committee for the Hospitality, Tourism, and Travel Employment and Skills Platform Project (eeger). The latter, funded by Austrade and managed by Accommodation Australia. She is also a Global Ambassador for the University of Technology, Sydney.
Melissa is passionate about aligning sales, marketing, brand, and product strategies to drive growth. Her ability to manage diverse stakeholders makes her a dynamic advocate for the business events industry.
panel host
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Bonnie Davies is a multi-award winning producer, performer and entrepreneur based in Perth, Australia. She is the creator and performer behind ‘Famous Sharron’ a parody character - who is ‘very famous for nothing at all’. Famous Sharron’s profile and popularity taken her around Australia – and she is a regular on Telethon7’s Slumber Party.
Her work within the industry ‘behind the scenes’ has included working across large scale festivals (AWESOME, Hyper, Big Day Out, Red Bull Air Race), UK organisations (Blast Theory, Big Lottery Fund and Arts Admin UK), local council and various arts board positions.
Bonnie established The Gelo Company to delivering custom work for clients, providing work for multiple creatives in Western Australia, Gelo continues to provide consulting and custom services to various clients, while also developing and manufacturing a new product, which will be launching from WA in 2026.
Panel 1: Local Governments and Community Events Done Right
PANELLIST
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Chantelle McGurk is the Director of Community Development at the Shire of Ashburton, where she leads a diverse portfolio spanning community services, recreation, tourism, events, youth development, housing, and community wellbeing initiatives.
Based in Onslow, Chantelle is passionate about strengthening regional communities through collaboration, innovation, and practical solutions that create lasting social impact. She is a strong advocate for working alongside communities to understand local needs, strengths and aspirations, ensuring programs, services and initiatives are shaped through genuine engagement and co-design.
With extensive experience in local government leadership, Chantelle has a strong track record of delivering community-focused programs, guiding organisational change, and fostering meaningful partnerships across government, industry, community groups and the not-for-profit sector. Her collaborative approach places communities at the centre of decision-making, recognising that the best outcomes are achieved when solutions are developed with people rather than for them. Her work is driven by a commitment to ensuring regional communities remain vibrant, inclusive, connected and resilient.
As a senior leader, Chantelle is known for her authentic approach, strategic thinking, and ability to bring people together to achieve positive outcomes. She is passionate about supporting future leaders, empowering communities, and creating opportunities for residents to actively contribute to the future of their towns. Through a focus on partnership, participation and co-design, Chantelle works to ensure community voices are heard, valued and reflected in the initiatives that shape regional Australia.
PANELLIST
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I am an experienced events and partnerships leader with more than 20 years' experience having worked across local government and the National Rugby League delivering major festivals, sporting events, and community activations across Western Australia.
I have led the strategic development and delivery of some of Western Australia's most recognised events, including Channel 7 Mandurah Crab Fest, Giants of Mandurah and the Mandurah Christmas Lights Trail. I have also built strategic partnerships and sponsorships that enhance event experiences, drive visitation, and create lasting value for communities.
Throughout my career in local government and sport, I have built strong relationships with government, tourism, community, and commercial partners to deliver award-winning events that support local businesses, strengthen communities, and generate significant economic impact. My expertise spans event strategy and development, partnerships, sponsorship, stakeholder engagement, project management, and event operations.
I believe great events do more than entertain—they create a sense of place, strengthen communities, and leave a lasting legacy. I'm passionate about collaborating with others to deliver experiences that inspire, connect people, and contribute to the continued growth of Western Australia's events industry.
PANELLIST
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Lisa is a festival programmer, arts lover, aunty, dog-mum and self-described people-bringerer-togetherer.
She believes art and storytelling are central to what makes us human and loves creating experiences that connect communities, spark curiosity and leave people with stories to tell. On paper, she holds the delightfully local-government-sounding title of Team Leader – Program Development and Funding. In person, she spends her time collaborating with good eggs, solving creative problems and helping people feel part of something special.
Panel 2: The Commercial Reality of Events: What Nobody Talks About
PANELLIST
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Kiera is the founder of Little Things Events, a boutique personal event planning agency based in Perth. With a career in the events industry spanning almost two decades across both Perth and Sydney, Kiera has worked on everything from large-scale music festivals and multi-day tourism events to film premieres and promotional campaigns.
After nearly a decade in Sydney, Kiera returned home to Perth and launched Little Things Events in 2021, bringing her industry expertise to the world of bespoke personal events - weddings, engagements, birthdays and milestone celebrations. Since then, the agency has delivered over 150 weddings and events across Perth, earning more than 85 five-star Google reviews along the way.
Known for her belief that it's the little things - the unseen moments and considered details - that turn a beautiful event into an unforgettable one, Kiera brings both big-event experience and an obsessive eye for detail to every celebration she plans.
PANELLIST
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With over 20 years of experience in hospitality and event management, Nadia is a dynamic leader known for pushing boundaries and driving progress.
She has successfully sold, organised, and produced events across Australia, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the UK, and currently plays a key role in shaping the strategic direction of venues nationwide. As a board director for Tennis West and Business Events Perth, she contributes to the growth of major industries, while her leadership at VenuesLive has seen the revitalisation of iconic event spaces. A 40under40 award winner for Intrapreneurism, Nadia is passionate about innovation, collaboration, and delivering exceptional guest experiences. She thrives on tackling complex challenges and inspiring teams to achieve extraordinary outcomes.
PANELLIST
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Voula Keating is an experienced events and visits specialist in the WA resources sector, known for delivering high-impact events that connect people, communities, and organisations. With a strong background in end-to-end event management, she has led the delivery of major corporate events, VIP visits, and community initiatives across Western Australia.
Passionate about bringing people together, Voula is recognised for breaking down barriers and creating inclusive, engaging experiences that foster collaboration and growth. She combines strong communication skills, cultural sensitivity, and a deep understanding of regional communities to ensure every event is both meaningful and effective.