SPEAKER INFORMATION
Louise Magor, South Australian Tourism Commission
Less of the More: Building a Place Brand That Cuts Through the Noise
In an increasingly crowded tourism landscape, South Australia has set out to do something different. This session explores the three-year journey of developing a place-led tourism brand that resonates beyond marketing: one that reflects local identity, inspires community pride, and fosters genuine cultural connection. From navigating stakeholder complexity to embracing “Less of the More, More of the Good,”- this is a story of branding with purpose, grounded in place and built to last.
Louise is an experienced marketing leader with over 15 years in the industry, spanning both the finance and tourism sectors. As Interstate Marketing Manager at the South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC), she has spent the past six years proudly championing South Australia to audiences across the country.
Deeply passionate about the power of brand, Louise was a proud member of the team behind the development and launch of SATC’s new long-term brand platform for South Australia. This work marked a pivotal shift in how the state defines and communicates its value to both visitors and locals, to transform perceptions and drive engagement.
Louise brings expertise in brand strategy and media planning, with a firm belief that creative and media must work seamlessly together to create impact. Her approach is both strategic and grounded, always focused on creating meaningful connections between people and place.
𝗞𝗜𝗠𝗕𝗔, 𝗮 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆
Town Branding for KIMBA: A Collaborative Journey
Witness the evolution of a South Australian gem! The District Council of Kimba and SGK join forces to unveil the story behind Kimba's bold new Town branding. From recognising the need for change to the final creative reveal, this presentation takes you on a whirlwind journey of vision, collaboration, and regional rejuvenation. Discover how strategic branding breathed new life into Kimba, transforming not just its image, but its future.
Deb Larwood, District Council of Kimba
Deb has proudly called Kimba home for over 36 years and brings a wealth of knowledge, leadership, and community insight to her role as Chief Executive Officer to the District Council of Kimba—a position she has held since 2016.
Throughout her career, Deb has worked to position Kimba as a benchmark for innovation in regional governance. Under her guidance, the Council has achieved recognition at both state and national levels, with multiple awards celebrating its accomplishments in community development, infrastructure, and service delivery. These achievements reflect her dedication to practical outcomes that directly benefit the people who live, work, and invest in the region.
A firm believer in the power of strategic place branding and marketing, Deb leads and supports initiatives that elevate Kimba’s profile, attracting new opportunities, and supporting long-term sustainability for the town and its surrounds. She is passionate about ensuring regional communities are not only supported but actively celebrated for their unique strengths and contributions.
Driven by a people-first mindset, Deb is known for her transparent communication, inclusive leadership, and unwavering belief in the potential of local people. Her work continues to inspire progress and pride across the community, making her a key force in shaping a stronger future for regional South Australia.
Emily Maxwell, District Council of Kimba
With a combined 11 years of experience in local government across a multitude of roles, Emily has spent the past six years as a dedicated member of the Kimba Council team. Initially joining with a focus on Executive Assistance and Governance, Emily has since taken on a broad portfolio that includes key contributions to tourism, marketing, and the promotion of the region as a visitor destination.
In her tourism and marketing capacity, Emily plays a vital role in supporting and delivering council-led visitor campaigns, and working to enhance the region’s profile. She has actively contributed to the planning and rollout of promotional initiatives that showcase the Kimba’s unique experiences, events, and natural assets. More recently, Emily has been involved in the implementation of a new community brand—assisting with the brand strategy, visual communications, and stakeholder engagement to ensure a consistent and impactful rollout across platforms.
Driven by a passion for community engagement and regional development, Emily brings a thoughtful, solutions-focused approach to every project she undertakes. Her ability to work across diverse teams and functions, paired with her deep understanding of local government operations, continues to make her a trusted contributor to council initiatives that enhance both organisational effectiveness and community experience.
Lisa Hastings, SGK
Lisa is a visionary Creative Director at SGK Global with over a decade of experience leading multi-disciplinary teams across global campaigns and innovative brand development. Her expertise lies in developing high-level creative strategies, nurturing talent, and driving brand evolution across diverse categories.
Lisa excels at balancing creative vision with business objectives, delivering scalable solutions that resonate with audiences and stakeholders. As a judge for the PAC Global Awards and keynote speaker, she regularly engages with industry leaders, sharing insights on innovation and brand differentiation. With a career spanning global markets, including 10 years in London, Lisa specialises in Creative Leadership, Coaching, Brand Positioning, Strategic Development, and Creative Concepting.
Her leadership style, rooted in transparency and trust, fosters bravery, curiosity, and authenticity, guided by her personal mantra: "confidence without ego.”
LEVERAGING AI
Dale Drechsler, City of West Torrens
Dale will explore how the City of West Torrens is leveraging AI-powered chatbots and digital assistants to streamline customer service, provide real-time information, and empower both staff and community members. The session will cover practical case studies, lessons learnt from deployment, and the benefits of integrating AI with existing council systems.
BIOGRAPHY
Dale Drechsler is the Team Leader for Digital Services at the City of West Torrens, where he leads the development and implementation of innovative digital solutions to improve community and workplace experiences. With a background in technology strategy and hands-on delivery, Dale has a keen interest in practical applications of artificial intelligence within local government. He is committed to making digital services accessible, efficient, and user-friendly for all.
Capital, Events and Data. A 3 way approach to supporting main street activation
Luke Gray
Manager, Strategic Projects & Economic Development
Mount Barker District Council
Luke Gray brings over 20 years of experience in local government, with expertise spanning planning, strategy, policy, urban design, major projects, economic development, and public/private partnerships. As Manager of Strategic Projects and Economic Development at Mount Barker District Council, he is committed to the continued eonomic growth of the District whilst also working to secure the delivery of major new community facilities. Luke is particularly passionate about the important role that mainstreets play in not only supporting a thriving economy but also creating opportunities for community connection.
FROM DATA TO INSIGHTS, NOW WITH AI
Adam Power
CommBank IQ
Adam is a career digital, media and global executive across (US, Europe, Asia, China). He specialises in building spend data platform for Destinations, Events and Local Govt.
Previously Adam has been the CEO at Localis which enables data-driven audience insights, Partner at Deloitte, President International at CBS and founded CBSi China.
Adam has a passion for growth, building teams and planning/executing for the road ahead.
The Future of adelaide
Sam Dighton, Committee for Adelaide
Sam joined the Committee for Adelaide as Chief Executive on 14 March 2023, bringing more than 20 years’ international and domestic experience. Sam is an experienced executive and accomplished leader having led various divisions during his time at ElectraNet including Commercial, Corporate Services and Legal and Risk, as well as being the General Counsel and Company Secretary. Sam started his career at Piper Alderman, before spending more than a decade in the UK, first at the South Australian Office of the Agent General, before becoming a Partner at leading UK law firm Winckworth Sherwood. On returning to South Australia, Sam led the Riverbank and Strategic Projects portfolio at Renewal SA, before moving to ElectraNet. Sam holds a Masters of Business Administration from Kingston University in the UK, a Bachelor of Laws from University of Adelaide and a Bachelor of Arts from Flinders University. Sam is also a recent graduate from Insead Business School in France and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Cailin howard, hames sharley
Caillin Howard has a passion for evolving the quality of our urban spaces and built environment through the evolution of evidence-based processes and an absolute commitment to the journey of design.He has over 25 years’ experience with Hames Sharley, and has served as the practice’s Managing Director since 2014. Since his appointment as Managing Director, Caillin has driven reinvention, definition and clarity into the methodology, behaviour and culture of the organisation to allow Hames Sharley’s work to enable the communities it serves to flourish.
Caillin is an urban planner and design professional with a high level of understanding particularly in the commercial, retail, residential and institutional sectors. He has proven himself as a versatile designer and manager with experience in a wide range of projects of varying sizes, complexity and focus. He brings to any project an excellent management, interpersonal and communication skill set with an ability to marry function, context and future aspiration in order to deliver meaningful, authentic and rich outcomes thus contributing equally to the social, economic and environmental values of place.
Through Caillin’s leadership, Hames Sharley has positioned itself as one of the leading design firms in Australia which is demonstrated by the group’s extensive body of award-winning projects. His drive, passion and detailed consideration of process is exemplary and is evident in how the business has transitioned and evolved since his appointment as Managing Director.