Michael Rodrigues - NSW inaugural 24 Hour economy Commissioner

Mike believes in the inspirational power of cities and spends a good amount of time encouraging anyone in his orbit to get out of the house, to know their city and to have more fun.

While working as a lawyer in the Middle East, he spotted an opportunity to launch global lifestyle brand Time Out in Sydney in 2007 to achieve these aims. In 15 years at the helm of Time Out Australia he has grew the brand across print, digital, event and social channels, which now reaches 1,000,000 Australians monthly. He also co-founded the Time Out Bar Awards and the Time Out Food Awards. Time Out’s contribution to our cities was recently recognised in 2020 when Time Out was awarded the Mumbrella Publish Awards Publishing Company of the Year, and Mike himself was awarded Publish Leader of the Year.

Since 2017 and prompted by the challenges facing Sydney's night time economy, Mike has focussed his efforts on aligning and empowering industry to actively engage in the political process in order to effect change. This saw him take a leading role in launching an independent bars association for Sydney in May 2018, followed by the launch of a Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) in November 2018 of which he was the inaugural Chair. The NTIA was at the forefront of the development of the NSW Government strategy for a 24-Hour Economy, and in February Mike was announced as the State of NSW’s first 24 Hour Economy Commissioner, a role that commenced formally on 29 March 2021.

Mike is also co-host of leading hospitality podcast Back of House, a board member of UNSW Art & Design’s advisory council and a board member of Torrens University Hospitality advisory council.

Lisa Havilah - CEO, MAAS (Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences)

Lisa Havilah is CEO of MAAS (Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences) which incorporates the Powerhouse Museum which is moving to Paramatta in a $645 million project. Previously she was Director at Carriageworks in Sydney.

From 2005 – 2011 Lisa was the Director of Campbelltown Arts Centre. Under her directorship Campbelltown Arts Centre pioneered a multidisciplinary contemporary arts program, bringing together artists and communities across disciplines to examine ideas through the processes of producing contemporary art. She has developed and managed a range of national and international exchanges, exhibition and residency programs most recently Edge of Elsewhere Edge of Elsewhere (2010-12), a three-year project for Sydney Festival that commissioned artists from Australia, Asia and the Pacific to develop new work in partnership with suburban communities.

Jonathan Holloway - Artistic Director, Melbourne Festival

Jonathan Holloway is Artistic Director of the Melbourne Festival, having just completed four successful years as Artistic Director of the Perth International Arts Festival.  His time in Perth culminated with the Australian exclusive presentation of Royal de Luxe’s “The Giants”, one of the largest arts events ever seen in Australia, playing to audiences of 1.4 million people over three days. 

Previously Jonathan spent six years as Artistic Director and Chief Executive of the Norfolk & Norwich Festival, and from 1997–2004 established and headed the National Theatre’s events department, where he was the founding artistic director of Watch This Space Festival  and co-wrote/directed Robin Hood in the National’s Loft Theatre.

Prior to this, he was resident theatre director of the Wilde Theatre in Bracknell (directing under the name Jack Holloway) and in July 2003 was Creative Director of Elemental, a large-scale theatre, music and spectacle event at Chalon-sur-Saône festival in France.

He has been Chair of Total Theatre Network (the UK’s national development agency for physical and visual theatre), on the Executive of the British Arts Festivals Association and is a fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts.

John Kaldor AM

John Kaldor AM is a dedicated collector, patron and supporter of contemporary art. He has been collecting and commissioning art since the late 1950s and since 1969 has shared his love of art with the Australian public through his series of art projects.

Kaldor has brought the most innovative and groundbreaking art to Australia for over 45 years through what is now the not-for-profit organisation Kaldor Public Art Projects, listed since 2004 on the national Register of Cultural Organisations. Kaldor has participated on the boards and international councils of many art organisations over the years, including P.S.1 in New York, the Tate Modern, London, the Biennale of Sydney, and as chair of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney. He was selected as commissioner for the Australian Pavilion at the 51st Venice Biennale in 2005 and again for the 52nd Venice Biennale in 2007. Kaldor was a founding member of the board of the Power Institute of Contemporary Art, a trustee of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, and is currently on the International Council of the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

In 2011, Kaldor gifted his private collection to the Art Gallery of New South Wales, bringing these works into public view. He also continues to extend his contribution to public art and education as Director of Kaldor Public Art Projects.