Seamus Byrne - Writer, Editor, Broadcaster

Seamus Byrne is an award-winning journalist and commentator, covering the impacts of the digital world on business and culture for over two decades.

Having worked as a web developer and audio-visual producer in the 1990s, his journalism has seen Seamus writing and broadcasting for major outlets around the world. He was the launch Editor for Gizmodo Australia, the APAC region Editorial Director for CNET, and has appeared regularly on the Seven Network and the ABC discussing tech and innovation trends. And he got to Twitter early enough to get his first name handle (@seamus).

Today, Seamus runs the media outlet and content studio Byteside where he is Head of Content.

Dorothy Di Stefano - Curator & Global Thought Leader Experiential & Digital Art, LinkedIn Top Voice, Founding Circle, World Experience Organisation

Aden Levin - Co-Founder, Viral Ventures & Hidden

Aden is the co-founder of Viral Ventures - a leading immersive hospitality company that uses data and technology to drive global experiences. Viral Ventures operate 18 venues globally offering different experiences from rude dining at 'Karen’s Diner’ through to creative cocktails at ’The Alice’ - all aspects of VV’s business is to create unique and unusual experiences that provides customers something outside the norm.

Aden has over 15 years experience in the events industry - stemming from the UK where he co-founded Mainstage Festivals which runs well known European music festivals and was featured on Dragon’s Den through to Viral Ventures where he helps create and pioneer leading hospitality entertainment.

In 2021 Aden and his business partner James were voted ‘Hospitality Young Entrepreneurs Of The Year’ in the Business News Australia awards and Viral Ventures has received multiple recognition and awards for its global success.

Michael Rodrigues - 24 Hour Economy Commissioner, New South Wales, Australia

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.