Past speakers

SOS23 speakers.

State of Social ’23 focused on identifying what mattered amid constant noise. Australian and international speakers examined the signals shaping digital marketing, strategy, creativity, and culture, and how to interpret them with clarity and intent.

At a glance

ThemeSIGNALS 
EditionSixth
Speakers32

The theme

As the digital world grew louder, this year was about learning what to pay attention to and what to ignore. SIGNALS focused on developing sharper instincts. The ability to spot red flags early, recognise green lights before they reach the mainstream, and understand which shifts were meaningful rather than noisy.

Speakers explored how trends form, how platforms evolve, and how cultural signals emerge, equipping marketers with the judgement needed to move with confidence instead of chasing everything at once.

Day oneDay two

Day one · Tuesday 22 August

9.40am

Keynote

40 min

Why subcultures surprise me

Liana Rossi

10.30am

Keynote

40 min

The state of organic social media in 2023 (and how vastly different it is from 3 years ago)

Edwin Smith

11.20am

Keynote

40 min

A bonfire of the (marketing) vanities: five signals showing us what to burn so we can do better for the world

Andrés López-Varela

1.10pm

Breakout Session

30 min · River View Room 1

A social media law update

David Stewart

1.10pm

Breakout Session

30 min · River View Room 2

Why every marketer must have a personal brand

Bec Sands

1.10pm

Breakout Session

30 min · River View Room 3

Pretzel perfection: baking success with social media

Brittany Garbutt

1.50pm

Breakout Session

30 min · River View Room 1

How to find your brand’s secret sauce and bring it to life!

Bec Smith

1.50pm

Breakout Session

30 min · River View Room 2

If growth is your goal, stop playing hard to get

Adam Johnson

2.30pm

Breakout Session

40 min · River View Room 1

How Gen Z is changing the face of social media for brands

Patrick Blacker

2.30pm

Breakout Session

40 min · River View Room 2

Crafting uniqueness: differentiating in a crowded brewery market

Bronte O’Donoghue, Tom Jockel, Kelly-Ann Bunney

4pm

Keynote

40 min

Riverside chat with Gavin Bain

Gavin Bain

4.50pm

Keynote

40 min

Keynote with Rob Campbell

Rob Campbell

Day two · Wednesday 23 August

9am

Workshop

60 min · River View Room 1

Sonic signals

Aaron Matthews

9am

Workshop

60 min · River View Room 2

Tamers, teachers and traffic police

Lucy Kough

9am

Workshop

60 min · River View Room 3

Self-care, burnout and the busy mind

Julian Pace

10.15am

Workshop

60 min · River View Room 1

The anatomy of digital success: a deep-dive into Google Analytics 4

Johari Lanng

10.15am

Workshop

60 min · River View Room 2

How to maximise your social media reach in 2023

Edwin Smith

10.15am

Workshop

60 min · River View Room 3

From woke washing to genuine brand activism: a pragmatic approach to DEI in marketing

Tess Palmyre

11.30am

Workshop

60 min · River View Room 1

The 4th screen: how to maximise content efficiencies in a multichannel world

Josh Gurgiel

11.30am

Workshop

60 min · River View Room 2

Reel quick: crafting quality social content in record time

Kyra Goodman

11.30am

Workshop

60 min · River View Room 3

Upsydowntown: a place where it’s possible to create value at no extra cost

Smiljka Dimitrijevic

1.30pm

Workshop

60 min · River View Room 1

Growing audiences with trust, real-time data and affinity in a post-truth world

Dave Earley

1.30pm

Workshop

60 min · River View Room 2

Threats and thrills of AI in marketing

Ryan Bodger, Bob Connelly

2.45pm

Workshop

60 min · River View Room 1

Attention please! What it takes to get digital ads right in 2023

Josh White

2.45pm

Workshop

60 min · River View Room 2

More LAD, less ad

Mel Ho

2.45pm

Workshop

60 min · River View Room 3

The colour code: unlocking the emotion of your brand

Nathan Jones

4.20pm

Keynote

40 min

Keynote with Stephen Scheeler

Stephen Scheeler

Be in the next one.