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Only have one day to dive into SXSW Sydney 2025? A Conference Day Pass is your ticket to pack a week’s worth of inspiration into a single day at ICC Sydney.
From 9am to 5pm, you’ll have access to 75+ sessions across 23 tracks—spanning business, technology, creativity, culture and beyond. After hours, the buzz continues at Tumbalong Park with free live music, brand activations and entertainment to round out your experience.
To help you decide which day speaks to your passions, we’ve pulled together a few standout sessions happening Monday to Friday so you can make your day count.
Monday Key Sessions
Keynote: Mo Gawdat - The Human Advantage. Why AI Makes Us More, Not Less
Mo Gawdat (former Chief Business Officer at Google X) explores how we can harness AI to amplify human potential, thrive alongside intelligent machines, and maintain agency in an automated world.
AI & Creativity: Exploring the Future of Innovation
Ndidi Oteh (Accenture Song) and Manon Dave share how AI is reshaping creativity, culture, and industry. They unpack its ethical challenges, societal ripple effects, and opportunities for responsible innovation.
Space: Australia’s New Sporting Arena
Steve Waugh, Enrico Palermo (Australian Space Agency), Larry James (NASA) and local entrepreneurs discuss Australia’s unique edge in the global space race and the opportunities for Aussies in this booming sector.
AI as Judge, Jury, and Executioner: The Ethics of Automated Sentencing
A legal expert, ethicist, and judge debate whether AI can ever be fair in the judicial system, with the audience voting in real-time on an AI-driven case set in 2035.
How To Not Die: Neuroscientists' Views on Preservation and Uploading
From cryo-pods to mind uploading, could these ideas move from science fiction to reality? Neuroscientist Dr Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston shares insights from surveys of brain researchers, exploring existing technologies that may preserve life for future revival. Expect your assumptions about mortality and technology to be seriously challenged.
Creative Precincts: Alex Poots, Artistic Director, The Shed, NY on New Approaches to Programming
Alex Poots joins Lisa Havilah (Powerhouse) to explore how bold, interdisciplinary programming drives cultural impact, sustainability, and community engagement. A must for leaders shaping the future of creative precincts and city-making.
Tuesday Key Sessions
Keynote: Brennan Lee Mulligan in conversation
From Dimension 20 to Critical Role, Brennan Lee Mulligan takes the stage to share how roleplaying games are reshaping storytelling, fandom, and the future of play.
The Marketing Reset: What to Unlearn From 2025
Marketing is in crisis. Neil Patel reveals why SEO is collapsing, which formats are driving real results, and what senior marketers must do now to stay ahead.
Beyond the Myths: Building Your AI-First Future
AI hype won’t transform your business, but Sandy Carter will show you how to cut through the noise, bust the myths, and build an AI-first organisation that lasts.
Leading with impact: Why Blindspotting is Your Secret Weapon
True leadership isn’t about having all the answers. Dr Kirstin Ferguson AM explores how turning blindspots into bold action can unlock stronger teams and future-ready cultures.
The 2026 Skills Horizon: Everything You Need to Know Next
Sandra Peter and Kai Riemer return with the sequel to last year’s smash hit. Combining sharp insight and humour, they reveal the skills we’ll need to navigate shifts in tech, values, and trust in a disorienting decade ahead.
Billion-Viewer Platforms and Mega-Deal Makers
YouTube’s Steve McLendon and CAA’s Josh Lindgren join Liz Keen to explore podcasting’s billion-viewer platforms, mega-deal strategies, and creator partnerships. Expect insider insights on video-first content, the $2B+ market, and AI’s role in the future of authentic connection.
Wednesday Key Sessions
Keynote: Paul Feig In Conversation
Paul Feig, the filmmaker behind Bridesmaids, Spy and Freaks and Geeks, shares his signature blend of humour, heart, and storytelling that has redefined modern comedy.
What I Learnt About My Product When My Town Burnt Down
GoFundMe CEO Tim Cadogan reflects on the LA wildfires and explores how technology and generosity can help communities not just recover from disasters, but rebuild stronger.
Creativity’s New Commercial Model
Creativity and technology are no longer separate forces—this session reveals how intelligent systems are transforming brand experiences from static deliverables into living, evolving outcomes.
The Art Of Sync In Conversation with Jen Malone
Emmy-nominated music supervisor Jen Malone (Euphoria, Wednesday, John Wick: Chapter 4) takes us behind the soundtrack, showing how music shapes unforgettable moments on screen.
Embrace the Chaos – The Unexpected Path to Breakthrough Ideas
Creativity expert Nicole Velik (Nike, Apple, LEGO, Spotify) shows why disorder sparks innovation. In this interactive session, discover how mistakes fuel ideas, rules can be broken, and chaos becomes the catalyst for creativity that AI can’t replicate.
Skynet in the Boardroom: Is AI Hijacking Your Business Strategy?
AI is already shaping billion-dollar decisions. In this provocative session, top strategists reveal how algorithms drive corporate strategy, showcase a live “digital twin,” and explore when AI outsmarts—or clashes with—human intuition in the boardroom.
Thursday Key Sessions
Keynote: Teddy Swims in conversation
Global sensation Teddy Swims and long-time manager Luke Conway share their journey from grassroots beginnings to global stardom, reflecting on the creative partnership behind his meteoric rise.
The Kitesurfing Kings of Tech
Lars Rasmussen (Google Maps, Canva) and Bill Tai (VC, West Tech Fest) join Forbes’ Shivaune Field to discuss transformative tech, community-driven innovation, and the bold opportunities shaping the next decade.
Marketing in the Age of Smart Everything – A Conversation with Sir Martin Sorrell
Sir Martin Sorrell and leading marketers unpack how AI is revolutionising creativity, brand building, and customer engagement, and what marketing leaders must do now to stay ahead.
Culture Creates Superstars: The Hidden Forces That Make Music Viral with Marcus Collins
Cultural strategist Dr. Marcus Collins (For The Culture) reveals how cultural movements, not algorithms, drive music fandom — and how artists can harness that power.
Breaking Asia: A case study with Flagrant Artists and RUEL
Join Ruel and Flagrant Artist Management as they reveal the strategies, challenges and cultural insights behind his rapid rise across Asia. From touring and partnerships to fan engagement, discover first-hand what it takes to break into APAC’s booming music market.
The Yellow Brick Code: Unmasking the Wizards of Big Tech
The Wizard of Oz hides a warning about power, politics, and illusion. Ricky Sutton and Wade Kingsley reimagine Baum’s allegory through today’s lens, exposing how Big Tech mirrors Oz’s deceptive wizards amid AI hype and soaring valuations.
Friday Key Sessions
Collaborating in the Age of Hyper Individualism
Jean Oelwang (Virgin Unite) shares lessons from building purpose-driven businesses and global initiatives, showing how meaningful partnerships can drive lasting impact.
Beyond Predictions: From Future Thinking to Future Being
Google’s former Chief Innovation Evangelist Dr. Frederik G. Pferdt reveals how to shift from predicting the future to creating it, with tools for optimism, adaptability, and action.
The Entrepreneurial Journey Behind Pub Choir
Astrid Jorgensen unpacks the rise of Pub Choir, showing how authentic community building can turn a passion project into a global social enterprise with lasting impact.
A Strategic Dialogue about Global Cybersecurity and National Security
Cybersecurity and national security leaders Mike Rogers, Lt. Gen. Michelle McGuinness, and Brendan Dowling explore how cyber threats are reshaping global security and cooperation.
Why Your Brand Won’t Survive 2050 (And Frankly, Deserves to Die Sooner)
Marcus Willis (Kill Boring Dead) and Shanice Leung (Vibes) deliver a fearless takedown of bland marketing. Expect chaos, roastings, and sharp truths for leaders ready to ditch safe campaigns and embrace bold, unforgettable creativity.
How the AI Revolution is Making Quantum Tech a Reality
Quantum tech is the next frontier—and AI is accelerating its impact. Q-CTRL CEO Michael Biercuk reveals how intelligent machines are unlocking discoveries and control at nature’s most fundamental level in this International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.
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No matter which day you choose, a Conference Day Pass is the key to a full day of discovery, connection and inspiration.
Explore the full conference sessions via the app, and secure your Conference Day Pass today.
