Workshops To Add To Your SXSW Sydney Schedule

You’ve probably now downloaded the SXSW Sydney app and started building your schedule. It’s always tempting to focus on the big panels and keynotes.  

But here’s a pro tip: Workshops are where the magic happens.  

These smaller, hands-on sessions take you beyond talks and ideas and throw you right into the action. You get to try, ask, build, and collaborate - giving you real tools and fresh connections you can take and apply both professionally and personally.  

Ready to roll up your sleeves? Here are the workshops set to spark ideas, sharpen skills, and supercharge your SXSW Sydney experience this year.

Business & Leadership Workshops

The Tall Poppy Toolkit: Build a Fearless Personal Brand with LinkedIn, AI & Social Media  

Led by digital branding experts Robyn Foyster and Elise Strachan, this workshop arms you with the tools to craft a confident, standout online presence using LinkedIn and AI. Perfect for anyone ready to unlock new opportunities in the digital age. 

Unlocking Brand-led Growth for Startups - Founders Workshop  

Simon Pound shares the brand strategies that propelled companies like Tracksuit and Ideally to industry leaders. This hands-on session walks founders and operators through building customer-centric positioning with practical exercises and a workbook. 

Consent in the Evolving Workplace  

Consent expert Bayley Turner leads this interactive experience on securing effective collaboration and wellbeing through practical consent principles. Using real-world case studies, it’s a must for leaders aiming to nurture inclusive, healthy work cultures. 

Pitch, Please! A hands-on workshop to craft your pitch to government  

Kayla Johnson and Alison Lloydd-Wright offer a crash course on how to tailor any pitch to local, state, or federal governments. Learn the essential elements for funding, policy change, or regulatory support with an exclusive checklist from seasoned insiders. 

Inclusion 2.0: Moving from Identity-Based to Cognitive Diversity  

Maud Lindley guides leaders through shifting DEI strategies from quotas to genuine cognitive diversity that drives innovation and performance. Gain a clear framework and actionable leadership behaviours to foster authentic inclusion and psychological safety. 

Build Your Own Agentic AI Mobile & Web App in 90 Minutes  

Tech enthusiasts can dive into building a real Agentic AI app for iOS, Android, and web with Daynis Olman and Nakisa Alipour. No coding expertise needed! Just bring your browser and curiosity for a futuristic hands-on experience. 

Future-Proof Leadership: Burnout is cancelled - an Interactive Workshop  

Chelsea Pottenger tackles burnout with practical, high-energy strategies to sustain momentum without sacrificing wellbeing. Discover mindset shifts and evidence-based tools to stay sharp, human, and leading effectively in 2025. 

My First LLM: Build your own Language Model with Dick and Jane  

AI newcomers will appreciate this accessible intro from ANU’s Cybernetics experts Ben Swift, Cole Cooney, and Eddie Aloise King. Build a paper-and-pen language model based on a children’s book and demystify how AI language models really work. 

The Art of "Reframing": How to Get the Upper Hand on Investor Conversations  

Preethi Mohan helps entrepreneurs turn tough investor questions into opportunities. Break down real pitch room dynamics, workshop tricky responses, and leave confident to highlight your venture’s true potential. 

From Lecture to Lab: Transforming Talks into Active Learning Experiences  

Anna Hopper from NYU Shanghai guides educators and presenters through turning passive lectures into engaging, participatory sessions that boost attention and real learning. Perfect for trainers looking to energise their content. 

Denver Koalarado Workshop  

Stephanie Garnica joins us from the US to share why Denver is quickly becoming a prime hub for Australian businesses expanding in the United States. Get the inside track on cultural and strategic advantages, especially for tech-focused companies. 

Culture/Creative Industries Workshops 

Rolling the Dice on the Future of Connection (Culture) 

Play a hopeful board game based around futurism and exploring technology-humanity coexistence. Discover how empathy and storytelling can shape connected futures and foster genuine relationships. 

Overcoming Procrastination: A Workshop for Creatives (Creative Industries) 

Overcome procrastination, perfectionism, and imposter syndrome with Dr Ash King. Learn strategies to stop self-sabotage and enhance creativity, productivity, and resilience.  

Next-Gen AI Music Creation Workshop (Music Industry) 

This workshop builds on recent collaborations and insights from Koup Music and Brand Music. Bringing together perspectives from a music tech start-up and a studio specialising in sonic branding, this session explores how artists can now harness AI by fine-tuning their own music model. 

The Freelance Pyramid: How to Stand Out and Get Hired as a Freelancer in Film and Television (Screen Industry)  

Learn from Emmy winner Kirsty Stark to clarify goals, map skills, build networks, and create a personalised roadmap for consistent freelance work. 

Marketing & Media Workshops

Post, Share, Repeat: Streamlining your social media (Creator Economy) 

Learn to streamline social media workflows, repurpose content across platforms, use scheduling tools, and maintain consistency without burnout for creative industry professionals. 

Trust Me, I’m Not a Brand: Rebuilding Influence in the Post-Authenticity Era (Creator Economy) 

Navigate digital distrust and AI noise with authentic influence strategies. Build credibility without selling out using purpose-driven approaches for media professionals and creators. 

Startup Design and Marketing Clinic: Hacking Organic Growth in The Future of AI  

Build killer organic growth strategies for early-stage startups in saturated markets. Learn to leverage AI as a marketing advantage, identify high-ROI growth efforts, and create sustainable organic strategies that help you stand out from fierce competition. 

From Passion to Paycheck: Cracking the Creator Economy 

The creator economy is now worth over $9 billion in Australia and growing fast. But it’s not just for influencers - this booming industry offers big career opportunities across brand partnerships, tech startups, platform strategy and beyond. Learn business strategies, revenue streams, audience growth, and career opportunities in brand partnerships, tech startups, and platform strategy from industry experts. 

Speak the Language of Video: A Marketer’s Guide to Better Collaboration 

Commissioning video content? It helps to understand how it's made, and how it works - and the best way to learn is by doing. Ray Wassef is a Movie Creator for Ableton, has worked with brands including BMW, Nestlé, and Zalando, is a music video maker, and educator who has taught internationally, from UTS in Sydney to the Funkhaus in Berlin. In this 60-minute beginner's workshop, participants will learn video production basics and create a short video of your own. BYO phone. 

Beyond the Last Click: Mastering the Future of Marketing Effectiveness 

Marketing attribution is broken, and relying on outdated models can lead to costly missteps. In this high-impact workshop, two leading experts in commercial analytics will cut through the noise, bust common myths, and guide you through the next evolution of marketing measurement. Designed for CMOs, VPs, and senior marketing leaders managing significant budgets, this session will equip you with the critical questions and frameworks needed to drive real impact. 

Navigating the Privacy Minefield: A Marketer’s Essential Playbook 

Data privacy is no longer just a legal issue - it’s a marketing imperative. In this interactive session, ADMA’s industry leaders, including Sarla Fernando, a member of the ADMA Regulatory and Advocacy Working Group, break down the evolving privacy landscape and what it means for marketers, from consumer trust to compliance risks. 

Build Your Voice on LinkedIn  

Learn data-driven LinkedIn strategies for knowledge-based influence. Master content essentials, impactful video creation, and amplification through LinkedIn News. Discover submission opportunities and create engaging posts using SXSW Sydney-specific prompts to boost reach and engagement. 

Future And Sustainability Workshops 

Co-Design with the Body - Using Playful Embodiment for Deeper Insights 

This workshop shows how physical play can unlock creativity, authenticity, and psychological safety in co-design sessions. Blending play theory, applied improvisation, and experiential learning, it highlights the mind-body connection and equips participants with playful techniques for problem-solving, conflict resolution and collaboration, while reminding us that play is not only powerful, but fun. 

Ready to BEAD the Change? Understanding the Interconnection of Sustainability, Creativity and Leadership 

In this hands-on workshop, Bridget, founder of Bead and Proceed, blends creativity and purpose to help you explore the UN Sustainable Development Goals and define your personal impact. While making a colourful beaded necklace or keyring, you’ll reflect on your connection to the goals, spark meaningful conversations, and leave with a lasting reminder to “BEAD the change.” 

Vibe Coding for Designers 

In this fast-paced, hands-on workshop, Carl shares insights from 36 AI projects to show how designers can “vibe code” and deploy AI researchers in real time. Bring your laptop and in just 90 minutes you’ll prototype, design a survey and launch AI-powered testing with the latest UX tools. 

Taste Meets Tech: Using AI To Find Wines, Coffees, and Foods You’ll Love 

Everyone has a unique taste palate, no two people have the same flavour preferences, but no one knows how to choose the wine they'd enjoy most from thousands of brands, or which coffee from hundreds of roasters best suits their tastes. FlavourIQ and CSIRO showcase how AI and flavour science can personalise food and beverage choices, matching each your unique palate to the perfect coffee in a live tasting experience. Beyond the fun, it highlights how personalised flavour matching can reduce food waste, boost customer satisfaction, and transform the future of the food and beverage industry. 

2050 is in Our Hands: Designing Objects from Alternative Futures 

This immersive workshop blends scenario thinking with design fiction to help participants explore uncertainty and imagine alternative futures. By stepping into four distinct 2050 scenarios and prototyping tangible artefacts (objects, interfaces, or experiences) you’ll uncover hidden assumptions and strategic insights, culminating in a “Museum of 2050” exhibition showcasing visions for our possible tomorrows. 

Tech and Innovation Workshops 

Quantum Ready: Future-Proofing Your Business in a Quantum World 

An interactive workshop designed for executives with little to no background in quantum.  In just 60 minutes, you’ll cut through the hype, learn what quantum technology really means for business, and leave with a practical diagnostic framework to factor quantum into your organisation’s risk and innovation strategy. 

Places are limited, and due to strong demand, registrations will be confirmed directly by Quantum Australia. 

Vibe Code to Viable Company: The 1 Day MVP 

Vibe Coding (verb): The playful art of talking at your computer until an app comes out. This fun and inspiring workshop guides dreamers with great digital product ideas but no technical background on how to create their first app.  

Led by successful tech entrepreneur Josh Graham who will demonstrate "vibe-coding" - a playful, intuitive approach to beginner-friendly programming. In a 90 minute hands-on workshop, attendees will learn: Conceptualisation, Rapid Prototyping, and Real-time Deployment. 

What's next with AI Agents? 

So, agents are changing the way we work, search and create ... but where to from here? How do we prepare our businesses and lives for the next wave. And if you haven't started building your own . . . how do you get started?  

In this session, Nick will give you a crash course in agents but also highlight what's coming next. You'll learn how to build your own agent in 15 minutes, uncover what needs to change to make them successful and discover how to make them work with you! 

SXSW Sydney 2025 workshops will be held at the UTS Chau Chak Building, just a short stroll from the ICC. 

Haven’t got your pass yet? Secure yours now and join us at SXSW Sydney from 13-19 October!