Who doesn’t love breakfast with a side of OJ and the latest entertainment insights?
On 13 June, Sydney’s 12-Micron buzzed with the early morning energy of industry leaders and innovators as they gathered for the 2024 Live Business Breakfast, presented by Variety Australia and Twilio.
The inaugural event was created to inspire top professionals within music and entertainment to work more collaboratively, gain a deeper understanding of audience wants and needs, and to explore the future of music festivals in Australia.
It wrapped with an awards ceremony, celebrating excellence in entertainment and creativity within the industry, from music to theatre to comedy. Peter Noble’s Bluesfest was awarded Festival of the Year, and P!nk’s Summer Carnival Tour was recognised for its record-breaking ticket sales. Also, Fred Again took home the Best Live Event Marketing Campaign Award for his viral pop-up surprise arena tour.
But the morning was about much more than applause.
Kicking off proceedings was a panel discussion on the festivals industry. For 30-plus minutes, Dr Christen Cornell (Research Fellow and Manager, Research Partnerships for Creative Australia), Evelyn Richardson (Chief Executive for Live Performance Australia), Michael Christidis (Co-Founder of Untitled Group), and Linda Scott (Commercial Director APAC for Eventbrite) dived into the industry’s complexities, with Lars Brandle (The Brag Media’s Head of Content) moderating the conversation.
In front of a captive room, they unpacked everything from changing audience dynamics to the nitty-gritty of operational challenges like insurance and regulatory support. “What we do know is that audiences are changing, and this reflects a new emerging experience economy. The industry is full of entrepreneurs and creative risk-takers,” says Richardson, adding that she’s “optimistic that new types of festivals and new ideas will emerge, genre-specific.”
As the main sponsor, Twilio Segment’s involvement underscored the event’s focus on cutting-edge audience engagement. Twilio is a customer data platform that enables marketers to better understand and target their audience, a theme echoed throughout the panel discussion.
“If you have a core audience and you’re putting up a strong product, you can be successful,” Christidis says, emphasising the importance of using data-driven insights to tailor experiences that resonate with diverse audience preferences. After all, how can you give customers what they want, if you don’t understand them?
Eventbrite was also a sponsor, with Scott adding valuable insights on ticketing as part of the panel discussion. Scott highlighted the shifting trends towards single-day festivals and the need to adapt to evolving attendee preferences.
Guests left the Variety AU x Twilio Live Business Breakfast inspired and excited for the future of entertainment in Australia. The event both highlighted the achievements of the past year, and allowed for an exchange of ideas, of shared challenges, and the collective vision for a future filled with exceptional live entertainment.
We can’t wait to see what festivals and events take these learnings into the real world for fans to enjoy. Until next year!