FORWARD BY DESIGN
SITE ANZ has listened, learned, and is now presenting actionable solutions co-designed with the community to move the incentive travel industry forward
As SITE Australia & New Zealand’s flagship event, this year’s conference brings a fresh perspective on how we work together to drive meaningful outcomes for clients, teams, and our industry. With a focus on connection, collaboration, and collective momentum, we’ll explore what’s next – and how we can shape it together.
A note from our President
Tanya Wick
President, SITE Australia & New Zealand
Incentive travel across Australia and New Zealand is at a pivotal moment. Our industry has told us what matters most: delivering value, pairing creativity with commercial rigour, strengthening capability, and elevating incentive travel as a strategic tool that drives real business performance.
In 2026, Incentivise Live moves us from conversation into action. Guided by our theme Forward by Design, the conference will share practical solutions shaped with our community to strengthen our sector and elevate the role of incentive travel.
As part of the global SITE community, we bring international research, education and insights to the conversation alongside practical tools, meaningful connections and a dose of inspiration. Whether you are a SITE member or not, if you work in business events or incentive travel, you’ll leave with ideas and confidence to create greater impact.
Registrations are Sold Out
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Registration Terms & Conditions
- Participation at this event is subject to the public health orders of the day in New South Wales.
- All prices listed are in AUD dollars and inclusive of GST.
- Cancellations on or before Fri 10 July 2026 will incur a 50% cancellation fee , or are transferable to another person.
- Cancellations on or after Sat 11 July 2026 will receive no refund, but are transferable to another person.
- Early Bird rates closed at 5 pm AEST Thurs 30 April 2026.
For more information on pricing, contact info@siteanz.com.au
Incentivise Live is sold out
Questions or waitlist enquiries? Email us at info@siteanz.com.au
All prices include GST
Member Ticket Sale
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Early Bird — $395Sold Out -
Standard — $495Sold Out
Non-Member Ticket
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Early Bird — $695Sold Out -
Standard — $895Sold Out
Young Leader Ticket Sale
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Member — $195Sold Out -
Non Member — $395Sold Out
Program
From inspiring keynotes to interactive sessions, the 2026 program is designed to Turn Industry Insight Into Action.
TIME
Session Title
Speaker NAME
Overview
8:30 – 9:00 AM
Registration Opens
9:00 AM
Acknowledgement of Country and Opening
El Kwang: Incentivise Live MC & Chief Energy Officer
Tomas Jajesnica: Incentivise Live Mind Primer
Tanya Wick: SITE ANZ President
9:45 AM
Keynote Session: Leverage the Gap
Winitha Bonney OAM
Presented by Experience Gold Coast
What if the chaos you’re navigating right now is actually your biggest opportunity? What if the gap between where you are and where you need to be isn’t a problem to solve — but a lever to pull? Winitha Bonney OAM opens Incentivise Live with a session that will challenge how you think about uncertainty, leadership, and what it actually means to move forward by design. Expect to be provoked, energised, and surprised — and to leave asking better questions than the ones you walked in with.
10:10 AM
Culture by Design: Building Teams That Actually Want to Stay
Frank Greef
Culture by Design: Building Teams That Actually Want to Stay. Frank Greef has spent years building an environment where people don’t just perform: they choose to stay, grow, and bring others with them.
In this session, Frank doesn’t present a framework from a podium. He brings his team — because the best evidence of a culture that works is the people living inside it. Through a structured 360-degree conversation, delegates hear the same story from three angles: the leader who built it, the team members who experience it, and the moments where it was genuinely tested.
10:45 AM
Morning Tea
11:15 AM
Mind Reset – Think Fast
11:20 AM
Building Bold Businesses in an Uncertain World
Leon Burman
Bruce Keebaugh
The world has changed, the market has changed and clients expectations are constantly changing. The businesses that are winning right now are the ones that saw it coming — and moved first. Bruce Keebaugh and Leon Burman have spent years evolving their businesses in real time — adapting to changing client expectations, new commercial realities, and an industry that looks nothing like it did five years ago. In this candid, no-filter conversation, they’ll unpack what it actually takes to stay relevant, stay agile, and keep delivering when the goal posts won’t stop moving. If your clients are changing, this session is for you
11:50 AM
The Five Doors – SITE Board Update
12:00 PM
Who Is Marketing to the Decision Engines?
Dion Workman
You’ve spent years building a business that people can find. But what happens when customers receive a well-crafted answer instead of a list of options?
AI is rapidly changing how customers discover, compare and choose suppliers. Increasingly, people are asking AI assistants what to buy, where to stay, which destination to visit and who to trust.
The incentive travel industry is at precisely this kind of inflection point. After years of recovery and reinvention, the sector is entering a new era of growth — one where the rules of discovery, influence and buyer behaviour are being rewritten in real time. The clients we compete for are already using AI to shape shortlists, validate suppliers and make recommendations upward. How our businesses show up in those moments — or whether they show up at all — will define the competitive landscape for the decade ahead.
These systems don’t browse like humans. They evaluate information, compare sources and form recommendations based on signals of authority, relevance and trust.
Experienced CMO Dion Workman has built and scaled brands across multiple industries, including tourism, and his message is simple: if you’re not thinking about Decision Engine Optimisation (DEO) yet, you’re already late to the conversation.
The businesses that adapt first will build an advantage that compounds. Those that wait may find themselves increasingly invisible to the very systems shaping customer choice.
Leave with the 10 actions you should be taking right now to improve your visibility, credibility and recommendation potential in an AI-driven world
12:30-1:30 PM
Lunch
1:45 PM
The 24hr Economy – Insider insights
Michael Rodrigues
Colette Baini
Commissioner Michael Rodrigues, NSW 24-Hour Economy Commissioner, in conversation with Colette Baini
The incentive travel industry can’t build a world-class offering alone — it needs government and industry moving in step. Michael Rodrigues, shares how his Office’s partnership with business is reshaping Sydney’s night-time economy: streamlining licensing, opening up venues and precincts beyond conventional hours, and positioning the city to compete with New York, London, and Tokyo as a global after-dark destination. A 20-minute opening gives way to a live interview with Colette Baini, exploring what this partnership model means for planners and suppliers building the next generation of incentive programs. Delegates leave with a clear view of how civic and industry collaboration is building the infrastructure for a stronger, more internationally competitive Australian incentive travel sector.
2:20 PM
SITE Global Trends — Hot Take
Selina Sinclair
Padriac Gilligan
In this session, REALM CEO and former SITE VP of Research Selina Sinclair unpacks the latest Incentive Travel Index — the industry’s most authoritative global study, drawing on insights from over 2,700 professionals across 85 countries — and translates its findings into what they mean right here, right now, for buyers, agencies, and destination partners across Australia and New Zealand.
From the rise of emerging markets, from budget pressures squeezing programme design to the NextGen workforce demanding something entirely different from a reward — Selina brings a practitioner’s lens to the global data, surfacing the signals ANZ can’t afford to miss
2:40 PM
Panel Discussion: Incentive Travel in the Reward Mix
Mercedes Ibbett
Nick Merry
Incentive travel doesn’t exist in a vacuum.
Every incentive travel program competes against a range of other reward options all vying for the same budget. So why does a client choose incentive travel?
At Incentivise Live 2026, Mercedes Ibbett and Nick Merry pull back the curtain on the decisions that happen long before a destination is selected. From business objectives and participant psychology to budget approvals, ROI and reward strategy, you’ll gain insight into how incentive travel earns its place in the reward mix.
We’ll share the challenges and opportunities agencies face when designing programs and choosing rewards, what clients are really looking for when investing in travel, and how suppliers can better position themselves to support stronger business outcomes.
If we’re going to move forward by design, we need to understand not only how great travel experiences are delivered, but why they are chosen in the first place.
Join us for a practical and honest conversation about where incentive travel fits within the broader reward landscape—and how, by better understanding each other’s challenges and opportunities, we can move forward by design to build a stronger, smarter and more valuable industry together.
4:30 PM
Wrap Up
5:00 PM
Networking Reception
6:30 PM
Conference Close
Our Speakers
The voices behind this year’s program are industry leaders, innovators, and storytellers who are ready to challenge thinking and ignite new ideas.
Our presenters will bring fresh energy, global insights, and a spark of inspiration to every session, helping us reimagine what’s possible in incentive travel. From big-picture trends to practical takeaways, these are the conversations that move our industry forward.
El Kwang
Founder & Chief Engager
BEAMexperience
More details
El Kwang is the Founder of BEAMexperience and has spent close to three decades in the hospitality and business events industry. For nearly a decade, he has worked at the intersection of positive psychology, team culture, and experience design, helping organisations create moments that do more than engage. His work shifts thinking, strengthens connections, and drives meaningful outcomes
As a Certified Positive Psychology Practitioner, El translates evidence-based principles into practical actions that people can apply immediately. Drawing on concepts such as resilience, mindset, well-being, and performance, he designs experiences that move audiences beyond awareness and into action.
El’s approach to incentive and business event design is grounded, relevant, and outcome-focused. Whether working with leadership teams, conference delegates, or incentive qualifiers, he creates experiences that inspire reflection, encourage connection, and support lasting behavioural change.
El served on the SITE International Board of Directors as Vice President for three years and previously co-chaired two editions of the SITE Global Conference in Rome and Bangkok, contributing to the advancement of the global incentive travel industry.
Tomas Jajesnica
Chief Mind Officer
Mr.Meditate
More details
The Pressure Is Real. So Is the Antidote.
Deadlines are shrinking. Destinations are shifting. Political instability is rewriting itineraries overnight. And yet, the demand for transformative incentive experiences has never been higher.
We are an industry that prides itself on delivering the extraordinary for others — but who is holding space for us?
Think about the last four weeks. How many meetings have you sat in — with colleagues, with clients — where nobody was truly present? Where bodies were in the room but minds were elsewhere, buried under the next deadline, the next disruption, the next decision that couldn’t wait?
The ability to walk into a room with full presence, to help your clients bring genuine attention into the room for successful event outcomes, to face uncertainty but still remain focused — this is not soft skill territory. This is the work.
Here to help us do that work is Tomas Jajesnica — known to many as Mr Meditate and TomEQ — who will give us the tools to do it better.
Because talk is cheap unless you walk the walk. This is not a story. It’s a narrative — with a beginning, a middle, and a deliberate answer to the question we all need to be asking right now: what are we going to do about it?
At Incentivise Live, we design for this. Even if you arrive feeling like you have zero capacity for one more piece of information, this is an environment built to give you more than you walked in with.
Winitha Bonney, OAM
Keynote Speaker
More details
Born in London, raised in Australia and of Sri Lankan Tamil heritage, Winitha Bonney OAM is a former professional hip-hop dancer turned C-Suite executive who has managed billions across North America and Australia. She has been locked in an LA dance studio with Britney Spears, saved a company from bankruptcy in under six months, and navigated counter-terrorism environments as a Brown woman.
A global keynote speaker since 2008, Winitha specialises in closing the Implementation Gap: the costly distance between strategy and results. She gives leaders and teams The Agency AdvantageTM: the tools to think independently, act decisively, take proactive action and lead through change. Winitha has the unique and rare ability to solve complex business problems with simple, practical solutions that require half the resources and time. She replaces overwhelm, change fatigue, and burnout with radical ownership, practical actions, and step-by-step systems. Winitha will leave you empowered, educated, and equipped with The Agency AdvantageTM: the tools to reclaim control, shift from reactive to proactive, and turn change into a competitive advantage for purpose, performance, and profit.
Frank Greef
CoFounder
Kinso AI
More details
Frank Greef is a highly successful entrepreneur who knows what it takes to build companies that thrive, and a passionate believer that human connection sits at the heart of every great business.
After co-founding the business that became Realbase with his brothers Jacques and Ken, Frank helped grow it into one of Australia and New Zealand’s leading real estate technology platforms. In 2022, Realbase was acquired by Domain for A$180 million upfront, with further consideration linked to future performance.
Rather than stepping away from entrepreneurship, Frank returned to his roots as a chef and created Eat With Purpose, a cookbook supporting his mission to raise $1 million for the Children’s Cancer Institute. He then chose to build again, co-founding Kinso with his brother Jacques.
Kinso is an ambitious Australian technology startup reimagining how people manage messages, email and professional relationships. Frank is building the company in his own distinctive way, challenging conventional thinking about leadership, marketing, workplace culture and how exceptional teams are created.
Frank does not simply talk about culture. He has spent years building environments that talented people actively choose to be part of. At Incentivise Live 2026, he is bringing the Kinso team with him to show what that looks like in practice.
Leon Burman
Managing Director
TRIBE Group
More details
Leon Burman is Managing Director of TRIBE Group, a company he founded in 2017, specialising in corporate incentives and conferences and high-end Virtuoso leisure travel. Before launching Tribe Group, Leon established ETM Group in 2001, growing it to over 100 employees before selling the business in 2011 to CTM. His extensive experience in the events industry, combined with his passion for travel, has allowed him to create extraordinary global programs.
Leon named TRIBE Group as a nod to the close network of colleagues, clients, and suppliers he has worked with throughout his career. Today, TRIBE Group works with Australia’s top corporate companies and in 2026 was awarded 3rd place in the Financial Review Best Places to Work in Australia. Leon currently sits on the Hyatt and Marriott MICE Advisory Boards and has been a board member of SITE ANZ.
Bruce Keebaugh
Founder
The Big Group
More details
Bruce Keebaugh is the director of The Big Group, one of Australia’s largest privately owned catering and event management companies. The Big Group was established in 1990 by Bruce Keebaugh and his wife, Chyka Keebaugh. Together their inspiration was to bring a fresh and original approach to the Melbourne catering scene. In the beginning the business evolved from a tiny back space in Bruce’s father’s office and cooking food took place in their parent’s kitchens. Word quickly spread of their imaginative and precise approach, a major corporate giving the company the first taste of large scale event management. The event was at Southgate for 5000 guests. Bravado and talent for delivering exceptional planned and executed events held them in good stead; and looking back Bruce pinpoints that event as the launching pad for the business’ future success. Today The Big Group is a bespoke hospitality and creative agency that arranges truly unique events both throughout Australia and overseas. Our client list forms the top 500 International corporations and the owners and directors of those companies. We also work with a wide range of governments, philanthropic agencies and also celebrities.
Imagination, perfectionism, experience, passion and thinking BIG are what The Big Group are renowned for, continually transforming the common place into the exception on every single occasion.
Dion Workman
CMO
DJW Consulting
More details
Dion Workman is a business growth strategist who specialises in helping organisations escape old thinking. Over the past 25 years he has worked with some of Australia’s best-known brands including McDonald’s, Kmart, Caltex, Mars Petcare, Hyundai, humm and Destination Gold Coast. His work has consistently focused on solving commercial problems that sit beneath the marketing function – changing customer perceptions, challenging industry assumptions and helping organisations create preference in crowded markets. From helping Kmart redefine value through Everyday Low Prices, to repositioning the Gold Coast beyond its theme park image, Dion’s approach combines behavioural science, brand strategy and commercial pragmatism. Today he works with organisations looking to stand out in markets where customers have stopped noticing the differences.
Michael Rodrigues
24-Hour Economy Commissioner
NSW Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport
More details
Michael Rodrigues is NSW’s 24-Hour Economy Commissioner and a leading voice in how cities can function beyond the traditional 9-to-5.
He leads the Office of the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner, positioning the night-time and emerging morning economy as essential infrastructure. Central to this approach is the role of data and innovation, particularly how government, industry and communities can share information and collaborate to support better decisions, safer places and coordinated activity across the full 24-hour cycle.
This work is delivered through the ecosystems of music, culture, hospitality and nightlife. These sectors activate places, generate economic value and shape how cities are experienced after dark and into the morning. Michael connects these frontline industries to a broader framework of place-based policy, regulation and investment, shifting the focus from individual sectors to integrated, place-led economies.
Since his appointment in 2021, with the role becoming statutory in 2023, Michael has led system-wide reforms that have positioned NSW as a global leader in 24-hour economy governance. This includes landmark regulatory reform, the introduction of Special Entertainment Precincts, and district-level models that enable local leaders to shape and manage their own economies, supported by clearer rules, shared measurement and stronger coordination across government and industry.
Before entering government, Michael founded and led the Night Time Industries Association, and launched Time Out in Sydney, shaping one of the city’s leading cultural platforms.
With a background in civil engineering and infrastructure law, Michael brings a practical, systems-focused approach to city-making. His work sits at the intersection of policy, data and place, with a focus on delivering safer, more vibrant and more productive cities across the full 24-hour day.
Colette Baini
Founder & Director
The Conference Room and Australia Conferences & Incentives
More details
With almost 35 years’ experience in international tourism, business events and incentive travel, Colette Baini is one of Australia’s most respected business event professionals. As Founder and Director of The Conference Room and Australia Conferences & Incentives, her work is underpinned by strategic thinking, operational excellence and a passion for creating impactful experiences that deliver meaningful business outcomes.
Beyond her business, Colette is a passionate advocate for the advancement of the business events industry with a focus on strategic industry partnerships. She currently serves as a Director of the Australian Business Events Association (ABEA) and is a former President of SITE ANZ, and founder of the award winning Incentivise Live conference.
An internationally recognised industry leader, Colette is the recipient of the SITE Global Kevin Forde Spirit Award and holds both CITP and DMCP accreditations. She is a strong advocate for collaboration, professional development and innovation, and is passionate about sharing practical insights that help shape the future of the business events industry.
Selina Sinclair
CEO & Founder
REALM | Former VP of Research, SITE Foundation
More details
Selina Sinclair is one of the Asia Pacific region’s most respected voices in incentive travel and corporate events. As CEO and Founder of REALM — a premium destination management and events company headquartered in Singapore, with offices in Hong Kong, Indonesia, China, Thailand and Vietnam— Selina has built one of the region’s fastest growing MICE businesses from the ground up.
With a career defined by curiosity, commercial rigour, and a genuine belief in the transformative power of well-designed experiences, Selina brings a rare combination of strategic perspective and on-the-ground operational depth. She works daily at the intersection of programme design, client strategy, and the rapid evolution reshaping how incentive travel is bought, sold, and delivered across Asia Pacific markets.
A committed contributor to the global SITE community, Selina served as VP of Research for the SITE Foundation and sat on the SITE Foundation Global Board for six years — giving her a deep understanding of the research, data, and global thinking that underpins where this industry is headed. Selina is currently completing a postgraduate AI Strategy in Practice programme at NUS Business School, reflecting her belief that staying ahead of the curve is not optional — it is a leadership responsibility. She is passionate about the data behind the decisions, the trends before they become consensus, and the conversations that push the industry to think bigger about its place in the visitor economy.
Mercedes Ibbett
Managing Director & Owner & SITE ANZ Board Member
EVT Incentive Marketing
More details
With over 23 years of experience in Incentive Strategy and Incentive Travel & Events, Mercedes has led EVT Incentive Marketing since 2009, becoming a key figure in the industry in Australia, joining the SITE (Society of Incentive Travel Excellence) ANZ Board in 2025 as VP of Marketing.
EVT Incentive Marketing, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, is a specialist Incentive Marketing company committed to designing strategic, creative, and results-driven incentive programs, Incentive Travel, Conferences and Events. Under her leadership, EVT’s mission is to help businesses grow by motivating exceptional people with exceptional rewards and experiences.
EVT offers seamless solutions from custom-built reward platforms like Xtend to Incentive Group Travel and their latest innovation, Platinum Concierge Rewards, ensuring maximum results with minimal fuss.
Mercedes’ personal mission is to help individuals and businesses shine and grow through EVT’s work and opportunities for their team. Her passion is to drive industry growth and highlight the value of well-executed Incentive Programs and Rewards in Australia.
Nick Merry
Managing Director APAC & Global Strategic Initiatives
Motivforce
More details
Nick Merry has spent nearly thirty years showing that great incentive trips rely on imagination and precision, not just budget. As an incentive travel expert and leader at Motivforce, Nick builds experiences that foster genuine loyalty and leads the teams that deliver them.
Nick served as CEO of Motivforce from 2020 to 2025, where he guided the company through global instability during Covid and still delivered 25% growth. After this, he transitioned to his current role as Global Executive Board Director and Managing Director for APAC. He continues to run the region he helped build and oversees the high-performance travel division.
Throughout his career in the UK and Australia, Nick has designed top-tier programs for brands like IBM, Lenovo, Pirelli, and Subaru. He has a unique talent for logistics: from a VIP 5 African countries in a day event to arranging private NASA training access, he consistently delivers the extraordinary.
Sustainability in Action
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Travel Green, Give Back
Every delegate who arrives via public transport = $5 donated to the SITE Foundation.
Small Actions, Big Impact
From paperless check-ins to local food sourcing and carbon-neutral vendors, we’re keeping it conscious. Let’s make this our most sustainable conference yet.
W Hotel sustainability in action
W Sydney’s positive impact extends into the wider community through partnerships supporting people, produce and place by proudly collaborating in:
- Surplus food redistribution with Foodbank NSW & ACT
- Ongoing support for local growers and regional producers
- Engagement in environmentally aligned programs across NSW including the oyster shell recycling Glebe bay restoration project
Our Venue
W Hotel Sydney
W Sydney sets the scene for standout incentive programs with 588 bold, design driven guest rooms overlooking Darling Harbour. High energy social spaces from the rooftop WET Deck to vibrant bars and the AWAY Spa paired with premium function venues including the Great Room and Studios create a dynamic blend of luxury, energy, and unforgettable incentive ready experiences.
Stay at
W Hotel Sydney
Conference attendees can enjoy a special rate of $360 per night, room only at W Sydney. This exclusive rate is available from Sunday, 16 August to Wednesday, 19 August 2026 (until sold out).
Conference attendees can enjoy a special rate of $360 per night, room only at W Sydney. This exclusive rate is available from Sunday, 16 August to Wednesday, 19 August 2026 (until sold out).
Our Sponsors
SITE Australia & New Zealand extends its sincere thanks to the sponsors of the 2026 Incentivise Live Conference. Your support is instrumental in bringing our industry together and enabling the delivery of a meaningful, engaging, and impactful event. We are proud to partner with organisations that share our passion for excellence in incentive travel.
Our Sponsors
Thank you to all of our 2025 Sponsors
Want to stand alongside the brands investing in the incentive community??
Position Your Brand at the Forefront of the Incentive Travel Industry
Looking to connect with decision-makers, elevate your brand, and influence the future of MICE in the APAC region? Partner with SITE ANZ at the 2026 Incentivise Live Conference and gain unparalleled access to a highly engaged audience of industry leaders.
Our Team
Conference Project Team
SITE ANZ Board
2025 Incentivise Live Recap Video
While You’re Here
Join SITE ANZ
Become part of a thriving professional network, grow your skills, and shape the future of our industry. Members will receive discounted rates to the conference.
- Build connections
- Gain global visibility
- Access exclusive education, resources and research
- Be part of the future of our industry
CIS Training Accreditation
Earn your Certified Incentive Specialist (CIS) badge with SITE’s globally recognised training — led by ANZ trainer Sharon Levingston.
- Thursdays: DATES TBC
- $495 USD (members)
- Virtual 1hr x 6 weeks
- $695 USD (non-members)
Reach Out
For any questions regarding registration or surrounding Incentivise Live, please contact the Incentivise Live by SITE ANZ Concierge.
JOIN US ON TUESDAY 18 AUGUST, 2026 W Hotel
