Exploring new frontiers at Digital Adelaide 2025
Now in its eleventh year, Adelaide’s biggest marketing conference returns with a dynamic line-up of speakers looking to take South Australia’s digital expertise to the next level.
Ever wondered what happens when a dentist walks into a digital media conference? Or how the big guns are fighting it out for control of social media?
Powerhouse South Australian marketing event Digital Adelaide has the answers to these and other pertinent digital issues. The two-day event, to be held at Adelaide Oval from July 30-31, will deliver expert insights to an audience of more than 250 beginners, freelancers and seasoned professionals eager to connect, learn and stay ahead of the market.
Now in its eleventh year, the event will focus on the theme of “bringing it all together”, with speakers covering law, education, space, data, construction and more.
“We’re exploring how marketers need to bring channels and partners together so we can get a single cohesive view of the customers in our marketing impact and performance,” said director Jen Evison, who launched the initial iteration, Social Media Day, in 2015.
“We want to showcase the stories or case studies that brands and businesses have been able to do or are on their way to doing.
“I think sometimes in a conference, it’s nice to see some real experiences as well as others who are starting this journey now and open to talking about talking about their plans and aspirations.”
Digital Adelaide director and marketing manager at video creation company 90 Seconds, Rubina Carlson, will be presenting a business-to-business (B2B) session focusing on improving collaboration between marketing and sales.
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“In my role, I find it’s important that marketing and sales are working together and not behaving as enemies,” she said.
“In a B2B setting, you must be on the same page: if marketing is setting up an unrealistic expectation that sales can’t deliver, you’re setting yourself up for churning clients because you set the wrong expectation at the beginning.”
That collaboration, Rubina says, should also include the sharing of metrics.
“Marketing metrics are helpful as leading indicators, particularly for leads generated. It’s about getting on the same page with what the goals are and talking the same language – not so much of an assist as a partnership between the two departments.”
Digital Adelaide director Rubina Carlson with attendees.
Following the success of Digital Adelaide in 2024, this year will see the return of dual sessions to accommodate both B2B and B2C (business-to-consumer) participants.
“The streams are slipped the same way as last year because of the types of industry attendee we have,” said Jen, who is also digital marketing consultant at green lion.
“We think it’s a good way to let people choose what they want to go to without having it be too specific.”
Jeremy Aubert will be taking to the stage for the first time at Digital Adelaide. The Vancouver-born exploration manager for space and defence, at Fleet Space Technologies will be sharing his journey as a producer in film production before boldly going to the space sector. So, how do the two align?
“The digital sphere is really just another method of storytelling,” he said.
“Out of all the different semiotic systems we use, whether it’s writing, language or art, the digital space is the newest frontier for expressing stories and expressing ourselves, just in a different medium.
“Whether I’m looking to make something for entertainment, to produce something to get people to buy a product or bring in partners to accomplish a space mission, the digital space is just another space to be telling those stories to achieve your goals.”
“Moving to the space industry and doing my global executive MBA in Defence and Space, I met a lot of people, including four-star generals, talking about how important storytelling is. I found that fascinating. Prior to my move, I didn’t know why I would belong in the space industry. think I underestimated the power of storytelling and how transformative it can be across industries.
“Speaking at Digital Adelaide provides an interesting opportunity for me to look to widen the perspective on how powerful storytelling can be, and how it can have a huge impact in different areas. Hopefully it can expand people’s thinking about how they can apply the everyday skills they’re already sharpening and understand it’s a more powerful superpower that can be applied in all sorts of ways. That’s an exciting thing that I’ve discovered and I’m interested to share that.”
Tickets for Digital Adelaide start from $96.01, with a two-day pass costing $696.50.
“We’re fortunate to have a partnership with InDaily and other South Australian companies so we can continue to keep the event viable,” Rubina says.
“We strive hard to keep the price achievable, particularly in this increasing cost of living climate.
“If you only have budget for one professional development event this year, Digital Adelaide will give you the best bang for your buck.”
InDaily readers can access a discounted rate for this year’s event at this link.
Tim Grady, SeaLink Travel Group national digital marketing manager, speaking at Digital Adelaide in 2023.
The speaker line-up also includes:
- Paul Gordon, Wallmans Lawyers, discusses the fight for control of social media in Battlelines.
- Ana Bellico, creative lead, Australian Institute of Business. Anna co-led AIB’s brand refresh, launched its first-ever brand campaign and took it out-of-home for the first time.
- Andris Versteeg, founder and research director, Further Insight. Andris will explore how customer insights shaped the future of Adelaide Central Market.
- Monica Brink from Fivecast looks at building repeatable and impactful marketing programs for global businesses.
- UniSA Australian Centre for Business Growth business development manager Richard Littleton teams with Ryan Jones from Refuel Creative to talk about great client/agency relationships.
