WPP will be at SXSW Sydney, as the event debuts down under. In the lead-up to the first-ever Australian South by Southwest (SXSW) conference and festivals in October, WPP has been named sponsor of the conference’s Marketing & Advertising Track.
As part of the partnership, WPP will take over Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum to create a central hub called WPP House, where new ideas and current and future issues within the industry will be explored.
WPP House will host WPP’s agencies and partners throughout the week-long event (15-22 October), focusing on the power of creative transformation, providing five days of creative provocation, emerging ideas and open conversations. WPP House will bring together partners and clients, international guest speakers, local innovators, futurists, and the most influential thought leaders under one roof.
WPP House will also host a raft of local and international speakers, including:
• Acclaimed New Zealand artist Gabby Malpas
• Volvo’s Managing Director for Australia, Stephen Connor
• WARC’s Regional Editor for APAC, Rica Facundo
• Livewire’s Chief Strategy Officer, Gareth Leeding
• Rip Curl’s Chief Customer Officer, Michael Scott
• Partners TikTok, Pubmatic and Treasury Wines
• BCW’s Polka Yu, Deputy President and Head of Integrated Communications, Asia-Pacific
More speakers are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Rose Herceg, WPP country president in Australia and New Zealand, said: “We are thrilled to be part of SXSW’s first time in Australia. As the creative transformation company, we couldn’t think of a better partner than SXSW Sydney to demonstrate our belief in creativity as a force for growth – and a force for good. WPP House will spotlight our industry-leading communications, experience, commerce and technology capabilities in new and unexpected ways and showcase our best talent from across the globe.”
Colin Daniels, managing director of SXSW Sydney, added: “We welcome WPP and its agencies to our first SXSW Sydney this year. The WPP House will be a must-visit part of the festival, and we look forward to celebrating an engaging, innovative, and productive experience together.”
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