Andrew Horabin has been a professional speaker for 19 years. He's a keynote speaker, trainer, facilitator, comedian, author and award-winning singer / songwriter. He MC'ed our last conference in Melbourne and our last two Longpaddocks. In his spare time, Andrew likes to play with his daughter, talk with his wife, collect and play records, do odd jobs around the house and get mates around for some table tennis in the shed. He's looking forward to managing disruptions at the conference.

Who's the Boss - Ann Tonks

Ann has been the General Manager of Melbourne Theatre Company for far too long. Prior to that she was (amongst other things) an academic and radio manager. She has an Honours degree in Economics and an MBA. She has been on a variety of arts boards and currently sits on the boards of Live Performance Australia and Theatre Network Victoria. Ann is also currently a Senior Fellow in Arts Management at the University of Melbourne.

New Best Friends - Merryn Carter

Merryn Carter has over 20 years experience in arts marketing, having worked as marketing, development and audience research consultant with performing arts companies and venues, festivals, galleries and visual arts organisations around Australia. Merryn has also held the senior marketing role for the Sydney Symphony, Melbourne Theatre Company and Australia Business Arts Foundation. Originally trained as a musician (with a Bachelor of Music from the University of Melbourne), she also has an MBA from Melbourne Business School. Merryn is currently working for the Australia Council for the Arts as marketing mentor for the ADVICE project, and as national Business Development Manager for BoardConnect.

Tell Us What You Really Think - Annette Carmichael

Annette is Western Australia's Regional Contemporary Dance Facilitator for Ausdance WA and the Future Moves strategy. In 2010/2011 she created the large scale Future Landings project to develop regional artists and audiences for contemporary dance. Annette is also leading conversations between regional venue managers, WA choreographers and producers to collectively tackle the challenges of touring contemporary dance.

Catherine Deveny is a writer, comedian and social commentator best known for her work on ABC774, Q and A and as a columnist with The Age newspaper. She is in constant demand as corporate speaker, after dinner entertainment, panel member and guest lecturer. Her one-woman show God Is Bullshit was a sell out in the 2010 Melbourne International Comedy Festival and enjoyed a return season in 2011. Deveny is writing her seventh book, 'Tantrum With Reality' which will be published by Black Inc Books in December 2011.

Facilitated by Andrew Horabin, with Peter Stiedl, Ann Tonks, Catherine Deveny plus:

Jonathan Holloway

Artistic Director of Perth International Arts Festival 2012-15. Previously Artistic Director / Chief Executive of Norfolk & Norwich Festival in the UK, seeing audiences increased from 35,000 to 330,000, turnover increased by over 600%, becoming the fourth largest city arts festival in the UK. From 19972004 Jonathan set up and ran the National Theatre's events department on London's South Bank. In 2004 he co-wrote/directed Robin Hood in the National's Loft Theatre.

Sam Walsh

Sam Walsh is chief executive of Rio Tinto's Iron Ore group and Rio Tinto Australia, and an executive director to the boards of Rio Tinto plc and Rio Tinto Limited. Sam has a sustained history of community activity and is a champion of the arts, reflected by his contributions as chair of the WA Chapter of the Australian Business Arts Foundation and the Chamber of Arts and Culture WA Inc. Sam and his wife Leanne reside in Perth, Western Australia.