Charlie Cush

Charlie Cush

Panellist: special ‘Ask the Experts’ session

What you’ll learn:

Got a challenge or problem? This is your chance to ask our panellists anything you wish!

Our panellists bring a wealth of knowledge spanning across event planning, operations, creative production, marketing, site and venue management, and more! Between them, they’ve managed a range of nationally significant festival types, spanning across music, arts, special interest, sporting and food festivals!

Professional bio

Charlie is the CEO of Brisbane Festival, one of the city’s most anticipated annual events, celebrating arts and culture. In 2020, it was among the first major live performance events during COVID-19, employing 1,000+ artists, commissioning 28 new works, and delivering 573 performances citywide.

Previously, as General Manager of Circa Contemporary Circus (2013–2018), he led its global success, securing key contracts like the Commonwealth Games Arts Festival. Charlie has held senior arts and government roles, shaping Brisbane’s creative landscape. He holds multiple degrees, including a Master of Arts in Cultural Leadership, and serves on Queensland’s Night-Life Economy Advisory Panel.

2025 Key Speakers

Christopher Breedlove

Keynote speaker: Christopher Breedlove Director of Civic Activation, Burning Man Project Topic: The Future of Festivals Note: keynote will be delivered exclusive to AFIC via livestream What you'll learn: Delegates will come away with an understanding of the model of...

John Rostron

Keynote speaker: John Rostron CEO, Association for Independent Festivals (United Kingdom) Topic: 'the festival industry: a UK perspective' Professional bio John Rostron is the Chief Executive of the Association of Independent Festivals, the UK's festival...

Stephen Wray

Stephen Wray Director of Contemporary Music and Director of Arts Investment and Philanthropy, Office of the Arts Topic: Australian Government support for festivals What you'll learn: Delegates will come away with an understanding of what the Australian Government is...

Christen Cornell

Christen Cornell Research Fellow and Manager, Research Partnerships - Creative Australia Topic: Creative Australia’s latest industry research Professional bio Christen Cornell is Research Fellow and Manager, Research Partnerships at Creative Australia. In this...

John Graham

The Hon. John Graham MLC NSW Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy, Minister for the Arts NSW Government update Professional bio The Hon. John Graham MLC was elected in 2016 to serve the people of NSW. He is the NSW Minister for Music and the Night-time...

Victoria Scott

Victoria Scott Culture, Entertainment and Destination Events Director, Tourism and Events Queensland Topic: Funding and co-op marketing opportunities with Tourism & Events Queensland What you'll learn: Delegates will come away with an understanding of Tourism...

Lauren Penny

Lauren Penny Chairperson, the Major Events Business Group - Queensland (MEBG-Q) Topic: Beyond the finish line: building a future-ready events industry for Brisbane 2032 and beyond What you'll learn: Delegates will come away with an understanding of The Major Events...

Peter Noble

Peter Noble Festival Director - Bluesfest Byron Bay Special Q&A session: Peter joins John Rostron (CEO, Independent Festivals Association, UK) to discuss the state of the festival industry Professional bio Peter Noble OAM is the driving force behind Bluesfest...

Sam Pearce

Sam Pearce Chief Operating Officer – Pacific Airshow Co-Founder – Crafted Beer Festival Panellist: special 'Ask the Experts' session What you'll learn: Got a challenge or problem? This is your chance to ask our panellists anything you wish! Our panellists bring a...

Greg Cavanagh

Greg Cavanagh CEO, Gympie Music Muster Special Q&A session: Greg joins Lars Brandle (AFIC's MC) on stage to discuss the festival's learnings over the course of its 42 year history Professional bio Greg joined the Apex Club of Gympie in 1999. During his time in the...

Vicky Lowry

Vicky Lowry General Manager - Deni Play on the Plains Festival Ltd Panellist: special 'Ask the Experts' session What you'll learn: Got a challenge or problem? This is your chance to ask our panellists anything you wish! Our panellists bring a wealth of knowledge...

Katie James

Katie James Experienced events professional Panel: 'Ticketing - current best-practice, challenges & opportunities' What you'll learn: This panel will cover the general topic of ticketing. Specifically, this panel will outline: current challenges the industry is...

Louise Bezzina

Louise Bezzina Artistic Director - Brisbane Festival Topic: Festivals and philanthropy: do festivals have a responsibility? What you'll learn: Festivals, like Brisbane Festival, bring people together to celebrate, connect, and create lasting memories. As their...

Aimee Davies

Aimee Davies Director and Founder - Hey Mate Topic: Managing your mental health & wellbeing What you'll learn: Delegates will come away with an understanding of the benefits of actively managing both your and your staff's mental health in the workplace....

Alana Hay

Alana Hay Founder & Managing Director - Milestone Creative Australia Topic: marketing tips & tricks - how to manage your budget wisely & reduce costs What you'll learn: Delegates will come away with an understanding of how they can better manage their...

Sylvie Maclean

Sylvie Maclean Head of Commercial - Tixel Panel: 'Ticketing - current best-practice, challenges & opportunities' What you'll learn: This panel will cover the general topic of ticketing. Specifically, this panel will outline: current challenges the industry is...

Chris Woods

Chris Woods Head of Partnerships, APAC - Flicket Panel: 'Ticketing - current best-practice, challenges & opportunities' What you'll learn: This panel will cover the general topic of ticketing. Specifically, this panel will outline: current challenges the industry...

Heidi Lenffer

Heidi Lenffer Founder - FEAT. (Future Energy Artists) Panel: 'sustainable energy - super-charging your festival’ What you'll learn: This panel will cover the general topic of energy sustainability. Specifically, this panel will outline: current technology advancements...

Travis Anderson

Travis Anderson Sector Manager, Events Asia Pacific Region - Aggreko Event Services Panel discussion: 'Sustainable energy - super-charging your festival’ What you'll learn: This panel will cover the general topic of energy sustainability. Specifically, this panel will...

Jason Holmes

Jason Holmes Founder - H2 Insurance Solutions Topic: Event insurance tips Professional bio Jason is a specialist in insurance for festivals, major events, entertainment, film, conference and exhibition industries. He began his insurance career with an international...

Badi Noble

Badi Noble Founder & Director - Casual Hands Topic: Volunteer management: modern day best-practice systems What you'll learn: Delegates will come away with an understanding of how modern volunteer management can enhance event delivery and workforce development...

Lars Brandle

Lars Brandle AFIC 2025 MC & Head of Content - Vinyl Group Lars Brandle is one of Australia’s leading music industry writers, an agenda-setting and award-winning journalist who is a regular speaker at conferences at home and abroad, on television, radio, and as a...

Latest news & updates

Burning Man rep announced as second keynote of AFIC

Jun 25, 2025 | Media release

Media Release WEDNESDAY 25 JUNE 2025 Burning Man rep announced as second keynote of AFIC The Australian Festival Industry Conference (AFIC) has added a second keynote and a further two high profile speakers to its line-up, completing its 2025 program. Christopher...

Draft program and more speakers announced for AFIC 2025

May 1, 2025 | Media release

Media Release THURSDAY 1 MAY 2025 Draft program and more speakers announced for 2025 The Australian Festival Industry Conference (AFIC) has unveiled its draft 2025 program and announced nine more speakers! The following experts join the existing line-up: The Hon....

First round of speakers announced for 2025 event

Mar 3, 2025 | Media release

The Australian Festival Industry Conference (AFIC) has released its first round of speakers who will appear at its fourth event, to be held across Monday 8 – Tuesday 9 September at Rivershed, Brisbane. AFIC – the Asia Pacific’s leading industry meeting place for...

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