Warmly welcomed: An engaging Network Evening in Melbourne

Hosted by restaurateur Frank van Haandel, with wine from Domaine Chandon and mineral water from CAPI, the Network Evening featured a roster of speakers who engaged guests with round-table discussions on topics ranging from hackvertising to ageing.

Emily Millane, research fellow at think tank Per Capita who also heads the Longevity and Positive Ageing project, discussed the ageing demographic of the Australian market, revealing that by 2050, 1.8m Australians will be aged over 85.

Emily Ross, consultant to some of Australia’s most visionary CEOs and start-ups, told guests how to create the right tone of voice for an omni-channel generation.

Skye Fischer, who works with QIC Global Real Estate on the development of retail properties in Australia, extolled the importance of the Experience Mall. She spoke about how vital experience in retail and thinking is in terms of community. ‘It is not about building shopping centres, but about creating living centres,’ she said.

Dave King, partner and co-founder of creative agency The Royals, discussed the part that hacking plays in creating innovative campaigns and how brands should inject a spirit of playful cleverness into their advertising.

PR and digital publishing specialist Sharyn Honey Lowe told audiences how to target women in a post-lads culture, focusing on The Athena Woman’s blog.

Lastly, Simon Griffiths, an engineer and economist-turned-social entrepreneur, spoke about how he built his three social businesses from scratch and how to go from having an idea to truly developing it.

‘It was a beautiful summer evening,’ says Chris Sanderson, CEO of The Future Laboratory, ‘so it was a warm and friendly way to start our trip with a group of engaging guests who were engrossed by the LS:N Global Network Evening.’

Guests included Country Road founder Stephen Bennett, RMIT associate professor Karen Webster, Melbourne Retail and Hospitality Advisory Board chair Susan Renouff, and Aesop general manager and head of global marketing, creative and product development Matteo Martignoni.