About Joshua

Joshua Nu’u-Steele has spent over ten years immersed in the world of technology. His journey began by championing Booking.com’s establishment in New Zealand, followed by steering the impressive international growth of Parkable, a leading proptech company. He is now in the world of marketing and market research technology with Ideally. Passionate about insights and innovation, Josh helps marketers, creatives, and innovators across New Zealand and Australia harness Ideally's AI technology to grow great ideas and remove traditional barriers such as cost and speed. 

Over the past four years, Spark NZ has advanced its approach to data-driven marketing with the development of a world-leading AI platform integrated into the company’s MarTech stack.

But it all started with just one use case and a lot of experimenting.

We have invited Spark NZ to share what they’ve learnt about AI along the way, how it has transformed their marketing capabilities, and what tools they’re using now to automate the heavy lifting in marketing.

About Travena

Travena is a senior marketing professional who has had over 15+ years of experience. She has been involved in a range of MarTech implementation that has been complex within large enterprises. She has worked directly on solution builds as well as implementing strategies that are centred around the three P’s - People/ Platform/ Process.

AI has transformed the production of content and creative imagery this year. Concepts, formats and styles can be explored in a fraction of the time, saving time and costs, if you know how to do it. 

Our panel of content creators, marketers and creatives is here to answer your questions. We want to know what tools and platforms they are using and experimenting with right now, how AI has changed their processes, and what creative and ethical challenges they've faced.

About Blue

Blue Hamel is a multidisciplinary creative director with over 10 years of experience as a leading creative talent in the industry. Throughout his illustrious career, he has collaborated with some of the most prestigious brands and eminent personalities worldwide. His portfolio boasts collaborations with renowned brands like Adidas, Louis Vuitton, and Yeezy. Furthermore, he has worked alongside iconic figures such as Kanye West, Kylie Jenner, Childish Gambino, Asap Ferg, and David Beckman, to name a few.

In addition to his vast experience in the creative direction, Blue stands out as a 3D specialist. With his expertise in 3D visualization in contemporary design, he founded OUTR CGI. At OUTR CGI the team have created a cutting-edge 3D agency which has quickly garnered acclaim for its innovative approach and exceptional craftsmanship, solidifying Blue's reputation as a tastemaker in both traditional and digital creative spaces.

Marketers in the room, do not be afraid of AI. It is your friend not foe. 

This session will deep dive, with examples and tools, of how the marketing team at Auckland Theatre Company used AI to work smarter and better improving internal relationships, workflows, and agency outputs.

Leveraging AI tools (that are free or nearly free) can help bring efficiencies to the team, upskilling opportunities, better relationships, and even... cost savings.

About Joanna

Joanna O'Connor is an awarded marketing professional with over 15 years of experience in driving brand growth and sales within the loyalty and entertainment industries.

She is the Marketing Director for Auckland Theatre Company, one of New Zealand’s largest performing arts brands, transforming their use of digital technology to improve customer experience, ticketing and marketing efficiencies. She is also on the board of sporting organisations Tennis Auckland (ASB Classic) and Baseball Victoria supporting the use of data-centric decision making and customer-led brand growth and fandom. 

Before moving back to New Zealand in 2021, she was the Digital Marketing Manager at Coles, and Head of Digital at The Australian Ballet. In this role in 2018 she won Australian Social Media Marketer of the year.

As AI technology advances, it is transforming the way search engines operate and how businesses optimise their online presence.

Richard Conway is one of NZ’s leading SEO experts and he joins us to share his predictions for how AI will revolutionise the future of Search, giving practical advice and examples to help you adapt.

About Richard

Richard Conway is the CEO, Director, and Founder of multiple digital agencies, including Pure SEO, Digital Popcorn, This Side Up, and The Conversion Surgeons. Richard has been facilitating the Marketing Association SEO Need to Know course for the past 8 years, he is also on the MA’s Digital special interest group and assists with speakers for the Digital Day Out. 

Richard was recently named as a finalist in the EY Entrepreneur of The Year Awards, he is also the Communications Chair on the board of Entrepreneurs Organisation and is an investor and mentor to several high-growth tech businesses. 

Richard has been involved in digital marketing since 2002. His primary company, Pure SEO, which is a Google Premier Partner has received a host of awards, including IAB Gold, Best Use of SEO &/or SEM (2021), The Deloitte Asia Pacific Fast 500 (7 years), and Westpac Auckland Business Awards.  Richard also teaches SEO for the University of Auckland Business School MBA and his company wrote the first NZQA-certified SEO course for another New Zealand university (level 7). 

AI has transformed the production of content and creative imagery this year. Concepts, formats and styles can be explored in a fraction of the time, saving time and costs, if you know how to do it. 

Our panel of content creators, marketers, and creatives is here to answer your questions. We want to know what tools and platforms they are using and experimenting with right now, how AI has changed their processes, and what creative and ethical challenges they've faced.

About Melanie

Melanie has had nearly 20 years’ experience as a senior marketer in Sydney and Auckland with heavyweight clients in retail, property, banking, FMCG, food & beverage, aviation and fashion. Socialites help organisations thrive in this dynamic digital world and do this by using social media to bring a brand’s DNA to life, creating loyal customers, communities and driving commercial outcomes.

AI has transformed the production of content and creative imagery this year. Concepts, formats and styles can be explored in a fraction of the time, saving time and costs, if you know how to do it. 

Our panel of content creators, marketers and creatives is here to answer your questions. We want to know what tools and platforms they are using and experimenting with right now, how AI has changed their processes, and what creative and ethical challenges they've faced.

About Helen

Helen is the award-winning lead copywriter and creative director at Words for Breakfast, a copywriting agency in Auckland.

She has a background in creative advertising, with expertise in digital copywriting. During her copywriting training sessions, Helen shows professionals how to clearly and persuasively express themselves in writing.

AI has transformed the production of content and creative imagery this year. Concepts, formats and styles can be explored in a fraction of the time, saving time and costs, if you know how to do it. 

Our panel of content creators, marketers and creatives is here to answer your questions. We want to know what tools and platforms they are using and experimenting with right now, how AI has changed their processes, and what creative and ethical challenges they've faced.

About Steve

Steve has been working in B2B marketing in Australasia for 30 years as a strategic advisor to companies like OfficeMax, Canon Australia, Speedy Signs, Lockwood, Wrightson, Villa Maria, Purex, and Winstone. During that time, he founded and ran a leading B2B marketing agency, BallantyneTaylor, and in recent years Story IQ - a brand story marketing agency that helps brands elevate their marketing through strategic storytelling.

Steve is also a director and shareholder in a group of recruitment and digital marketing businesses that have over 2500 customers, so he does get to practice what he preaches in the real world. Steve is passionate about helping brands build stronger engagement with their stakeholders by using powerful, proven story frameworks.

He has learnt these principles from both coal face experience and studying the world’s leading experts on narrative science and story structure and has formulated them into a story-driven marketing system that works. 

AI has transformed the production of content and creative imagery this year. Concepts, formats and styles can be explored in a fraction of the time, saving time and costs, if you know how to do it. 

Our panel of content creators, marketers and creatives is here to answer your questions. We want to know what tools and platforms they are using and experimenting with right now, how AI has changed their processes, and what creative and ethical challenges they've faced.

About Carlene

With 20+ years of experience making brands shine, Carlene feels on top of the world when she can tap into what is most important to a client and then express that to the market with creative flair and impact. A seasoned producer of television and digital media alongside marketing strategy, Carlene is confident of delivering work that connects with people & delivers commercial results.