Gorgi Quill
With a background in news, current affairs, travel, entertainment, science, education and professional singing, Gorgi Quill is one o f Melbourne media’s most well-rounded television presenters. Gorgi has been the Melbourne reporter and travel presenter f or the Today Show on the Nine Network, a presenter and host o n Holidays f or Sale , and the Victorian travel s how Postcards. During her time at the Nine Network, Gorgi was the Melbourne Re porter for National Nine News Early Edition in 2005 and worked as a reporter on the 6pm bulletin for National Nine News in Melbourne. Her skills saw her quickly advance to a more prominent on-air role as travel reporter for the Today Show touring locations throughout Australia and the world including South America, the United States and Canada. Gorgi is an accomplished and highly respected MC, and is renowned as a classically trained singer and professional stage performer. Viewers have seen her perform on the prestigious Channel 9 Carols by Candlelight in 2008, 2007 and 2006, Celebrity Singing Bee and Abbamania .
Tuesday 24th March 2009
Peter Thurin
Coming from a successful business background, where he owned and operated several Melbourne pharmacies over twenty years, unlike many other business speakers, Peter offers a truly multi- dimensional perspective on achieving success. An outstanding sportsman, Peter twice represented Australia in international tennis and achieved a 3rd Dan blackbelt in taekwondo after taking up martial arts at the age o f 36. He also coached junior football for many years and is now chairman o f the match committee for one o f the country ’s largest junior Australian Rules football clubs. Peter Thurin’s presentation, blackbelt in excellence , aimed to inspire and empower people, through encouragement and support, to b e the best they can be one belt at a time.
Brennon Dowrick
Olympian Brennon Dowrick is one of Australia’s most successful gymnasts and one of our country’s most innovative, entertaining and effective motivational speakers. While competing at the top international level Brennon completed a Bachelor of Journalism and worked with one of Australia’s major companies. Brennon’s experiences as a speaker have also led him to develop Performance Max, a unique corporate health and fitness education program accessing Australia’s top sports science and medicine professionals. Brennon’s inspirational and unique presentation is guaranteed to be a highlight of your conference or event. It benefi ts delegates and their organisation for the months and years to follow. Brennon’s effective and valuable ideas help delegates to achieve personal goals and reach organisational targets. Brennon’s presentation is truly unique. Not only does he motivate and inspire with words he reinforces them with a step by step live demonstration on the pommel horse. This culminates in the performance of his 9.9 Gold Medal winning pommel horse routine - the realisation of 12 years of dedication and commitment to achieving beyond his dreams.
Sports Panel hosted by Craig Hutchison
Sponsored by McCormick Foods Australia
Craig Hutchison
Hutchison began his career as a journalist on News Corporation’s Australian newspapers, and then moved to commercial television network, Channel S even, where he won more than a dozen awards. In October 2005, Hutchison moved to New York to establish a radio syndication business. Hutchison formed Crocmedia in 2006 with fellow Aussie James Swanwick. Now C EO of the Crocmedia group, Hutchison’s vision has seen the company grow from four employees to 22 in just over two years, with expansion in three countries and four cities. In 2007, Hutchison joined the Nine Network i n the specially created role o f A FL editor, where his reputation of breaking top AFL stories sees him p lay an instrumental role in programs The Footy Show and the award-winning Footy Classified. He is also a columnist for Australia’s highest read newspaper, Sunday Herald Sun. Hutchison’s was awarded AFL’s reporter o f the year award s even times and he was the recipient o f Victoria’s highest journalism accolade, the Quill Award for outstanding excellence in journalism, in 2002. Hutchison was highly commended again in 2005. Hutchison has been nominated f or a prestigious Walkley Award, the highest honour in Australian journalism.Jane Flemming
Golden girl Jane Flemming is one o f Australia’s most loved s porting legends. During her career the dual Olympian won two Commonwealth Games Gold Medals, countless national titles and broke literally hundreds of records over a period of 15 years in elite competition. Jane retired from athletics in 1998 to concentrate on her media and commercial commitments. S he has worked for Channel 7, 9 and 10 in Olympic, Commonwealth and World Championship commentary roles as well as appearing o n numerous programs as a special guest. Jane’s athletic success is mirrored in her commercial life with successful business ventures including the conception and marketing o f the number one selling Golden Girls calendars both in Australia and the UK. S he is a sponsorship marketing and strategies consultant to several large corporations. S he is also a sports commentator on television and radio and regularly contributes to magazines including a weekly column in Woman’s D ay, the highest selling weekly magazine in Australia. Jane is also involved in Sponsorship Consulting, Event Management, International Athlete Agency and Sports Marketing.
Garry Lyon
Garry Lyon was one of the stars of the AFL throughout the late eighties and nineties. Recruited from Kyabram, Garry Lyon played his first senior game for Melbourne in 1986 and made an immediate impression in the red and blue.Football was in his blood, with father Peter being part of Hawthorn’s 1963 Premiership side. He quickly made his mark on the Melbourne side, winning not only the Best First Year Player award in 1986, but also coming second in the Best And Fairest. He was also named Most Consistent Player in 1994, and received the Tooheys Award for Inspirational Performance in 1995. His on-field presence and outstanding play also made him and ideal captain, a post he held from 1991 to 1997.Garry has played 224 games and kicked 423 goals, second only to the legendary Norm Smith (546 goals). His player honours include Best And Fairest 1990 and 1994, Second Best And Fairest 1986, Third Best And Fairest 1989, All Australian 1993, 1994 and 1995, leading goalkicker 1994 and 1995.In the last few years of his career Lyon was dogged by a serious back injury, his fearless style of play contributing to his run of injuries. Eventually, the injuries caught up with him and in 1999 Garry announced his retirement, ending a remarkable career.Lyon is now fostering a media career appearing on Channel 9, Radio station SEN and writing for The Herald Sun. Garry is also co-host of Radio SEN weekday Breakfast show in Melbourne.
Matthew Johns
Television host, rugby league analyst, actor, author, singer and funnyman - Matthew Johns is one of Australia’s most talented entertainment professionals. The former Australian rugby league international recently signed a new long-term agreement with the Nine Network that will continue to provide the platform for his successful forays into the world of entertainment. In tandem with his own success, his alter ego Reg Reagan has also become one of Australia’s favourite personalities. At Nine, Johns is the extremely-popular host of The Footy Show and a much-respected rugby league analyst on the network’s NRL match coverage. His association with Sony BMG Music Entertainment has led to a multi-platinum Reg Reagan DVD release - “All of Me” - and a gold status single “Am I Ever Gonna See The Biff Again” which earned a 2004 ARIA nomination. In 2004, his debut book - Reg Reagan’s ‘This Is My Life’ - produced an excellent result for the writer and publisher Pan Macmillan. He signed a two book deal with publishing giant Harper Collins in early 2007. Johns also has a leading role in the film “The Final Winter” which has been signed by Paramount Pictures which will be released in August 2007. The former Newcastle Knights, Wigan Warriors and Cronulla Sharks star also has corporate associations with McDonalds, TAB Ltd, Fosters, News Limited and the car dealer Worthington Prestige. He is also an ambassador of The Sony Foundation, which in recent years has raised more than $7 million to support a number of charitable organisations. Johns’ media and promotional life kicked off in 2002 after he he was forced into early retirement because of a recurring shoulder injury. His uncanny combination with brother Andrew ‘Joey’ Johns during the 1990s spearheaded many a Knights victory …and one they will always savour is the last-minute triumph over Manly in the 1997 ARL grand final. Matthew Johns is one of Australia’s most sought-after corporate MCs and hosts.
Wednesday 25th March 2009
Lincoln Hall
Sponsored by OMD
Lincoln Hall is best known for his miraculous survival after being left for dead high on Mount Everest in 2006. Behind that amazing feat lies a long history of adventure. He has climbed more than forty mountains in nine countries. He has sailed a small yacht to Antarctica, where his team became the first to climb formidable Mount Minto, and he led the first team to ski to the glaciated source of the Ganges in the Indian Himalaya.Six documentaries have been made of his expeditions, most recently Miracle on Everest (ABC1, 2008). His eighth book, Dead Lucky, Life After Death on Mount Everest, is also a bestseller, and has been published in Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada and Germany. His latest book, Alive in the Death Zone, is written for younger readers. His achievements led to being awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to mountaineering.These days it is Lincoln’s dramatic experiences alone high on Everest that draws the crowds. He did not survive his night out alone near the summit unscathed. His hands are damaged by severe frostbite, but he continues to rock climb - a much safer past-time than mountaineering.
David Koch
Sponsored by James Richardson
Before Sunrise, Kochie was a pure finance nerd. He’s still one of Australia’s foremost business and finance commentators but his first love now is teaming up with Mel to host Australia’s number one breakfast program.David still maintains his passion for money matters and is heard on radio stations around Australia and writes finance columns for New Idea and AFR Investor.A survey conducted by Money Management newspaper recognised David as one of the 10 most influential people in establishing the retail financial services industry. A Reader’s Digest survey found he is also one of the top 25 most trusted people in Australia. David has a strong interest in small business issues and was a director of the NSW Small Business Development Corporation for over six years being appointed to the board at its inception in 1996. As a former business owner, operator and company director, David is in demand as a presenter and regularly addresses a wide range of corporate events and groups. His specialty is speaking on success in small business and investment issues as well as providing practical tips. David speaks informatively from a base of personal experience and knowledge of business and financial issues. But finance aside, he’s also an all-round good bloke and family man, making him perfect for this role on Sunrise. He’s coached his kids rugby, netball and basketball teams while serving on the council of his daughter’s school. Just please don’t ask him about the Wallabies or Port Power.
Thursday 26th March 2009
Jeff Kennett
Sponsored by Ace Radio
Mr Kennett was elected Leader of the Opposition in October 1982. Under his leadership, the Victorian Coalition was elected to Government on October 3, 1992, with two-to-one majorities in both Houses of Parliament - a position unparalleled in almost 140 years of responsible State Government in Victoria. In the Government’s first term, Mr Kennett held the positions of Premier and Minister for Ethnic Affairs. The Coalition was returned to office at the March 30, 1996, election with a net gain in representation across both Houses of Parliament.Mr Kennett continued as Premier, as well as serving as Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Minister for the Arts. He headed the Government’s peak industry organisations - the Ministerial Industry Council, Premier’s Business Round Table, Victorian Communications and Multimedia Task Force and Food Victoria, and chaired the Science, Engineering and Technology Task Force.Under his Premiership, Victoria earned the reputation as Australia’s most reformist government. They implemented extensive reforms of the Victorian public service, led Australia in privatisation of public authorities, reduced the State’s indebtedness from $33bn to $5.5bn, reinvigorated its economy and reinstated confidence among the Victorian community. On April 22, 1998, Victoria regained its AAA credit rating from international ratings agency, Standard and Poor’s.In November 1999, Mr Kennett resigned from the Victorian Parliament after 23½ years service to pursue a corporate career.Mr Kennett has travelled extensively internationally, and has a wide network of business and political contacts. He is currently the Chairman of:
- Beyondblue (A National Depression Initiative)
- Australian Seniors Finance
- Jumbuck Entertainment Limited
- Limited Open Windows Australia Limited
- Australian Commercial Catering
- Australian Football League Hawthorn Football Club
He is also Chairman of the not-for-profit community organisation Enterprise Ship Trust - which manages a replica of the ship that came to Australia during the first European settlement.
Mr Kennett was awarded the Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in January 2005 for his work with the Victorian Parliament, social and economic initiatives, arts, sport and mental health.
Where the Bloody Hell have you Been?
Yut Art is a corporate theatre company specialising in the production of high energy, theatrical teambuilding workshops and i nteractive entertainment. A uniquely McDonald’s theatre sports show … Where the Bloody Hell Have You Been? … pits convention delegates against a team of professional actors in a variety of unlikely scenarios.You have been warned!