Day 1 – Wednesday 29 October
- Night Shift Stage
- The Precinct
- Access All Areas Stage
- Town Square
- NEON Lab
- The Engine Room
- NEON Foyer
| Time | Session | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 9:45am | Welcome to Country | Welcome to Country with Uncle Michael West. Opening remarks with MC Jess Scully. |
| 9:55am | Minister’s welcome | The Hon. John Graham, MLC, NSW Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy, opens Neon Forum 2025. |
| 10:10am | The next 24 hours: Commissioner’s keynote | Join 24-Hour Economy Commissioner Michael Rodrigues as he sets the agenda for NEON Forum and beyond. |
10:30am | The fast and the famous: The success story of the Sydney Metro | Hear the story of Sydney Metro, Australia’s biggest transport project which is transforming and transporting our 24-hour city. |
| 10:45am | Global nights, local insights: Data-driven strategies for vibrant and inclusive nightlife | Join leaders from across the globe for a forward-thinking conversation on audience development, governance and the future of nightlife. |
| 11:20am | Walk this way: Arup Night Tours | Hear from experts at Sydney’s Arup Night Tours on how to improve walkability after dark. |
12:00pm | Night to day: The sober shift and rise of the morning economy | From 5am run clubs to coffee raves, a new and early rising experience economy is emerging. Who is driving it, and what impact and opportunities does it present for traditional nightlife, the economy and community wellbeing? |
12:50pm | Destination NSW: Visitor Economy Strategy 2035 Unpacked | Join the CEO of Destination NSW, Karen Jones, to explore how we can collectively bring the NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2035 to life. |
| 1:10pm | Data in motion: Mapping the pulse of the night-time economy | Following the launch of Visa’s inaugural Night-time Economy index, what is the evolving role of spend and other data in shaping vibrant, inclusive night-time economies? |
| 2:30pm | In conversation: QLD Night-life Economy Commissioner John ‘JC’ Collins AM | What’s the state of nightlife across Australia? Don’t miss this chat between NSW 24-Hour Economy Commissioner Michael Rodrigues and Queensland Night-life Economy Commissioner John ‘JC’ Collins AM. |
| 3:20pm | Hand over the key: Unlocking creative spaces | It's the two words that frustrate creatives everywhere: ‘under-utlised space’. With an abundance of space sitting empty yet a lack of affordable options, how can we unlock the potential for creatives to turn these real estate blank canvases into cultural masterpieces? |
4:30pm | Unlocking the potential of 24-hour economies: World Economic Forum unpacked | Hear from the World Economic Forum on the global opportunities and insights to unlocking NSW’s night-time economy. |
4:50pm | From publican to performer: Titanique’s Marney McQueen | Hear the remarkable story of this performer turned publican, now back on stage, in this enthralling session. |
| 5:10pm | Day 1 closing remarks | NEON Forum MC Jess Scully and 24-Hour Economy Commissioner Michael Rodrigues close Day 1 of NEON Forum. Join us at Ace Hotel Sydney around the corner in Hollywood Quarter for networking drinks. |
| 5:20pm | Networking drinks | Follow us around the corner to Ace Hotel Sydney in Hollywood Quarter for networking drinks and after dark walking tours. |
| 7:30pm | Reimaging the night: A guided urban lighting Walk | Leaving from Ace Hotel, join Arup for an exclusive after-dark walk around Hollywood Quarter and surrounding areas, to demonstrate how the night-time experience shapes our perception and use of public and private space. |
| Time | Session | Description |
|---|---|---|
12:00pm | Regional anchors: Venues as community, social and cultural centres | Hear from 3 venues at the heart of their regional communities, helping them thrive socially, culturally and economically through after-dark activities. |
| 12:50pm | From grassroots to global recognition: Sydney’s superstar precincts | Delve into the fascinating journeys of Sydney’s latest precincts to gain international acclaim. |
2:30pm | The climate-ready night: Resilience after sunset | Learn why night-time activity is a crucial and overlooked dimension of urban climate resilience – and how we can tackle it. |
3:20pm | Let me dream it: First Nations creatives on transforming venues into vibrant cultural hubs | Hear how First Nations creatives are taking inspiration from ‘Dreaming’ to transform venues into vibrant hubs of cultural activity and innovation. |
| Time | Session | Description |
|---|---|---|
12:00pm | Walk the talk: Women and gender diverse people’s safety after dark | Join this important panel as experts discuss the reality of women and gender diverse people’s experiences at night and what needs to happen next. |
| 12:50pm | How men can help prevent workplace sexual violence | Join this panel discussion on the ways men can foster safer, more supportive workplace environments. |
2:30pm | Open to all: Accessibility and inclusion in music venues | From physical access to sensory-friendly programming, Sound NSW shares how the live music industry can remove barriers to full participation. |
3:20pm | Night workers 101: understanding NSW’s night-time workforce | From jobs, skills and data to operational and wellbeing initiatives tailored to night workers, this is an unmissable introduction to understanding the power and possibility of the NSW night workforce. |
| Time | Session | Description |
|---|---|---|
12:00pm | Face to Face Neon Marketplace: Reverse Pitch | Hear how you can collaborate with some of NSW’s leading arts, cultural and sporting events as they share what’s ahead for 2026 and beyond in a series of reverse pitches. |
| 2:30pm | Face to face Neon Marketplace: Connections Cafe | This closed session for major events and District Coordinators is invite-only. |
| Time | Session | Description |
|---|---|---|
12:00pm | Masterclass: Writing a local night-time economy strategy | Learn the tips and tools to create your own night-time economy strategy in this interactive session. |
| 12:50pm | Regional night-time economy: Ask us anything | Your chance to ask us anything about the inaugural Regional Night-Time Economy Program while applications are currently open in this open-format session. |
| 2:30pm | I’ve got a problem with… | Have ideas to improve government processes? Share them with NSW Hospitality Concierge and Small Business Commission in this solution-focused session. |
| Time | Session | Description |
|---|---|---|
12:00pm | The margin game: Keeping profits alive when costs are climbing | Explore strategies to combat rising operational costs facing your business in this expert panel discussion. |
| 12:50pm | SEPS on show: Special Entertainment Precincts in progress | Hear from 4 local councils working to establish SEP trials on how they’re tailoring their SEPs to meet the unique needs of their local areas and communities. |
2:30pm | Follow the leaders: Special Entertainment Precincts | Follow the policy experts after the showcase to dive deeper in this workshop to explore the opportunities Special Entertainment Precincts (SEPs) create for councils and businesses. |
3:20pm | Behind Purple Flag: An interactive workshop | Discover how your precinct can achieve Purple Flag accreditation in this hands-on, interactive workshop using real-world examples. |
| Time | Session | Description |
|---|---|---|
All day | NEON Lab | Discover the innovative brands and businesses transforming how we live, play and work after dark with NEON Lab. From energy and tech, to new ways to connect IRL, hear their individual pitches or visit them at your leisure in the NEON Foyer throughout the conference. |
Day 2 – Thursday 30 October
| Time | Session | Description |
|---|---|---|
9:45am | Welcome to Country | Welcome to Country with Aunty Joan Bell. Opening remarks with MC Jess Scully. |
| 10:10am | Review of regulatory barriers impeding a vibrant 24-hour economy | Hear the highlights from the latest productivity report into the night-time economy, followed by a fireside chat with the Commissioners to discuss what happens next. |
| 10:30am | Around the world in 24 hours: International quickfire keynotes | Gain invaluable global insights in this series of quickfire keynotes from our 5 international speakers:
|
| 12:00pm | Street stories: Making planning community events easier | Discover the latest changes and initiatives that are helping councils, event organisers, venues and businesses to better stage sustainable local events. |
| 12:50pm | The festival effect: Lessons from NSW’s most successful festivals | What’s the secret to staging a successful festival in 2025? Three of NSW’s best festivals share their stories in this series of quickfire keynotes. |
| 2:30pm | What’s in it for me? Vibrancy Reforms unlocked | Understand first-hand how the benefits and opportunities of the NSW Government’s latest Vibrancy Reforms can help you. |
| 3:20pm | Tuning in: Practical ways to integrate local music into your projects and campaigns | Learn practical ways to meaningfully collaborate with local NSW artists. |
| 4:30pm | Myth-busting: The generation game | To close out NEON Forum, don’t miss this exciting discussion on how different generations spend their nights out. |
5:00pm | NEON Forum 2025 wrap up | 24-Hour Economy Commissioner Michael Rodrigues and NEON Forum MC Jess Scully close out this year’s conference with final remarks. |
| Time | Session | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00pm | Dark sky tourism: Uluru night-time experiences | Discover the rise of dark sky tourism, with a spotlight on Uluru’s night-time experiences shaped by sustainability and collaboration with Traditional Custodians. |
| 12:50pm | Plugged in: How music venues shape space to build community | Hear expert panellists discuss how NSW music venues use design, accessibility and community engagement to create vibrant cultural hubs. |
| 3:20pm | In conversation: NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon | Don’t miss this fireside chat between NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon and 24-Hour Economy Commissioner Michael Rodrigues. |
| Time | Session | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00pm | Burning the midnight oil: The changing nature of productivity at night | From the demands of the ‘convenience economy’ to the soon to be opened Western Sydney International airport and lessons from New York, explore the macro-economic changes shaping NSW’s night workforce. |
| 12:50pm | Safety in numbers: The role of nightlife in collective wellbeing | Unpack how nightlife is integral to cultivating community and promoting social wellbeing in this session. |
| 2:30pm | Follow the Speaker | Stacey Forrester, Practical measures for creating safe, inclusive spaces | Practical tips and thinking on how to maintain a fun nightlife culture that doesn’t come at the cost of inclusion or safety. |
| 3:20pm | Night workers 101: Understanding NSW’s night workforce | Explore how NSW’s night-time workforce will change and evolve over the next 5 years. |
| Time | Session | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00pm | Follow the leaders: Deep dives with our international experts |
|
| 12:50pm | Follow the leaders: Deep dives with our international experts |
|
| 3:20pm | Follow the leaders: Vibrancy Reforms | Speak directly with the Vibrancy Reforms team and learn how the changes could impact your area or business. |
| Time | Session | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 12:10pm | NEON Lab pitch 1: Allara Global | Mobile-first hospitality training for late night venues, pubs, clubs and entertainment precincts. |
| 12:30pm | NEON Lab pitch 2: Choice Energy | Australian energy consultancy helping businesses reduce their energy bills. |
| 12:50pm | NEON Lab pitch 3: Provender Australia | Smart fridges designed for the night-time economy and look after night workers |
| 1:10pm | NEON Lab pitch 4: Amicii | Building thriving communities through hospitality innovation. |
| 2:40pm | NEON Lab pitch 5: Otter: Dam Good Dating | Making nights out more meaningful, for couples and venues. |
| 3pm | NEON Lab pitch 6: Raise The Bar | App helping independent hospitality operators boost profit and reduce stress. |
| 3.20pm | NEON Lab pitch 7: FreeGuides | Connecting businesses with over 100,000 guests staying at hotels every month. |