The Office of the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner’s third annual NEON Forum brought together international and Australian experts in policy, placemaking and research to explore the emerging trends in NSW’s 24-hour economy.
Held at the Sydney Masonic Centre, the 2-day event featured 55 sessions and welcomed 135 speakers to unpack the future of NSW after dark.
The program explored NSW’s evolving night-time and early morning culture, from discussions on balancing safety and vibrancy with NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon, to interstate insights from Queensland’s Nightlife Commissioner, John ‘JC’ Collins.
Sessions spotlighted the First Nations stories and artists gaining prominence in venues and at events across the state, alongside discussions on harm reduction and building safer, more inclusive spaces for women and gender-diverse people.
Panel discussions were held with festival operators like Yours and Owls and the street event organisers behind Lakemba Nights during Ramadan, and NSW Productivity Commissioner Peter Achterstraat AM unpacked the barriers holding back the state’s night-time economy from the latest Productivity and Equality Commission Report.
NEON Forum 2025 also welcomed a global line-up of thought leaders, including:
- Yoshihito Kamada, NEWSKOOL, Tokyo (Japan)
- Carmen Zapata, Night Commissioner, Barcelona City Council (Spain)
- Jeffrey García, Executive Director, NYC Mayor’s Office of Nightlife (USA)
- Stacey Forrester, Education Director, Good Night Out Vancouver (Canada)
- Dr Alessio Kolioulis, Associate Professor in Urban Economic Development, University College London (UK)
- Saiful Salihudin, Lead, Urban Transformation, World Economic Forum (USA)
- Dr Andreina Seijas, Founder and Principal, Night Tank (Spain).
Finally, the Forum served as the launchpad for one of the Office’s latest initiatives, the Night Worker Action Plan, a first-of-its-kind framework designed to improve safety, wellbeing and recognition for the 1.27 million people who keep NSW running after dark.
Reflecting on the continued evolution of NSW’s 24-hour economy, NSW 24-Hour Economy Commissioner Michael Rodrigues said:
"This agenda and the work we all do is not just for fun. In fact, it's never been just for fun. It is the work that knits together the fabric of society, the communal table we gather around. That's not just for fun, that's for survival. It is the work that supports approximately 166,000 businesses. It's the work that funds the lives of 1.27 million workers. This is not just for fun, this is for livelihood. It is the work that elevates stories, that carries forward culture. This is not just for fun, this is how we preserve and how we evolve our identity.”
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