Mavens a Proud Industry Partner of Cairns Crocs in 2027
Cairns Crocodiles has this week announced their 2027 event with a bold new identity, first speakers, regional ambassadors and awards now open.
Cairns Crocodiles, presented by Pinterest, has officially launched its 2027 festival, unveiling a bold new brand identity, revealing its first wave of speakers, launching a new regional ambassador program and opening entries for the 2027 Cairns Crocodiles Awards.
For the third year running, Mavens is proud to join a stellar lineup of industry partners that this year include the International Advertising Association, Australian Marketing Institute, the In-House Agency Council and more.
Returning to Cairns from 25–27 May 2027, the festival is gearing up for its sixth and biggest year yet, with refreshed advisory boards for both Cairns Crocodiles and Film & Screen and media accreditation also now open.
The launch follows a record 2026 festival, which welcomed more than 2,300 delegates and featured speakers including Academy Award-winning filmmaker Taika Waititi, S4 Capital founder and executive chairman Sir Martin Sorrell, endurance athlete and philanthropist Nedd Brockmann, creative leader Paula Bloodworth, advertising industry icon Jane Evans (with whom Mavens hosted two sideshows in Sydney and Melbourne) and The Chemical Brothers’ longtime visual director Adam Smith.
Creative women behind a bold new look
At the centre of the launch is a completely refreshed creative identity, designed in-house by The Misfits Media Company's senior designers Olivia Gordon and Elizabeth Sharko.
Built around the idea of connection, craft and play, the new look strips Crocs’ signature crocodile and cassowary back to recognisable shapes and introduces a vibrant new colour palette alongside playful motifs spanning microphones, cameras, laptops and more.
Rather than relying on one hero image, Gordon and Sharko created a flexible visual system that can move from a six-metre festival screen to a small sticker while remaining unmistakably Crocs.
“The new identity reflects where we’re heading in 2027: bigger, bolder and more ambitious, while still retaining the personality and irreverence that makes Crocs unmistakably Crocs,” said David Hovenden, co-founder of Cairns Crocodiles and CEO of The Misfits Media Company.
“We’ve evolved, we’ve matured and we know exactly who we are and where we’re going. Brands and creativity are at the heart of everything we do, and this new look brings that evolution to life in a way that feels unmistakably Crocs.”
Platforming important voices
Cairns Crocodiles has also revealed its first wave of speakers, spanning Australia, Asia, Europe and the US and bringing together global marketers, creators, journalists and creative leaders.
We're particularly intent on attending Sherele Moody's talk. The award-winning Social Justice Journalist, 'She Matters' Podcast Host and Founder of Australian Femicide Watch has been documenting the women and children lost to men's violence for over ten years. This year, she's calling for a Royal Commission into femicide due to government inaction (please sign the petition here). At Mavens, we strongly believe in the power of advertising to affect what's acceptable in our societies and culture, and we look forward to hearing what Sherele Moody has to share with the industry when it comes to women's safety.
There's also Lem Zakharia, queer Creator, Brand Builder, Podcast Producer & Director of Bedou – a new podcast production house in Sydney. If you're a longtime fan of Abby Chatfield's 'It's a Lot' pod, you'll remember Lem's voice and talent as a key builder of the show's success. And if you attended Cairns Croc's last year, you might remember catching Chatfield herself on stage. Brilliant women, professional talkers – we love watching podcast people live.
We're also excited to hear from Tetyana Denford – Ukrainian-American Author, Speaker and Founder of the Nobody Cares Movement. She's known for beginning her videos with short clips of toxic social commentary, which she cuts off with 'Ya, nobody cares' before launching into wholesome facts and fabulous storytelling designed to spark curiosity and kindness – brightening the feeds of her 800k followers (including ours).
Oh, and if you've ever been to Southeast Asia or worked with food delivery clients, you'll know of Grab. In 2025, they grew to 129M users – the stakes don't get much higher. Cheryl Goh is their Group Head of Marketing (Sustainability, Loyalty and Support) and she'll take the stage to talk about her work overseeing the full business P&L of Grab's loyalty programs, and how she combines deep brand-building expertise with operational and commercial accountability.
More fantastic speaker names announced as of September 2025:
Lindsey Belknap, Global Vice President, Marketing, ŌURA
Joe La Pompe, Creative Plagiarism Hunter, Founder & Author
Tristan Graham, VP, Executive Creative Director, Vacation
Serena Kim, Integrated Media & Marketing Communications Manager, IKEA Korea
Further speaker announcements will follow over the coming months.
Cairns Crocodiles Awards 2027 now open
Entries are officially open for the 2027 Cairns Crocodiles Awards, calling on agencies, brands and creative teams from across Asia Pacific to put their best work forward.
The awards attracted close to 350 entries in 2026, with work submitted from markets including Australia, Japan, India and Thailand. Dentsu Inc. Japan took home the Grand Prix and 15 Crocodile Awards, while Grey Thailand’s “Fertilizer 2.5” collected six Crocodile Awards.
Two new categories have been introduced for 2027: Advocacy and Pet Care.
“The Crocodiles have always been about celebrating ideas that have real bite, work that is brave, effective and makes an impact beyond the industry bubble,” said Rosie Oakshott, managing partner, The Misfits Media, B&T and Cairns Crocodiles.
“As we head into 2027, we want to see even more of the incredible creativity coming out of every corner of Asia Pacific represented on that stage in Cairns.”
The Advocacy category will recognise work created to champion a cause, issue or movement and drive meaningful awareness, conversation or action, while Pet Care will celebrate creativity across the rapidly growing pet economy.
Early-bird entries close on 11 March 2027, with finalists announced on 21 April ahead of the Awards ceremony in Cairns on 27 May.
Refreshed advisory boards
Cairns Crocodiles has refreshed its advisory boards for 2027, bringing together senior leaders from across Asia Pacific’s marketing, media, creative and entertainment industries to help contribute to the festival’s programming and direction.
New additions to the main Cairns Crocodiles Advisory Board include Morihiko Hasebe, Global Executive Creative Director at Hakuhodo; Jessica Yue, Founder and CEO of POLARIS+; Sangeeta Leach, Founder, Executive Coach and Board Member.
And Shyaire Ganglani, See It Be It 2026 Alum, Head of AWARD School Online, a contributing Editor at Mavens and ACD at Leo Burnett.
“It’s important that we mix up our advisory board each year and make sure we’re soaking up smart insights and fresh perspectives from a mix of people, markets and disciplines,” said Pippa Chambers, content director of Cairns Crocodiles.
The Film & Screen Advisory Board has also been refreshed, with new additions including Gavin Merriman, Strategic Brand and Marketing Leader at Jaguar Land Rover; Adam Ferrier, Founder of Thinkerbell; Annabelle Gigliotti, Managing Director at Organic; Georgia Woodward, Chief Operating Officer at The Post Lounge; and Stephanie Taylor-Carrillo, Senior Director, Communications at Warner Bros. Discovery.
Regional Ambassador Program Launches
Cairns Crocodiles has also launched a new regional ambassador program for 2027, with senior industry figures helping champion the festival and uncover ideas, talent and opportunities across key Asia Pacific markets.
The first ambassadors are Gill Zhou in Shenzhen, Yuli Park in Seoul, Hideo Rai in Tokyo and Rajeev Raja in Mumbai.
“Rajeev is coming back for his third Cairns Crocodiles, having already given us a keynote, a masterclass and helped launch our sonic logo. He’s a fascinating person and a brilliant ambassador for us in India,” said Chambers.
“Gill has had an incredible career and is a Marketing Academy legend, Yuli is already helping us uncover brilliant talent out of Korea and Hideo is incredibly connected across Japan. They’re exactly the kind of people we want as our eyes and ears across the region.”
Melinda Petrunoff, managing director, Australia and New Zealand, Pinterest, said the platform was proud to continue its partnership with the festival.
“We’re proud to continue our partnership with Cairns Crocodiles. The festival has built incredible momentum year after year, and we’re excited to be part of its continued evolution and see what 2027 brings.”
Film & Screen Returns
Following a hugely popular debut in 2026, Cairns Crocodiles’ Film & Screen track returns on Wednesday 26 May, bringing filmmakers, directors, producers, actors and screen executives together with marketers, brands and creatives to explore the forces shaping what we watch and how it gets made.
In 2027, the marriage of screen and marketing will be firmly in the spotlight, with a focus on the rapidly evolving relationship between brands, marketing and the screen industry.
“Film & Screen was an immediate hit in its first year. What became really clear was the appetite for bringing these two worlds together and how much they have to offer each other,” said Nancy Hromin, Film & Screen co-curator and director and owner of The Misfits Media.
“The screen industry is navigating enormous change in how projects are funded, commissioned and distributed, while brands are looking for more meaningful ways to connect with audiences. There’s a huge opportunity when you bring those people into the same room.”
As traditional advertising models continue to shift, the 2027 program will explore the changing role brands can play in entertainment, from product placement and partnerships to financing, commissioning, original IP and creative collaboration.
The first Film & Screen speakers and sessions for 2027 will be revealed in the coming months.
Media Accreditation & Topics In The Tropics Open
Media accreditation for Cairns Crocodiles 2027 is now open to journalists, photographers, editors, bloggers and content creators, with successful applicants receiving an all-access festival pass.
The Topics in the Tropics portal also remains open until the end of October, inviting the industry to pitch ideas and conversations for the 2027 program.
Cairns Crocodiles Presented by Pinterest takes place from 25–27 May 2027 at the Cairns Convention Centre.
Tickets for Cairns Crocodiles 2027 are now on sale here.
About Cairns Crocodiles
Cairns Crocodiles, presented by Pinterest, is Asia Pacific’s premier creative and marketing festival, bringing together leaders from across media, marketing, technology and culture for a multi-day program of ideas, inspiration and connection in Far North Queensland. The festival also hosts the Cairns Crocodiles Awards, Cairns Hatchlings, which focuses on emerging talent, Cairns Masterclasses and more.
