No sales pitch. No hidden agenda. Just real, practical value shared by experts who get how regional businesses operate.
Join local small and medium business owners, managers, marketers, and decision-makers in the Mid North Coast for a day of discussions on everything that matters: digital marketing and customer acquisition, business systems and processes, AI integration and automation, and cybersecurity and risk management.
You will leave with a clear understanding of how to grow your business online, streamline operations, and leverage digital tools and AI to future-proof your business.
Digital Deep Dive brings together a curated line-up of digital strategists, innovators, and business leaders who are shaping the way we work, market, and grow in a digital-first world.
Associate Professor
Global CMO and Co-lead of AI Adoption and Governance at Birdon
Founder, The Strategy Studio
Founder, Cloud Concepts
Senior Product Manager & AI, Atlassian
Economic Development Officer at Port Macquarie-Hastings Council
Founder, Stanfield Allen Lawyers
IT Security Lead at Integer IT
Managing Partner – Ripple Ag
Founder and Fun Director of DVINE Experiences
Experience and Engagement Manager at St Agnes' Catholic Parish
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Founder & Managing Director GAICD, Integer IT
Bringing over 35 years of global IT service management experience and now leads a Port Macquarie-based team focused on helping businesses align and secure their IT and cyber strategies.
Garry moved to Port Macquarie directly from London with his young family in 2013, it was intended to be for a year but ended up staying for good. He has 35 years of IT service management experience, including M&A, corporate infrastructure projects, global software procurement and SME security advice. He is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Integer IT is a managed service provider with its helpdesk based in Port Macquarie, it is focused on educating businesses in the Mid North Coast on how to mitigate their IT and cyber security risk. Integer’s aim is to align and secure their clients IT with their business strategies across multiple disciplines, technologies, and vendors.
Economic Development Officer at Port Macquarie-Hastings Council
Cara Starr is a Senior Economic Development Officer at Port Macquarie-Hastings Council, working on economic development across the region. She has more than 10 years’ experience in communications, marketing and making sense of business information, so she knows how to turn numbers into clear, useful answers. Cara also understands how government policy and regulations work, and is known for her clear communication and creative problem-solving. At Digital Deep Dive 2026, she will speak about AI, bringing practical, local knowledge to the topic.
Founder, Pickled Pair Media
Sis Higgins is a marketing and communications leader with 25+ years of experience helping brands grow through smart strategy, creative thinking, and a strong commercial lens. Her expertise spans demand generation, brand management, events, PR, and digital marketing, and importantly, always anchored in solid fundamentals and a clear focus on measurable results.
She’s worked with major organisations such as Woolworths Limited, Telstra, Australian Red Cross, McGraw Hill Education, and Wolters Kluwer, and across a wide range of industries including education, healthcare, finance, retail, and the not-for-profit sector.
As the founder of Pickled Pear Media, a full-service marketing and communications agency with clients across Australia and internationally, Sis helps businesses turn ideas into action, whether that means building a brand, generating leads, or improving the metrics that matter.
With a strong interest in what’s next, she’s also exploring how AI and automation can make marketing smarter, faster, and more human.
IT Security Lead at Integer IT
Gabe Blount is IT Security Lead at Integer IT, where she helps organisations protect themselves from online threats, respond when something goes wrong, and meet Australian Government security guidelines. Gabe has led technology at senior levels in government and international business, taught at the Australian Defence Force Academy, and holds a PhD and six degrees. She is especially interested in how people, organisations and technology affect each other, and in using AI responsibly. Gabe believes good online security is about leadership and culture, not just technology, and she brings that practical view to Digital Deep Dive 2026.
Global CMO and co-lead of AI Adoption and Governance at Birdon
Jane Hillsdon is Birdon’s global Chief Marketing Officer and co-leads its enterprise AI adoption and governance program across Australia and the United States. Her work explores what it takes to embed AI effectively within the business, from governance and workforce capability to change management and identifying where AI can create meaningful value. An IAPP-certified AI Governance Professional (AIGP), Jane brings an executive perspective to the opportunities and challenges of AI adoption, informed by a career spanning marketing, strategy and leadership across a range of industries.
Founder and Fun Director of DVINE Experiences
With over 25 years of experience building brands, businesses, and big ideas, Katie Turner’s mission is to create impact through connection — economically, socially, and experientially. Armed with a Bachelor of Economics, a background in media, and a deep understanding of AI-powered marketing, Katie has doubled the growth of her tourism brand, DVINE Experiences, in just 2 years.
From launching and scaling service-based businesses to developing digital strategies for SMEs and hosting podcasts that bring stories to life, Katie’s path has taken her from Potts Point to Port Macquarie — always led by purpose, people, and possibility.
As the Founder and Fun Director of DVINE Experiences, she curates luxury, all-inclusive regional experiences that celebrate the senses while driving business to local operators and supporting sustainable tourism. Whether it’s crafting strategic partnerships with airlines, leading Destination NSW presentations, or leveraging AI and media to accelerate growth, Katie champions ethical, community-first entrepreneurship as a powerful force for change.
Managing Partner – Ripple Ag
Stuart Goodfellow is managing partner of ripple ag, a farm business coaching practice based in Port Macquarie. With more than 40 years in business leadership, he helps Australian farmers build businesses that are profitable, strong and built to grow. Before starting ripple ag in 2009, Stuart spent 16 years in sales, marketing and senior roles in manufacturing. Since then he has worked with farmers across the board, from cattle and crops to oysters, orchards and flowers. He also runs cattle near Wauchope, so his advice stays grounded in real farming life. Stuart brings that practical, no-nonsense approach to Digital Deep Dive 2026.
Founder, Stanfield Allen
Dr Allison Stanfield is a highly experienced commercial lawyer, specialising in cyber security compliance, privacy and high value contracts. With deep expertise in navigating complex regulatory frameworks and emerging technologies, Allison advises clients on data protection compliance, risk management, and digital governance. Allison regularly works with businesses to draft and negotiate technology agreements, manage cyber security incidents, and implement practical strategies to safeguard data in an evolving digital landscape.
Experience and Engagement Manager at St Agnes' Catholic Parish
Tahlia Danks is Experience and Engagement Manager at St Agnes' Catholic Parish. She helps organisations change the way they work, with experience across the higher education and not-for-profit sectors.
Tahlia builds strong teams and brings people, processes and technology together, so the people they serve get a better experience. She holds degrees in communications and technology implementation, and was recently awarded a scholarship to study her MBA in technology and digital strategy at the University of Sydney.
At Digital Deep Dive 2026, Tahlia will speak about managing change and putting new ideas into action, so that new tools and ways of working actually stick.
Digital Deep Dive is bringing together regional business leaders, digital experts, and forward-thinking brands to explore what’s next in digital innovation. We partner with sponsors who believe in empowering regional businesses through knowledge, tools, and transformation.
Presenting Partner.
Strategic alignment with the region's 10- year Economic Development Strategy.
Our Local Government Area covers 34 communities spread across the coast and hinterland, in urban, suburban and rural environments. With pristine coastal and hinterland environments, world class restaurants and a vibrant community, the Port Macquarie-Hastings region is incredibly diverse, with huge opportunities for growth and development.
Presenting Partner.
Financial partner across marketing, on-the-day presence and program content.
Regional Australia Bank is a customer-owned bank that has been helping regional Australians achieve their lifestyle goals for more than 55 years.
With a longstanding history of supporting regional Australian businesses and a commitment to community initiatives, their support marks a major step for what this event represents.
Event Organiser.
As one of the region's leading digital services providers, Cloud Concepts Web Development are putting this event together to try to add value and clarity around what is possible within the digital space in 2026 and beyond.
Our belief is that improving the uptake and utilisation of digital technology is a key component in the economic development and scope of regional business.
Associate Professor and Director of Academic Quality, Standards and Integrity at Charles Sturt University
Dr Mark Bassett is an Associate Professor and Director of Academic Quality, Standards and Integrity at Charles Sturt University, where he helps make sure that what students learn, and how they are assessed, is fair and trustworthy. He wrote an award-winning guide to using AI responsibly, now used around the world, and his research looks at the risks of tools that claim to spot AI-written work. Mark was selected for an international program on safe and fair AI in education. He has worked in university leadership in four countries for over 19 years, and began his career in music audio production in Sydney.
Senior Product Manager & AI, Atlassian
Owen Wallis works at Atlassian, a global software company, where he helps make its tools smarter and easier to use. His focus is helping people find what they need quickly, using AI, the smart technology that is changing how we work. Owen has spent 24 years working in digital. For 14 of those years he has helped build new products, and before that he spent ten years leading teams that created online campaigns, games and live events. He loves turning big, messy problems into simple, lasting solutions. After introducing AI to the audience last year, Owen returns to Digital Deep Dive 2026 with a follow-up that builds on it.
Founder, The Strategy Studio
Tahnée Sanders is a messaging strategist, copywriter and AI trainer. Through her Port Macquarie consultancy, The Strategy Studio, she helps service-based business owners sharpen their brand message, write high-converting website copy and attract clients who value their expertise. With a background in journalism, content strategy and creative direction, Tahnée pairs timeless storytelling with AI tools to simplify content creation without losing authenticity. Having helped hundreds of business owners stand out, she joins Digital Deep Dive 2026 to show how marketing and AI work together to connect with the right clients and build sustainable growth.
Founder, Cloud Concepts
With over a decade of experience in digital development and strategic problem-solving, Ollie Brooke is the founder and director of Cloud Concepts, a web development agency that delivers high-impact digital solutions to regional businesses across Australia and beyond.
Since 2012, Ollie has led hundreds of web and systems projects spanning e-commerce, automation, and custom integrations. His work blends deep technical expertise, including full-stack development, QR systems, and API-driven platforms, with a human-first approach to user experience and client relationships.
As a long-time advocate for digital innovation, Ollie brings a pragmatic vision of transformation as a means to simplify, scale, and empower, not complicate. Through initiatives like the Digital Deep Dive, he's working to demystify digital technology for regional businesses while showcasing the innovation talent that exists on the Mid North Coast, prioritising demonstrated relevance to this regional market.
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