Now in its 13th year, with dozens of global editions under its belt, REMIX Summits returns to Sydney this week for a blockbuster conference – centering on the shared space between culture, technology and entrepreneurship in the creative industries.
The 2025 edition’s two-day programme brings together keynotes, intimate panel discussions and a host of on- and offsite networking opportunities set to take place Thursday through Friday.
To help T readers make the most of their Remix Summit Sydney 2025 schedule (there are over 50 speakers taking the rostrum), we’ve compiled a shortlist of our most anticipated events. A field guide, of sorts: to one of the largest creative industries summits in Australia.
Keynote: Beyond The Exhibit
In this late-afternoon highlight, Michele Smith, CEO of Seattle’s Museum of Pop Art (MoPOP), will unpack the role that innovation plays in deepening the global impact of cultural institutions.
As one of the key figures at the Frank Gehry-designed MoPOP, Smith champions storytelling in all of her museum’s programming: whether that is through the use of branded partnerships, micro-philanthropy or incorporation of new, viscerally interactive technologies.
“Unlike traditional museums that focus on fine arts or historical artefacts, we embrace the full breadth of pop culture,” says Smith. “Our audience is passionate and multigenerational. They want to see themselves reflected in the stories we tell.”
When: 4:15PM, Friday June 13th.
Photography courtesy of the Museum of Pop Culture
Phantom Peak’s Art of Storytelling
The capstone presentation at Day 1 of Remix Summit Sydney 2025 explores how a fully immersive, open-world narrative is central to success in the ‘experience economy’.
This keynote will be led by Nick Moran, Co-founder of Phantom Peak – a UK-based attraction that combines live actors, seasonal narratives and video game-style worldbuilding in a setting reminiscent of “Westworld”.
“We’ll be talking about how you design a world that can evolve – something that’s not just artistically rich but commercially sustainable,” says Moran. “It’s play for grown-ups, but it’s also a return to something ancient – storytelling as an embodied, communal act.”
When: 4:45PM, Thursday June 12th.
Photography courtesy of Phantom Peak
Keynote: Immersive at the Museé D’orsay
The first big mid-morning speaking engagement, on Day 1 of REMIX Summit Sydney, will see Agnès Abastado take to the main stage.
The Deputy Director of Digital at Paris’s Museé D’orsay will explain how she and the institution’s digital development teams have managed to harness technology in order to provide visitors with a uniquely immersive experience.
One notable example is the Museé’s “Inventing Impressionism” exhibition, in which Abastado worked alongside curators and technologists to create the setting of April 15th, 1874 – the night that marks the beginning of the First Impressionist Exhibition – in virtual reality.
“You can go into this exhibition and relive the evening with the artists and discover the genesis of this [artistic] movement,” says Abastado.
“We wanted to recreate the emotion for visitors of the 1874 exhibition, but we took a precise scientific approach so it is based on what we know of this evening.”
When: 11:30AM, Thursday June 12th
Agnès Abastado (pictured), who is Deputy Director of Digital & Head of Digital Development at the Museé d'Orsay. Photography courtesy of REMIX Summits
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Making A Home For Cultural Innovators: Lessons From Somerset House
Over the last decade, London’s Somerset House has emerged as a promising new model for cultural institutions – as one of the few world-class art centres that does not receive public funding.
To speak to the viability (and challenges) of such a model, REMIX has invited Jonathan Reekie, Director of Somerset House Trust, to speak this week in Sydney. The veteran arts festival organiser will tackle a range of topics that are of interest to those working at the intersection between art and commerce.
Audiences will hear about how Somerset House’s artists are working in increasingly interdisciplinary contexts; modern challenges in the funding environment; and changing needs of audiences.
When: 11:30AM, Friday June 13th
Photography courtesy of Somerset House
Keynote: Tech and Indigenous Tourism
Part of the REMIX Summit’s wider programming around “New Frontiers in Art & Tech”, this noontime keynote is being led by Matthew Cameron-Smith – CEO of Voyages Indigenous Tourism.
The company’s commitment to promoting “cultural tourism through sustainable practices” is best exemplified in its collaboration with Ayers Rock Resort: where experiences like the Field of Light or Wintjiri Wiṟu drone show are utilising modern-age mediums to tell ancient stories.
A centrepiece of Cameron-Smith’s presentation will be a discussion around securing talent and funding in indigenous tourism destinations. The aforementioned Wintjiri Wiru is an illustrative example: now one of the world’s largest permanent drone shows, made possible by $10 million of investment and installation design by studio RAMUS.
When: 12:15AM, Thursday June 12th
Photography courtesy of Ayers Rock Resort
REMIX Summit Sydney runs between June 12-13, at the Australian National Maritime Museum.
Discover the full schedule for the 2025 edition at remixsummits.com.
