Keynote presentation - Naomi Simson

For more than 25 years, Naomi Simson has been bringing people together — through her experience with businesses, her keynote speaking, and her writing. She is one of Australia’s most passionate advocates for business owners and entrepreneurs.

After a successful corporate career with Apple, KPMG, IBM and Ansett Australia, Naomi founded RedBalloon in 2001, growing it into one of the country’s most loved experience brands. In 2017, she went on to co-found Big Red Group, now the largest platform of experiences across Australia and New Zealand.

Beyond building businesses, Naomi is a prolific blogger at naomisimson.com, the voice behind the podcast Handpicked, and a regular business commentator. Many also know her as the #RedShark from four seasons of Shark Tank Australia.

With more than 2.6 million followers on LinkedIn, it’s clear that when Naomi speaks, people listen. She was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2026 for her services to business as an entrepreneur, and leadership.