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Neon Marketplace's face-to-face sessions at NEON Forum spark collaboration across NSW.
In late October, the Office of the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner hosted its annual NEON Forum event, dedicated to the latest policy, research and thought leadership surrounding placemaking, night-time and 24-hour economies.
During the forum, the Neon Marketplace team brought the B2B platform to life through face-to-face sessions, designed to forge meaningful, in-person partnerships between NSW’s cultural sector and the Districts hosted on the platform.
Reverse Pitches equal real results
The first session of the event saw leading NSW arts, cultural and sporting events, including SXSW, Sydney Mardi Gras, Sydney Comedy Festival, Sydney Film Festival, Biennale of Sydney, Elite Sports NSW Events, BESydney and others pitch their plans in a rapid-fire format to an engaged audience. Attendees were given a glimpse into NSW’s upcoming cultural calendar, with opportunities to collaborate with each of these renowned event organisers.
Connections Café: opening opportunities
The invite-only Connections Café brought District Coordinators together with major event organisers for focused, speed-dating-style networking. Survey results showed strong satisfaction, with 75% of District Coordinators rating the session as either "very valuable" or "extremely valuable" for their work
James Declase, General Manager, Sydney Comedy Festival echoed this sentiment, sharing that he'd "had such a great time participating. Lots of great connections and discussions were had."
Bill Dimas, District Coordinator Chippendale Collective, also emphasised the benefits of the session, and the placemaking forum more broadly: "The District model is gaining momentum. Having international speakers at the conference and the ability to connect directly with partners...was very valuable."
With connections made and new relationships forming, the Neon Marketplace events at NEON Forum demonstrated the value of bringing together major cultural organisations and District representatives in focused, facilitated settings to open new doors for NSW’s 24-hour economy.
You can find opportunities for collaboration in NSW’s going-out economy via Neon Marketplace here.
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NEON Forum 2025 | F2F Neon Marketplace 24-Hour Economy NSW
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NEON Forum 2025 | F2F Neon Marketplace 24-Hour Economy NSW
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NEON Forum 2025 | F2F Neon Marketplace 24-Hour Economy NSW
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NEON Forum 2025 | F2F Neon Marketplace 24-Hour Economy NSW
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NEON Forum 2025 | F2F Neon Marketplace 24-Hour Economy NSW
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NEON Forum 2025 | F2F Neon Marketplace 24-Hour Economy NSW
We acknowledge that we live and work on Aboriginal land and recognise the strength, resilience and capacity of First Nations Australians. We also acknowledge all of the traditional owners of the land in NSW, and pay respect to First Nations Elders, past and present.
