About

With three decades of unwavering dedication to the event industry, Samuel stands as a seasoned expert, having successfully directed and orchestrated over 1500 diverse events. His extensive portfolio spans iconic national festivals, artistic showcases, iconic entertainment spectacles, dynamic B2B gatherings, enriching cultural celebrations, brand activations, and transformative place-centric events.

As an authority in the realm of venue and place activation along with large-scale, public space events, Samuel has honed his craft through a multifaceted career. He successfully intertwines his specialised experience in management and directorship across Events, Media, Entertainment, and Music, leveraging insights gained from his tenure in the public service with the Federal Government.

Samuel's unparalleled expertise encompasses the entire spectrum of the event landscape. Samuel consistently showcases his proficiency in Technical and Creative Production, meticulous Site and Venue Management, and adept handling of Risk, Safety, and WHS Management. His honed skill-set extends to pivotal aspects such as Communications, Branding, Marketing, Licensing, Permits, Approvals, and the nuanced art of Stakeholder and Supplier Management.

Samuel's visionary approach and comprehensive skill set position him as a prominent practitioner in the field, making an indelible mark on the dynamic and ever-evolving landscape of event management.

Key Positions:

Event Director Open For Lunch - Revamping a bustling four-block stretch of Sydney's central business district and a Western Sydney site into a stunning global spectacle, highlighting the city's internationally acclaimed hospitality culture, was a monumental task. With a seven-week preparation period, the result was an impressive $33.5 million Total PR Value in just a two-week campaign, reaching a staggering 2.45 billion people worldwide. The endeavor involved 18 restaurants serving patrons, marking the first-ever road closure of its kind. Coordinating with a diverse array of stakeholders from the public, private, and government sectors, Samuel spearheaded this project seamlessly, overseeing every intricate production and planning aspect from its conception to post-event reporting.

As the National Marketing Manager for ABC Radio Triple J, Samuel oversaw the management of numerous large-scale events, including concerts, outside broadcasts, and press conferences. Notably, Sam managed a six-date Australian Defence Force Concert Series in East Timor, orchestrating the tour in a live operational theatre that involved collaborative efforts with multiple Australian and East Timor agencies.

As a Co-Founder, Co-Director, and Co-Owner of the Good Vibrations Festival, with Merivale Group CEO Justin Hemmes, Samuel created a four-city, multi-genre music festival. This included guiding the conception, launch, and execution of this national touring festival as a Company Director, which successfully ran for over seven years and attracted an audience exceeding 500,000 attendees.

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Serving as the Director of the Smooth Festival of Chocolate, Samuel spearheaded the historic closure of George Street, orchestrating the expansion of the event from 60,000 to 150,000 attendees. Samuel's role involved implementing crucial enhancements, including the development of new signage and way-finding systems, as well as expertly managing pedestrian flow, crowd dynamics, risk factors, and traffic logistics. Samuel's comprehensive understanding of the intricacies within the Circular Quay and Rocks Precinct contributed significantly to the festival's success. The positive outcomes achieved during his tenure have been incorporated into ongoing precinct activation planning by Place Management.

In the realm of Production and Site Management for The Falls Music and Arts Festival, a national touring festival with five regional green sites and 85 000 PAX, Samuel has been instrumental in various capacities. This includes tasks such as curating and programming the artist lineup, overseeing stage and site management, negotiating pour and sponsorship rights, managing partnerships, handling production logistics, crafting event themes, and contributing significantly in many other facets throughout our enduring 19-year association with this event.

As the Project Director for Sydney Solstice, Samuel led a comprehensive initiative spanning multiple key precincts, including Darling Harbour and its surroundings, the CBD, YCK Laneways, South Eveleigh, Oxford Street, Newtown, and nearby areas. The program boasted over 180 events, attracting a substantial visitation of over 77,000 attendees to the free festival hub site over three days. The festival itself showcased a diverse blend of public, open-space events, and in-venue activations.

Samuel has steered more than 50 placemaking initiatives across New South Wales, encompassing notable locations such as Barangaroo, Darling Harbour, Paddington, South Eveleigh, Sydney's CBD, Byron Bay (including Firefly, Wynside Out, Sound West, Dark Day, Dark Night, Harbourside Cinema, Songwriters In The Rocks as well as events like the William Street Festival, Sydney Square Dance, City of Sydney Christmas Activations, and more.

Samuel has successfully overseen brand activations for a diverse array of clients, including but not limited to Tik Tok, Asahi, Amex, Avis, Red Bull, Accor Hotels, Diageo, Arnotts, Hyundai, NEC, Spotify, Sonos, Streets, NRL, and numerous others.

Samuel has effectively collaborated with a diverse array of stakeholders, including:

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Department of Infrastructure Trade, Transport, Regional Development, Communication and the Arts

Australian Defence Force

Australian Broadcasting Commission

Tourism Australia

Destination NSW

Create NSW

Department of Premier and Cabinet

Transport for NSW

Transdev

Altrac

NSW Premier's Office

NSW Special Minister of State, Minister for Roads, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Music and the Night -time Economy, and Minister for Jobs and Tourism

NSW Office of the 24 Hour Commissioner

Opera House

Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority / Place Management NSW

NSW Port Authority

NSW Maritime

Historic Houses Trust

NSW Police

NSW Fire

NSW Ambulance

Sydney Water

Business Western Sydney

Business Sydney

Committee For Sydney

Botanic Gardens of Sydney

The Sydney Western Harbour Business Improvement District

Crown Casino

Star City

Lend Lease

Mirvac

Sydney Fish Markets

and many more.

Samuel is dedicated to the continual execution of Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) training through an independent risk advisor, Risk Facilitator. This includes comprehensive training for Officers, Employees, Subcontractors, and Volunteers.

This commitment extends to critical operations, supplier, and site audits. Samuel implements on-site Risky Live Monitoring Systems and utilizes weather telemetric monitoring, collaborating with specialized weather experts from MetraWeather.

Samuel is actively dedicated to advancing the event industry in Australia through the Event Summit and Experience Summit Series. In these forums, he brings together global leaders in the event industry, featuring influential figures such as Craig Tiley (CEO AO and Tennis Australia), Harley Dubois (Chief Cultural Officer, Burning Man), Hugh Forrest (Co-President and Chief Programming Officer, South by Southwest - SXSW), Frank Supovitz (Senior Vice President Events, NFL), Elise Doganieri (Co-Creator and Executive Producer, The Amazing Race), and numerous other luminaries.

In navigating large-scale event operations across Australia, Samuel adeptly balances the intricacies of on-site operations, stakeholder management, creative and technical production, customer experience and budget oversight. His holistic approach integrates risk and safety measures to ensure the successfull stewardship of events.

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Dion has combined her vast experience in beverage marketing, hospitality, events and workplace culture into her role as General Manager of Premium Media. 

Dion’s experience extends across a broad cross section of organisations including Vodafone, Thales (Marine Technology), Australian Partners In Wine, Wine Island, The Smooth Festival of Chocolate, Mirvac and more. 

Dion brings with her combined tertiary qualifications from Sydney University, UNSW and University of Newcastle. This includes a Bachelor of Applied Science (Occupational Therapy), Graduate Diploma in Safety Science, Graduate Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety. These qualifications are well matched with the changing face of the experience industry. 

Dion is able to apply her previous proactive solutions to relevant HR, health, safety and wellbeing issues, with vast experience developing and implementing corporate wellbeing programs at Premium Media. 

Full of passion and drive, Dion manages our team with ease. 

Gabby has been involved in the music & events industries in various supportive roles, crossing over from Artist Management, Booking Agent, Event Coordinator, Producer to Head of Event Operations. 

With over 15 years in both sectors, Gabby has experience in Event & Project Management, Artists Liaison, Site Design, Live Entertainment Curation and Staff & Volunteer Management. 

She brings her A-Game to every project including Sydney Mardi Gras, Vivid at Taroga Zoo, This That Festivals, Festival X, NYE in the Park Festivals, Sydney Square Dance, Soundwest and Open For Lunch. 

Her passion for getting stuff done along with her grit and outspoken approach makes Gabby an integral part of the PM team. 

Matt is a highly skilled Event Manager and Project Director, experienced in multiple, major project disciplines. His skill-set extends across digital marketing, music & production touring, artist management, broadcast management, production management, touring & events logistics. Over the past 20 years, Matt has toured Australia, Asia, Europe and Northern America multiple times, with award winning artists and experience productions. 

Matt has worked with a range of large international sporting, brand, music and cultural organisations, including the World Surf League / The Association of Surfing Professionals, Quiksilver International and Fuel TV. Matt has helmed a number of large-scale cultural projects including A Day At The Park, The Big Pineapple Festival & Wonderland Festival. Matt has also managed award winning Australian artists including Ash Grunwald, The Beautiful Girls, The Dune Rats, Last Dinosaurs, Kid Mac and more. 

Within the Premium Media framework, Matt has worked as Event and Production Manager on a wide range of events including Smooth Festival Of Chocolate, Sound West, Open for Lunch, Experience Summit and Sydney Solstice. With his varied experience across not only major project logistics, but also digital marketing, broadcast management, sport, lifestyle, music, food & beverage experiences, Matt is truly an all round project professional. 

Previous Experience: Risk Manager - I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, Sail GP, Tourism Australia, SLSA, Red Bull Cape Fear, Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride 

Rachel is a highly experienced Public Relations, Marketing and Events professional with a specialised focus on lifestyle, retail, travel & tourism, hospitality, food and beverage brands, events & festivals. 

She has helped to launch dozens of brands in the domestic and international market from start-ups and boutique brands to established, elite brands. Rachel knows how to get people talking and create a bang. She provides the perfect balance between old-school and new age communications, evolving with the times and clients needs, driving the TSG 360 approach across brand and strategy development, marketing, event management, promotions, media relations and communications management including digital media development, content creation, corporate relations, social media and sponsorships. 

She overseas an experienced and agile marketing, public relations, social media, events and content creation team. Together, it is The Society Group’s decades of experience working with a multitude of brands across a range of disciplines, that allows each and every campaign to elevate to the next level. 

Christina is a valued asset to The Society Group team, working hand in hand on all client campaigns and assisting with all things PR, Marketing and Social Media. Christina offers a fresh approach to TSG clients, specialising in content creation and social media management. 

Christina assists with overall marketing and communications strategies and driving the execution of campaigns across a range of varying clients and brands. She has actively contributed to the success of some of the most memorable and rewarding projects. Providing a personalised and enthusiastic approach whereby she immerses herself in a clients brand and offering and becomes an integral part of their team to drive success. 

Sam is a creative and versatile graphic designer with a passion for events, branding, and websites. With over a decade of experience in the industry, She has honed her skills in creating visually stunning designs that communicate a message effectively.

Sam has a keen eye for detail and a knack for incorporating unique elements to make each the perfect end result. Throughout her career, Sam has worked with a wide range of clients, from small startups to large corporations, and has a track record of delivering high-quality work that exceeds expectations. In addition to event design, Sam is also an expert in branding and web design, with a strong ethos of working hard to achieve the perfect end result.

Throughout her career, Sam has worked with a wide range of clients, from small startups to large corporations, and has a track record of delivering high-quality work that exceeds expectations.

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Eleni has worked in the events industry for more than 15 years. Her passion for events started due to her own personal life experience in fundraising, organising all types of successful charity events, with a focus on paying it forward to the community. 

Eleni’s success is attributed to her commitment, attention to detail, high level organisational skills and dedication to her work. 

As a proud member of the Premium Media team, Eleni draws on this talent to support her colleagues in the capacity of Logistics Manager. 

Having spent her entire working life in management and as a Director of her own business, Eleni has successfully demonstrated her skills in Project Management, Fundraising and Event Coordinating.