The Business Romantic is a unique conference experience for the brave exploring the radical humanisation of the workplace. This document is an invitation to the courageous few who are wanting and willing to co-create such an important & enchanting event.

1. The Business Romantic
+ productionA
A radical humanisation of the workplace.
Sydney:March27th
Melbourne:March31st

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The event
Australia’s business landscape is changing.
Research released last week by the World Economic
Forum suggests Australian businesses are grossly
unprepared for the inevitable transition to an artificially
intelligent workforce.
A recent McKinsey Global Institute report states that the
coming digitisation of the workforce requires a sweeping
rethink of our organisational structures, influence and
control.
Low engagement continues to cost our economy over $35
Billion annually and The 2017 Elderman Trust Barometer
reveals a sharp decline across all sectors of Business,
Govt, NFP & The Media.
Against the backdrop of eroding faith in capitalism, a
polarising political climate, the impact of globalisation,
pervasive technology, big data, and our insatiable desire to
measure, automate and scale every inch of our
experience, something meaningful yet unquantifiable is
lost.
We’re bringing it back.
The Business Romantic is an event designed to disrupt
traditional approaches to innovation, culture, engagement,
talent acquisition & customer experience.
Every detail of the event has been architected to cultivate
at atmosphere of beauty, intimacy, serendipity and
enchantment.
Showcasing a boutique collection of international &
domestic thought leaders, entrepreneurs, philosophers,
artists and journalists, this is a rare opportunity to
discover emerging global trends, up close and personal,
from those on the leading edge.
The event is an essential learning and development
opportunity for any company committed to thriving in the
future of work and the perfect alternative to an expensive
offsite day that yields little to no results.
In an increasingly digital, sanitised & impersonal
landscape, your relevance and value as an organisation
rests on your ability to stay human.
This event won’t just tell you why, it will show you how.

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the speakers
Tim Leberecht – International best-selling author, 3 x TED
speaker and strategic advisor to the world’s biggest
brands.
Dr Catriona Wallace – Founder and CEO of trailblazing
FinTech company, Flamingo, award winning entrepreneur
and global expert on the Future of Customer Experience,
Artificial Intelligence & Bot Strategy.
Mykel Dixon – Musician, gypsy, author, poet & Australia’s
leading authority on Artisan Thinking, Cultural Architecture
& Atmospheric Design.
David Leser – Award winning author and journalist,
international correspondent and quasi anthropologist who
has profiled the world’s most prominent people from The
Dalai Lama to Mark Carnegie.
Jessie Williams – Executive Director of The Groundswell
Project. A NFP using innovative Arts programs to address
cultural change around death and dying.
Jeremy Donovan – Master storyteller, Descendent of the
Kuk-Yalanji tribe, Internationally recognised Artist, and
Australia’s most celebrated didgeridoo player.
More speakers, artists and contributors will be revealed on
the day but much of the focus for this event is on the
discussions that take place before, between and beyond
the content.
Event attendees are an equal attraction so expect a who’s
who of conscious, influential and innovative business
leaders seeking fresh insight to build beautiful
organisations and create meaningful work.
Our speakers have worked with and been featured in…

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Tim encourages us in a playful yet reflective way to find beauty
and meaning in business and shows us how small, everyday
actions can help us build a more humane economy’
— Klaus Schwab, Founder & Executive Chairman World Economic Forum

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why attend
• Expand Decision Making Capability by better
understanding the changing technological climate and
the impact this has on your business.
• Enhanced Leadership Capacity by harnessing new
human engagement strategies and leading edge
frameworks for instilling ownership.
• Increase Performance and Innovation through
human-centred design and fostering a culture of
Enterprise Artistry.
• Improved Team Performance Management by
learning the difference & how to balance high
engagement with high performance.
• New Metrics and Language to measure and articulate
the skills required to thrive in the emerging world of
work.
• Position Your Company as an industry leader, early
adopter & passionate advocate for beautiful,
meaningful work.
• Gain Intimate Access to the key decision-makers of
leading edge companies, competitors and potential
customers.
• Become an Employer of Choice and increase your
brand consideration among a curated audience of
leading thinkers and key influencers.
• Share Meaningful Moments with your team and/or
clients that cannot be recreated nor forgotten.
• Engage With Key Influencers, from Australia and the
world, in an environment that encourages deep
connection and lasting relationships.
“Engaged employees are a lot closer to the best ideas.They’re thinking about the whole company
and how they fit into it, and their ideas lead to better decisions”.
Dr John Harter, Gallup

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The dinner
They also are intended to build trust among leaders and
create spaces where people are able to bring their “full
selves” to the table.
Imagine a deeply romantic setting. Imagine 15 intelligent,
influential and intentionally romantic people sitting around
an elegantly decorated table.
Imagine these leaders are from Business, Government,
and Civil Society, opening up, revealing more than they
ever do, exploring collectively, vulnerably and
courageously a pre-determined, relevant and meaningful
topic.
Imagine an authentic, emergent and visceral conversation
that takes all involved to the edge and back. A
conversation that requires each participant to toast at
some point throughout the evening. A conversation that
leaves them forever changed.
Now imagine you’re there.
We are delighted to announce, as part of the supporting
partner package, 1 x VIP ticket to an exclusive 15 Toasts
dinner with Tim Leberecht.
The 15 Toasts dinner experience follows the Chatham
House Rule and is intended for global leaders from
business, government, and civil society.
Serving as “safe spaces,” the dinners invite guests to step
outside of their day-to-day activities and the official
protocol to engage with other leaders in a rich, personal
dialogue on values, leadership, and identity.
Often attached to high-profile gatherings, the dinners give
15 guests the permission to be vulnerable, engage as
human beings in an open and genuine conversation, and
surprise one another and themselves.
The dinners raise awareness of issues that might be too
big and elusive to be captured by formal agendas but
deserve deep reflection and meaningful exchange.
“I’ve never said that out loud before!”
Participant, 15 Toasts Dinner

7. $4500 (+gst)
Click Here to request your invoice for event tickets
and to secure your place at the 15 Toasts Dinner.
Or contact Mel on 0413 609 418 or mgreblo@talkingsticks.com.au
*Tickets can be used all in Melbourne or Sydney or split across both events*
*VIP dinner ticket can be used in Melbourne OR Sydney*
The Package
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- 10 x tickets to The Business Romantic Event
- 1 x VIP ticket to Private Dinner with Tim Leberecht & Guests
- Company logo on all promotional collateral as a ‘Supporting Partner’
- 10 x signed copies of The Business Romantic
Single or group tickets can be purchased here.

8. ‘A humanist in Silicon Valley, Tim is the rare business leader
who understands both tech and enchantment, AI and EQ.’
— Navi Radjou Co-author of ‘Frugal-innovation’ & ‘Frugal society’
the business romantictalking sticks page 8

9. Director, Talking Sticks | Mel Greblo : Mel’s driving purpose is
to co-create change and re-define values and culture - for ourselves,
business and the planet. Transforming conversations is how Mel believes
we do that. Mel coaches and curates workshops for leaders, speaks and
writes about legacy, purpose, values-based leadership, community
building and engagement, and how we as humans become more alive in
the world at work and play. It's about culture, and it's about impact.
She is the Director of Talking Sticks, curators and hosts of an annual
program of immersive experiences with international thought leaders
transforming conversations. Talking Sticks brings together audiences as
intimate as 100 people to a packed buzzing room of 1,000 to connect,
evoke, provoke and inspire as a community. Prior to founding Talking
Sticks in 2011, Mel has led two national social enterprises as Chief
Executive and in her senior executive roles, has helped build the brands
of many of Australia’s great educational and art institutions.
www.talkingsticks.com.au
who’s behind this
0413 609 418
mgreblo@talkingsticks.com.au
“Mel’s depth of experience in the purpose and values-driven world comes
to bear on business in a way that we can’t afford to ignore”.
— Dr Catriona Wallace, Founder & CEO Flamingo Customer Experience
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10. who’s behind this
Founder, Artisan Thinking | Mykel Dixon is a speaker,
author, musician, creative & advisor in the emerging fields of Artisan
Thinking, Cultural Architecture & Atmospheric Design. A natural
nonconformist and reliably unconventional Mykel embodies the new
wave of entrepreneurial experts helping forward-thinking organisations
prepare for the future of work.
Whether trekking the Argentinian Andes or on surf safari in Southern
Africa, breaking month long vows of silence in Indian ashrams or
owning beach bars in Cambodia, Mykel has always valued and served
his wanderlust which continues to inspire and inform his ideas, his
intent and his art. www.mykeldixon.com
0434 873 232
mykel@mykeldixon.com
‘If you need someone fresh to help you create something truly unique,
look no further. Mykel’s ideas, his approach and performance are
unparalleled. He gave our event an edge and our audience something
they’ve never seen before.”
— Jaquie Scammell, Director of Customer Relations at Tennis
Australia
page 10 the business romantictalking sticks

11. thank you.
Let’s make business
a little more beautiful.
thebusinessromanticevent.com