Ignite Talks Sydney returns for its third year

Creative agency Giant Squid and public speaking specialists Sumo Ninja Monkey are bringing back Ignite Talks Sydney for its third year.

The announcement:

Creative agency Giant Squid, together with public speaking specialists Sumo Ninja Monkey, is bringing back (for a third year) Ignite Talks Sydney on October 9 at the Oxford Art Factory.

Ignite Talks has become a staple fixture on Sydney’s cultural calendar thanks to its underground-music-venue setting and white-knuckle presentation format:

• 15 speakers
• 5 minutes exactly
• 20 slides on auto-advance

The result is a fast-paced, high-energy evening designed to keep speakers on their toes and audiences engaged from start to finish. Equal parts entertainment and inspiration, Ignite Talks has become a highlight in Sydney’s cultural calendar, proving that great ideas don’t need hours, just the right stage.

Speakers in 2025 will explore topics spanning optimism, history, comedy, quiet leadership and more, delivering a program that blends inspiration, entertainment and connection for a diverse audience.

Now in its third year, the event continues to deliver the same infectious energy that has cemented its reputation for ideas with impact well beyond the room. For Giant Squid, it is the perfect encapsulation of the agency’s commitment to championing big, culture-shaping ideas and creating platforms that spark genuine connection.

“It’s creativity, culture and inspiration colliding at speed,” said Dennis Spring, Giant Squid’s founder. “We’re thrilled that we can offer Sydney something unique: a shared experience that feels alive, unpredictable and totally unforgettable – the spark of big ideas mixed with the buzz of a good old night out in Sydney.”

Event Details

When: Thursday, October 9, 2025
Where: Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
Tickets: ignitetalks.com.au
Cheaper tickets: Become an Ignite Friend for $40 discounted tickets:
ignitetalks.com.au/ignite-friend-signup/

Speakers & Topics

• Jude Batrac – The Friendship Recession

• Alex Corcoran – To Be Interesting, Be Interested

• Matthew Horder – Turning Life’s Toughest Moments into Lasting Impact

• Danika Armytage – The 3 Unexpected Life Lessons of the Living

• Katherine-Therese Williams – Being funny needs to be taken seriously

• Richard Sauerman. – The Fish that Saw Water

• Mia Bowyer – The World Needs More Optimists (not geniuses)

• Dylan Nguyen – The little actions that can make big waves

• Laila Ellmoos – Lessons from history help us to predict the future

• Shruti Rai – The Scribbled-Over Rulebook

• Chris Murphy – Success is a system

• Amanda Pitcher – “I’m fine” and other emotional lies

• Robert Moorman – Quiet people, big impact

• Kirstin Reblin – Be found by being lost in translation

• … plus the return of Steve Kimmens, Ignite’s improv legend

Source: Giant Squid