Taking place in Sydney on October 25th, Gus Balbontin has been announced as Keynote Speaker and Workshop Facilitator for the FESPA Australia Annual Conference.
FESPA keynoter Gus Balbontin is a former CTO of Lonley Planet publishing group
FESPA Australia is thrilled to announce that Gus Balbontin, renowned entrepreneur and former Executive Director and CTO of Lonely Planet, will be the keynote speaker and workshop facilitator for the FESPA Australia Annual Conference, taking place on 25th October at the Shangri-La Hotel in Sydney. 
Fespa's 2023 conference, also at Sydney's Shangri-La, was a huge success
Born and bred in the wilds of Patagonia, Gus Balbontin’s journey from a small-town dreamer to a global business leader is nothing short of inspiring. At just 17, a combination of ambition, a healthy disrespect for authority, and an insatiable fear of missing out brought him to Australia. By 22, Gus had already dropped out of university, hitchhiked across South America, started his first business, and landed his dream job at Lonely Planet.
During his tenure at Lonely Planet, Gus led the company on a global scale, collaborating with industry giants such as Google X, Nokia, and Amazon to explore cutting-edge technologies, foster creative cultures, and build high-performing teams. Seeking a shift from corporate life, he returned to his entrepreneurial roots and became a key figure in Melbourne’s startup ecosystem as an investor, founder and mentor.
Fespa Australia President Nigel Davies Nigel Davies, President FESPA Australia, says: “We are excited to welcome Gus Balbontin to our Annual Conference in Sydney, where attendees will have the unique opportunity to learn from his vast experience and innovative approach. His keynote address and facilitation of the Leadership Workshop promises to deliver invaluable insights and practical advice that will inspire and equip participants to tackle their own business challenges and drive success.
“Gus’s storytelling prowess and passion for making a tangible difference in people’s lives have made him a sought-after speaker, so we are delighted that he will set the scene for our conference.”
Gus’s simplicity, infectious energy, and counterintuitive insights resonate deeply, motivating people to embrace change and think differently. Often regarded as a futurist, he doesn’t claim to predict the future but instead empowers others to focus on what they can control to navigate any future scenario. While he enjoys discussing trends and imagining a world driven by AI, he emphasizes the importance of actionable strategies over speculative forecasts.
Early bird tickets for the Friday, October 25th conference are available via the Eventbrite link here - https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/fespa-australia-annual-conference-2024-tickets-873109663507
Sponsors include: Diamond – Orafol; Gold – Durst, Visual Connections; Silver – HEXIS, IVE Group, Cactus Imaging; Bronze – Ball & Doggett, Pozitive, HVG Graphics Media and Kissel & Wolf. Fespa Australia thanks them, without their support events like this would not be possible.
For more information email membership@fespaaustralia.org.au
