Creative agency Giant Squid’s Ignite Talks Sydney event set to return Thursday October 9, Oxford Art Factory, Sydney – secure your tickets now

Creative agency Giant Squid, together with public speaking specialists Sumo Ninja Monkey, is bringing back Ignite Talks Sydney for its third year on Thursday 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 proves that great ideas don’t need hours — just the right stage.

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

“It’s creativity, culture and inspiration colliding at speed,” says Dennis Spring, Founder of Giant Squid. “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.”

Speakers & Topics include:

•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 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

Event details:

When: Thursday, October 9, 2025
Where: Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
Tickets: ignitetalks.com.au

Discounts: Become an Ignite Friend for $40 discounted tickets – sign up here