Kyle and Jackie O to headline IMAA’s inaugural audio event

The Independent Media Agencies of Australia (IMAA) has announced the launch of Sound-Byte, its first audio industry conference, set to take place in Sydney on 26 June 2025.

KIIS Breakfast hosts Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O will deliver the keynote at the event, which will be held at ARN’s North Sydney offices. The conference is part of IMAA’s Bytes series, following the success of the Digi-Byte events launched in 2024.

Sound-Byte will bring together major audio stakeholders including ARN, Southern Cross Austereo, Nova Entertainment, Nine, Mamamia, News Australia, and ATN. The event is also supported by Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA) and audio measurement firm GfK.

The presentations

The event will feature a series of panels and presentations exploring the evolving role of audio in Australian media planning. Jacquie Alley, IMAA Chair and Chief Operating Officer at The Media Store, will moderate a panel on entertainment content with guests including Will and Woody, Sofie Formica, and ATN CEO Vic Lorusso.

CRA Chief Commercial Officer Jo Dick will lead a session on the future of audio measurement and identity, exploring AudioID, featuring Jeremy Adams (GfK ANZ), Michelle Golding (Nova), and Olly Newton (LiSTNR).

Another session will focus on podcasting strategy, with speakers including Belinda Cook (Mamamia), Dominique McDermott (News Corp), Mia Stern (Nine Radio), and Kim Kerton (Nova), moderated by Grant Tothill of LiSTNR.

Audio industry gains pace

IMAA CEO Sam Buchanan said the event aims to connect members with leading voices from across the audio sector to help inform client strategy.

"Sound-Byte is an opportunity to bring together the stars and leadership of Australia’s audio industry to share their expertise, insights and experience," Buchanan said.

"The audio sector is experiencing strong growth, particularly from digital radio and podcasting—April’s SMI data shows ad revenue growth of almost 13%, the second biggest increase since the pandemic. This is exactly the kind of momentum our members need to understand and leverage."

Sam Buchanan

CRA CEO Lizzie Young said: "IMAA’s Sound-Byte event gives direct access to the people shaping the future of audio in Australia... enabling smarter, more effective strategies."

Lizzie Young

A Melbourne edition of the Sound-Byte event will be announced shortly.

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