Aaron Winning is an Australian born music-industry consultant and ecosystem builder whose career spans artist development, live production, grassroots media, and international industry strategy. Beginning his journey in 2006 at the Make Poverty History concert in Melbourne, he spent the following years working across large-scale live production and event environments, supporting both Australian and international acts.

Between 2015 and 2018, Aaron moved into a senior operational indie label role, culminating in the accidental co-founding of AUD’$, a groundbreaking Australian hip hop and R&B media platform created while testing livestream DJ content. AUD’$ quickly became an influential force — hosting BIGSOUND showcases, spotlighting early artists such as Tkay Maidza and Genesis Owusu, and producing the nationally recognised Vault Cyphers series, which brought emerging hip-hop artists from across Australia to Melbourne to create content inspired by “freshman class” models in US hip hop. Aaron also built a dedicated livestream studio to broadcast the platform globally.

In late 2019, Aaron relocated to Thailand and became embedded in the region’s rising independent music sector. He produced Speakerbox Live Sessions and the In The Box Sessions to highlight Thai indie artists, launched EMONIGHT Bangkok, and supported international tours for artists including Simple Plan, Dream Theater, Saosin, and Tiny Moving Parts. His work spans festival operations, artist mobility, and cross-border industry development across Thailand, Vietnam, Korea, Indonesia, and Singapore.

Aaron now serves as General Manager of the Independent Music Association of Thailand (IMAT), a forthcoming national trade organisation. He has joined WIN's APAC Alliance regional working group for Asia-Pacific — positioning him as a key connector between Australia and the rapidly expanding independent markets of Southeast and East Asia.

Bridget Hustwaite is a presenter, bestselling author, podcaster and content creator. Hustwaite spent seven years at Australia’s national youth broadcaster triple j, including five years hosting her own national music program, ‘Good Nights’, where she premiered thousands of new songs from Australian and international artists.

In 2012, Bridget beat 6000 hopefuls to become one of 2 finalists in Channel V’s Presenter Search, marking the start of her music and media career. Following the competition, Bridget volunteered for online music publication, The AU Review to review gigs, interview artists and report on new single releases.  Bridget first role in radio came at SYN (Student Youth Network) as a host and executive producer of SYN’s flagship Australian music show, The Hoist. Bridget also produced and presented her own seasonal program called Spotlight, which served as a one-hour Melbourne music guide with a focus on support acts.  

Since then, Bridget has continued as a trusted voice in the Australian music industry, having lent her expertise to the judging panels of the ARIA Awards, Music Victoria Awards, NT and WA Song of the Year Awards, and was a member of the Australian jury for the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest. 

In 2023 and 2024, Hustwaite hosted the official ARIAs Red Carpet for Channel Nine and Stan Australia’s backstage broadcast – and hosted ARIA Amplified, the weekly central platform for all things Australian music. Bridget has had the privilege of interviewing the hottest international acts through various roles hosting live events and video content for major music labels like Universal Music and Warner Music.

In November 2025, Bridget launched Fan to Fan, a music commentary podcast co-hosted with AFL Fremantle Captain, Alex Pearce. Covering deep dives, shared experiences, album obsessions and live shows, Bridget and Alex invited other music fans to join them in celebrating the world of music.  

2026 has seen Bridget make her commercial radio debut, hosting album listening party specials on international artists like Harry Styles for the Nova national network.

Bridget has authored 2x best-selling books, How to Endo and Figuring out Thirty.  She appears frequently on national television and has had her writing featured in Vogue Australia, Harper’s Bazaar Australia and Sydney Morning Herald.

Casey O’Shaughnessy is the co-programmer for BIGSOUND live as well as a senior booking agent at Select Music, Australia’s largest independent agency. She represents a roster of Australian and NZ artists that includes Amy Shark, The Veronicas, The Chats, Kita Alexander, Gretta Ray, The Belair Lip Bombs, Skegss, Ruby Fields, King Stingray, Hermitude and The Beths amongst others, building some of Australia’s most successful artists across all genres, ranging from acts right at the beginning of their careers to multi-platinum, festival headlining & ARIA award winning major acts. She was the recipient of the Women In Music Live Touring Award & came in at #1 on the Hottest 100 Booking Agents List.

From intern to Director of Distribution at Create Music Group, Darlene Hall's journey over the past 7 years has been driven by passion, persistence, and a deep love for music and the people behind it. She has had the privilege of growing alongside one of the most innovative companies in the digital music space, helping artists and labels navigate and thrive in an ever-evolving industry.

Darlene has had the opportunity to lead teams, scale distribution operations, and collaborate cross-functionally to bring clarity and impact to an often chaotic space. Whether it's troubleshooting backend systems or launching major releases, she bring both strategic thinking and hands-on experience to the table.

Emmy Sjöström is the founder of Havet Brinner, a Stockholm-based artist management company and Nordic booking agency, launched in 2025 after seven years as an agent at Luger (a Live Nation Sweden subsidiary). Emmy's roster, Hällas, Horndal, Huggorm and Henrik Palm, sits at the intersection of Scandinavian rock heritage and international ambition, with active touring across Europe, Latin America, and North America. Emmy also co-runs Äventyr Records, an independent label she founded together with the band Hällas. The label's debut release, ”Hällas – Panorama” (January 2026), charted at number one on vinyl, hard rock, and physical sales in Sweden, and reached number ten on the overall album chart, a strong proof of concept for the independent model! With deep roots in the Swedish music scene as both an industry professional and a working DJ spinning hard rock vinyl, Emmy brings a practitioner's perspective on what it takes to build sustainable careers for Nordic artists in a global market.

Eva Karman Reinhold is the Chairman of SOM (Sweden’s independent labels association), a board member of IMPALA, and chair IMPALA’s Equity Diversity & Inclusion task force. 
SOM represents over 330 Swedish independent music companies and was founded in 1974. 
Eva studied music and production before she began her long career in the music industry at performing rights society STIM and independent companies MNW and Gazell. 
She founded her own record label and music publishing company Smilodon in 2004 and then added a law degree (Master of Law, LLM.). As a music lawyer she represents artists, managers and independent companies. 
In 2015 she picked up music again, and is the songwriter, producer and singer in MahRoot, a Swedish reggae/ska band.

Hannah Silk Champagne is a Senior Project Manager at Ninja Tune with over a decade of experience in the music industry. She has held diverse roles at record labels and distributors, with a background in marketing, physical and digital retail, artist development and overall campaign execution. Hannah has led album campaigns for internationally acclaimed artists including yeule, Nilüfer Yanya, Fcukers, Mac DeMarco, Danny Brown, Kelela, Mount Kimbie, DJ Seinfeld and more. 

Joanie Eaton is the Senior International Project Manager for New York-based record label, Mexican Summer, and its reissues/compilations sub-label, Anthology Recordings.

Based in London, Joanie manages UK and international campaigns, leveraging a decade of industry experience on projects for artists such as Cate Le Bon, Connan Mockasin, Devendra Banhart, Allah Las and Iceage. She also contributes to the commercial team, focusing on UK and international physical sales.

Jason Peterson is an entrepreneur, attorney, and producer with over 20 years of experience, recognized by Billboard as one of the “Top 50 Indie,” “Top 40 under 40,” and “Top Latin” Power Players in music, and by Los Angeles Business Journal as a “Top 30 Entrepreneur under 30.”
He is the founder and CEO of GoDigital, a multi-national media and technology conglomerate connecting content, community, and commerce across music, entertainment, and sports. GoDigital’s brands include GoDigital Music, Sound Royalties, NGLmitu, and YogaWorks. Jason has worked with artists including Janet Jackson, T.I., Master P, Jason Derulo, Pitbull, Psy, and Daddy Yankee, and produced numerous award-winning music videos such as Janet Jackson & Daddy Yankee’s “Made for Now”, Switchfoot “Stars”, and Tobymac's “Boom'in”.

Jason serves or has served on boards and committees including A2IM, MERLIN, WIN, RDx, OTT.x, City of Hope, the Recording Academy® Government Advocacy Committee, Stanford Disruptive Technologies Council, and the USC Business Cinematic-Arts Advisory Board. He holds a Juris Doctor from Pepperdine University and a business degree in Cinema-Television from USC’s Marshall School of Business.

Label manager and owner, Jared Jones co-founded the label Winspear in 2015 while attending college at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN. Currently based in Los Angeles, CA, the label has released records over it's last 10 years from artists such as Wishy, Slow Pulp, Teethe, Winter, Lutalo, Barrie, Video Age, and now welcomes its first Australian signing, Swapmeet.

Jen Taunton is Managing Director of Level Two Music and a highly experienced Music Supervisor, having been with the company since 2005. She also founded Midnight Choir, an Australian sync agency, and Nice Rights, a rights management company, and Mushroom Production Music, each focused on creating meaningful financial opportunities for independent artists through sync licensing.

Across more than 20 years in the industry, Jen has worked at the intersection of music, advertising, film and television, building a reputation for creative leadership, commercial expertise and deep industry relationships. In recent years, her focus has expanded to driving strategic growth, strengthening partnerships and evolving how music supervision operates in a rapidly changing landscape.

She continues to champion Australian artists on a global stage, driven by a long-standing commitment to helping independent artists build sustainable careers through sync, while evolving new pathways for their music to be discovered, licensed and valued.

Lindsay Ibberson is an agent at Ground Control Touring, where she works closely with artists to manage their performance schedules, plan tours, and develop their careers. Based in Brooklyn, Lindsay plays a key role in coordinating and strategizing live appearances, while fostering strong relationships among artists, venues, and the industry at large. She brings an enthusiastic, detail-oriented approach to her work and is passionate about helping artists build sustainable, successful touring careers. Lindsay got her start working the box office at local venues & packing records at Rough Trade and remains actively engaged in New York City’s indie music scene and can be found at a show most nights of the week.

Mardi Caught brings decades of global and domestic industry experience, holding senior executive roles at Warner, EMI, and Sony in Australia and in the UK. In the early 2000s, she served as Vice President of Talent and Music at MTV UK, where she also judged the Mercury Music Prize and BBC Sound of 2006. In 2018, Mardi founded The Annex - with the business core values to focus on artist development, alongside empowering industry professionals behind the scenes. The Annex has since led multiple #1 ARIA campaigns, secured Spotify RADAR and YouTube Foundry placements and won accolades like Best Marketing Campaign (AIR, 2024) and Music Marketing Business of the Year (TMN Tinnies, 2021). Her untapped talent? Obscure Star Wars references.

K. Marty Ro is a global music entrepreneur and industry leader known for connecting artists, labels, and markets across borders. His work spans music production, distribution, and international industry governance, with a long-standing focus on building sustainable pathways for independent music in the global ecosystem.

He is the Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Sound Republica Inc., a global music distribution, publishing, and production company and an official partner of Abbey Road Studios in London. Under his leadership, Sound Republica distributes music to more than 180 countries through over 200 digital service providers, managing a catalogue of over 1.4 million tracks. Earlier in his career, Marty served as President & CEO of Metropolis Korea Limited, the Korean division of London-based Metropolis Music Group, where he developed a global perspective that continues to shape his work today.

Marty has contributed to over 1,000 albums and 4,500 songs, collaborating with leading Korean artists including Cho Yong-pil, Yoon Jong-shin, Lee Seung-hwan, Lee Seung-chul, Dynamic Duo, Primary, Jay Park, Zion.T, Nell, Infinite, Loco, Suzy, Dean, Beenzino, Apink, and Wanna One. He currently serves as Vice-Chair and Board Member of WIN (Worldwide Independent Network for Music) and Vice-Chair and Board Member of the Record Label Industry Association of Korea (LIAK), where he actively contributes to global dialogue on independent music, market access, and cross-border collaboration.

Nerea Serrano is the Community & Projects Manager at WIN, the international organization representing independent music trade associations worldwide where she develops projects like WINHUB International Networking or WINCON and is the main point of contact for the network of 37 associations in 43 territories. Previously, she was the Senior Event Coordinator at the Spanish Independent Phonographic Union (UFi) where she oversaw 3 successful editions of the Independent Music Awards (Premios MIN) and other event and development projects. She also worked at record labels and has booked and toured with international artists in Spain and Europe.

Label head, artist, curator and producer Nina Las Vegas is a pioneering force in music, with a legacy that spans decades and crosses borders. A recognised figure in both the Australian and international dance landscapes, her commitment to discovering and nurturing new talent has shaped an influential career dedicated to diverse, original music.
As the voice of Saturday nights on triple j for almost a decade, Nina became known for championing underground talent and under-represented genres. She was among the first radio DJs in Australia to introduce audiences to SOPHIE and hyperpop, as well as Skepta and grime.

Founded in 2015 on the day Nina left triple j, NLV Records has grown into one of Australia’s longest-running female-founded and led record labels. Over the past decade, it has reshaped the country’s electronic music scene, spotlighting cutting-edge artists and innovative sounds. Entering its 10-year anniversary in 2025, NLV Records continues to push boundaries through artist management, A&R, curation and creative partnerships. The label champions experimental club music across dancehall, grime and lo-fi electronic, and is home to a roster of exciting emerging and established artists including Ninajirachi, Anna Lunoe, Lady Shaka, Big Skeez, Laces, Dameela, FOURA, Strict Face, Swick, Kota Banks, UNiiQU3 and Lewis CanCut.

Beyond the label, Nina pours her energy into personal projects spanning DJ’ing, hosting, curating and producing. She has performed at major festivals around the world—Coachella, SXSW, Splendour in the Grass, Pitch Music & Arts Festival—and toured across the US, UK, Europe and Japan. She has hosted events for Boiler Room and Formula 1, curated and performed for brands such as Prada and Armani Exchange, and programmed her own label showcases at Vivid Sydney and Amsterdam Dance Event.
As a producer, Nina’s catalogue includes collaborations with Charli XCX, Cashmere Cat and Swick, and her work has been supported globally by Rinse FM, NTS, The Lot Radio and BBC Radio 1.

Outside of music, Nina maintains a long-standing partnership with the Australian women’s national football team, the CommBank Matildas, and co-founded the charity Heaps Decent with Diplo—a program empowering young people through skills-building, cultural access and creativity. Deeply rooted in her community, Nina’s inclusive ethos and dedication to the club ecosystem continue to shape her creative evolution.

Rachel Kelly is General Manager, Publishing & Sync - Community Music, part of UNIFIED Music Group, and founder and Creative Director of EQ Music Agency, an independent sync agency.    Rachel has held executive roles at major and independent publishers including Downtown Music, BMG Rights Management, J Albert & Son (Alberts) and Warner/Chappell Music. In 2019 Rachel was named as a Billboard Power Player and served on the board for the Australasian Music Publishers’ Association. In 2025, Community Music launched its Publisher Services representing songwriters, artists and producers globally with creative services across A&R and Sync. This follows the launch of Community Music in 2024, a global distribution and artist services alternative that exists to enhance independence.

Sarah Hamilton has been working in digital distribution and the online music space since its inception in Australia in the mid 2000s, and was  the Regional Manager of Australia and New Zealand for Ditto Music for close to ten years. She loves helping independent artists gain access to opportunities, understand the digital world, and promote their music internationally. Sarah is also a co-founder of the charity One of One, which highlights women and non-binary people working within the music industry. 
 Sarah has been listed in The Music’s Power 50 list of influential people in the Australian music industry twice, and was also awarded the Music Victoria inaugural award for an Outstanding Woman in Music for her work with One of One. She has recently launched her music consulting company Golden Hour, and is working with people and artists she loves.

Takuya “Tak” Yamazaki has over 25 years of experience in the entertainment industry, primarily in the music sector. He has handled legal matters and negotiations for a wide range of stakeholders, including songwriters, artists, managers, music publishers, record labels, trade associations, and rights management organizations. In addition, he holds executive positions in international associations such as the Worldwide Independent Network (WIN).

He has also been an active speaker and panelist at numerous international conferences, including SXSW (USA), MIDEM (France), Music Matters (Singapore), Eurosonic (the Netherlands), MaMA Festival (France), Music Ally Connect (UK), MU:CON (South Korea), Bangkok Music City (Thailand), Mondo.NYC (USA), Music Biz (USA), Primavera Sound (Spain), and many others. In Japan, he has been dedicated to fostering positive change within the industry through initiatives such as the establishment of Merlin Japan in 2016 and his role as a business advisor for Music Ally Japan.

Tak has received several honors and recognitions, notably being listed as one of the “Best Lawyers” in the fields of Media and Entertainment Law and Sports in Japan by Best Lawyers International, a distinction he has consistently held since 2009. More information on his major lectures, presentations, and publications can be found at https://www.field-r.com.

Thaddeus Rudd is Co-Owner, along with Michael Goldstone, of Mom+Pop Music. Based in New York, Mom+Pop currently works with a highly respected roster of global artists including Magdalena Bay, Del Water Gap, Underscores, Porter Robinson, Courtney Barnett, MGMT, After, Tiny Habits, Violent Vira and many others. Some of Mom+Pop’s highlights over its first 18 years include albums by Flume, Ashe, Beach Bunny, Tash Sultana, Sleigh Bells, Andrew Bird, Parquet Courts, Jagwar Ma.

Prior to Mom+Pop, Rudd worked as an artist manager at The Rebel Group, and began his career at Virgin Records America. He is a graduate of Northwestern University.

Théo Seffusatti, Founder and Director, Warp Publishing, NZ - Théo Seffusatti is a Founder and Director of Warp Publishing (UK/US) and Founder of Heard & Seen Publishing (NZ). Having joined Warp Records in 2002 and becoming Head of Sync, he then set up the sister publishing company Warp Publishing independently in 2008, building a roster of artists, score composers and songwriters including Yves Tumor, Khruangbin, Boards of Canada, Dry Cleaning, Danny Brown and Fazerdaze. In 2021 he set up composer agency Warp Composers. He moved to Aotearoa New Zealand in 2022, and started Heard & Seen Publishing with Margot Didsbury, providing the services of publishing, composer agency and consultancy to NZ artists, writers, producers and composers including Amamelia, Erny Belle, Karl Sölve Steven, and LEAO.