THE FUTURE OF THE CREATIVE WORKFORCE

AI is changing how creative work gets done. Most studios and agencies are figuring it out alone.

On 23rd February, we're bringing together leaders from Canva, Portable and Paper Moose to talk about what's actually working inside their teams and have an honest conversation about the decisions creative leaders are making right now.

We’ll explore:

• Where AI is having real impact in creative teams today

• How to experiment without losing client trust or breaking delivery

• Which skills and roles are becoming more valuable

• What "future-ready" actually means when you're still shipping work this week

• How studios are rebuilding learning and collaboration post-pandemic

Who it's for:

• VFX supervisors, production leads and studio managers

• Creative directors and design leads

• Agency owners, producers and operations leaders

If you're responsible for people, workflows, or keeping clients confident while everything shifts, this conversation will be valuable.

Settle in for a thoughtful discussion on how creative organisations can adapt responsibly, support their people and build resilient teams in a rapidly changing landscape.

And as always, stay on after the panel for drinks and conversation - meet other creatives, swap ideas, and get inspired about where the future is headed.

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EVENT DETAILS

DATE

23rd February 2026

AGENDA

6.00PM Mingling / Dinner / Drinks

7.00PM Panel Discussion / Audience Q&A

8.30PM till late Mingling / Dinner / Drinks

LOCATION

Forrester's Pub 

336 Riley St, Surry Hills NSW 2010 (Level 2)

MEET THE EXPERTS

Bhautik Joshi // R&D Group Lead in Multimedia - Canva

Bhautik is the Multimedia R&D lead at Canva, where he's embedded R&D directly into production to drive innovation across AI, computer graphics and real-time systems to deliver creative tools that solve real customer needs. Since joining Canva, he has played a key role in shaping the platform’s multimedia and AI capabilities, sitting between product, engineering and research to turn cutting-edge technology into practical, outcome-driven experiences, including features such as Magic Expand, Magic Morph, Magic Video and Background Generator. Prior to Canva, Bhautik spent nearly two decades working across feature film technology, motion capture, VR and AR, game development, medical imaging and distributed real-time systems, developing a deep end-to-end understanding of the visual pipeline from optics to perception. Known for translating complex, ambiguous problems into clear and accessible solutions, he brings a rare blend of technical depth, creative intuition and leadership to the future of creative work.

Andrew Apostola // CEO & Co-founder - Portable

Andrew shapes the strategic direction of Portable, an Australian-founded innovation consultancy that works with government and institutions to create positive social impact through ethical design and technology. Portable is recognised for its innovation across justice, mental health and the public sector. A thought leader in design leadership and ethical technology, Andrew is the author of publications including Redesigning Work, Data Driven Design and Hacking the Bureaucracy, which explore how design and data can respond to the changing ways of working. He also co-created Amica, a globally recognised digital platform that supports couples to separate online through a more humane approach to dispute resolution. Through his advisory and board roles, Andrew brings a values-driven perspective to how design and technology can deliver meaningful social impact.

Nick Hunter // CEO, Executive Creative Director & Co-founder - Paper Moose

Nick drives creative communication and innovation at Paper Moose, a B Corp-certified independent studio bringing together storytelling, production and applied AI to build future-facing work with purpose. Since co-founding the studio in 2009, Nick has helped evolve Paper Moose from a production house into a full-service creative agency, delivering integrated campaigns, branded content and new-media work for clients including Australian Ethical, Uniting, BWS, Nestlé and a range of government and not-for-profit organisations. He is closely involved in the agency’s innovation work, including the development of Moose Review, a hybrid creative testing platform that combines human and synthetic feedback to help teams test ideas earlier and more effectively. With a background spanning advertising, storytelling and production, Nick brings a collaborative, maker-led perspective to how creativity, technology and teams come together to solve complex problems.

MEET THE HOST

Annemarie Gereis // Learning and Organisational Development Specialist - People Grow People / UNSW

Annemarie supports creative studios and agencies to strengthen teams, helping leaders navigate client pressure, rapid change and increasingly complex workflows. She partners with creative and technology-driven organisations to design leadership development, communication frameworks and team capability programs that strengthen collaboration, scope discipline and decision-making in high-pressure environments. Drawing on a decade-long career in visual effects, where she worked on over 20 blockbuster films and TV series including Guardians of the Galaxy, Gotham and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. across Los Angeles, Atlanta, Sydney and Austin, Annemarie brings rare, first-hand insight into how creative teams actually operate. As an international speaker and facilitator, she has delivered workshops and talks at SIGGRAPH, Texas Christian University and Academy of Interactive Technology, and is the founder of Creator Co-Labs, a curated event series bringing creatives, leaders and technologists together to explore the future of creative work.

Looking forward to seeing you there!