Dream Culture CEO Shelly McElroy will deliver the opening keynote at the 2025 Pub Leaders Summit on Monday 21 July at Eatons Hill Hotel.
The 2025 Pub Leaders Summit, brought to you by Australian Hotelier and Coca-Cola, will be taking place next week, on Monday 21 July at Eatons Hill Hotel.
The conference will cover a variety of pub and hospitality operations, ranging from evolving entertainment offers, the latest F&B opportunities, the ideal tech stack, and more. It will open with a keynote from Shelly McElroy, founder and CEO of the multi-award winning Dream Culture, and a business based on executive coaching and leadership programs, with a speciality in hospitality.
Through Dream Culture, McElroy has delivered strategic leadership programs across Australia, Europe and New York City. Her expertise lies in coaching leaders to think differently, fostering collaboration, and embedding cultural change that drives tangible business results.
This year, she received a Global Stevie® Award for Thought Leadership, and was named Best Business Coach in 2024.
She will open up the Pub Leaders Summit with a keynote address titled “Creating a Culture of Innovation for Pubs to Thrive.” It will tackle:
- How pubs can foster a culture of innovation to stay competitive and drive long-term success;
- Practical strategies to challenge the status quo and enhance hospitality, from empowering teams to think creatively to leveraging technology and improving customer experiences;
- Actionable tools and insights to elevate engagement, streamline operations, and future-proof your pubs.
“Pub and venue operators will walk away with a fresh lens on culture as a business strategy for their success,” stated McElroy.
“The attendees will gain practical insights into how to embed behaviours that drive team performance, customer loyalty in the community, intentional interactional service and increased profitability. We’ll break down world examples of how innovative culture shifts have delivered results, from reduced turnover to improved staff engagement and guest satisfaction.”
Shelly McElroy, CEO, Dream Culture
The Dream Culture CEO – who has worked with multiple pub and restaurant groups across Australia – says it will challenge Summit attendees to think differently about the culture created within their teams.
“It will challenge them to move beyond reactive leadership and culture by default… into proactively leading a culture by design. The audience will learn how to create frameworks that attract the right talent, foster accountability, and build a team that thinks and acts like they are fully invested in the role they play. This session is about creating momentum through purpose, empowerment, and shared values,” stated McElroy.
“Our keynote provides the space to step out of the day-to-day, learn from others in the industry, and gain tools to build alignment, ownership, and innovation across the whole team. When leaders elevate culture, the entire operation transforms and the bottom line grows.”
More keynotes and presentations throughout the day
McElroy’s keynote kicks off the Summit, but there are more to come throughout the day.
Starting the mid-day component of the program is a presentation by Craig Woolford, senior analyst at MST Marquee, on “Achieving the Most From a Better Consumer.” The keynote, supported by Coca-Cola, will discuss the macro-economic status of consumers and how spending is changing; liquor industry forecasts; and the outlook for pubs and liquor retailers.
Later in the day, hear from Celia Harding, the found of LEOPRD, the world’s first Language Engine Optimisation (LEO) advisory helping businesses get found, featured and talked about by humans and machines.
Harding is on a mission to futureproof brand visibility in the age of AI, where guests are asking ChatGPT where to eat, drink or stay – and it’s answering.
Her presentation, “How to Get Your Venue Found in an AI World” will help your businesses show up, stand out, and stay front-of-mind in a world driven by recommendations, reputation and results.
Finally, the afternoon sessions will kick off with a presentation by Tom Graham, Industry Insights Lead – BevAI, at NIQ. Graham will present “Full View Liquor – Where Beverage Is Headed”, drawing on NIQ’s extensive on-premise data across Australia, as well as internationally.
In this session, Graham will explore:
- Emerging international trends poised to shape the Australian market
- Evolving consumption habits and how pubs can stay ahead of the curve
- Strategic insights to help venues refine and future-proof their beverage offerings
DON’T MISS OUT ON ALL OF THESE INCREDIBLE INSIGHTS!
To learn valuable information from our keynote speakers, presenters, and all of our panellists, make sure you register for the Pub Leaders Summit today.
There’s less than a week until the Summit, so secure your ticket now before they’re gone.
Visit the Pub Leaders Summit website to view the full program and buy tickets.
When: Monday 21 July, 9am-4:30pm, registration and showcase open from 8am
Where: Eatons Hill Hotel & Accommodation
After the conference: Networking Drinks presented by Coca-Cola, from 4:30-6pm.
Study Tour: Held on Tuesday 22 July, visiting three venues across Brisbane. Exclusively for venue operators and only in conjunction with a Summit ticket. See website for more details.