Public affairs professional Mick Gibb has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), following what NTIA Chair Justine Baker called a thorough search.
With his extensive public affairs experience in both the political and corporate worlds, the NTIA appointed Gibb to help drive advocacy and member engagement for the association.
Baker said: “The NTIA Board is confident that Mick will provide the kind of advocacy leadership needed to support our members and the night-time economy.
“This is an incredibly important time for the sector as we rebuild. We still have much to do to firstly get our industries back to pre-pandemic strength and then to create a sustainable, diverse and exciting night-time ecosystem. I’m looking forward to working with Mick and our members to champion the night.”
Gibb (pictured left) says the night-time industries have shown incredible ingenuity, resilience and determination to persevere through lockouts, lockdowns and over regulation.
“There’s an enormous opportunity for Australia to unlock the huge economic benefits that come from a strong, sustainable and resilient night-time economy.
“I’m looking forward to tapping into the youth voice through the NTIA’s newly created Youth Advisory Group of under 30 year olds. This group has bold ideas of what the night-time experience should look like and will serve as a powerful voice for the NTIA and our members.
“The NTIA is uniquely positioned to champion the entire night-time industries ecosystem. Key to realising the power and potential of the night-time economy is having a collective voice for the many and varied players that make the night-time economy what it is.
“There has been a lot of support and commitment from across the aisles of government to realise the potential of the night-time economy. I look forward to building on this foundation for our members and for a thriving night-time sector.”
He added: “Now more than ever, operators across the night-time industries need to come together and have a collective voice advocating for the changes that will make Australia’s night-time economy a powerhouse.
“The devastating impact of lockout laws was still being felt by night-time industry operators well before the full brunt of COVID-19 induced lockdowns slammed the sector.
“Recovery from the lockouts and lockdowns will require Government and industry looking at the night-time economy holistically. A thriving, safe and resilient night-time economy is an ecosystem composed of many different elements. Whether it’s restaurants, bars, clubs, theatres or suppliers (to name but a few), these components all need to be firing for the night-time economy to reach its full potential.”