Boomtown unveils 11-strong 2027 Insiders council

Boomtown has named 11 emerging media professionals to its 2027 Insiders Advisory Council. It is the second intake for the regional media collective’s program, which aims to make the case for regional audiences inside Australia’s media agencies.

Nine of the 11 work at media agencies. Zenith and OMD each have two members, and Nunn Media, EssenceMediacom, PMG, Initiative and PHD have one each. The other two come from regional publisher ACM and Metcash’s retail media business LocalEyes. Boomtown said applications doubled on last year but did not release figures.

The 2027 cohort

• Nerissa Barker, Senior Investment Executive, Zenith
• Nicholas Fankhauser, Account Manager, Nunn Media
• Sylvia Kramlik, Media Implementation Manager, OMD
• Natasha Mann, Implementation & Activation Associate Manager, EssenceMediacom
• Jackson McGowan, Investment Manager, Zenith
• Henrietta Pigot, Partnerships Manager, Metcash/LocalEyes
• Eliza Rich, Strategy Manager, PMG
• Ainsley Riordan, Associate Investment Director, Initiative
• Samar Shabbir, Insights Manager, ACM
• Katie Sharp, Account Manager, OMD
• Henrietta Winterstein, Media Implementation Manager, PHD

According to Boomtown, each member has between three and six years’ media experience.

What Insiders do

Insiders advise the wider Boomtown collective at meetings and promote its initiatives. They will also attend a Boomtown Masterclass in a regional location, with panels and sessions led by regional media specialists, and will have the chance to attend the 2027 Cairns Crocodiles.

The cohort was chosen by a panel of five:

• Boomtown Chairman Nathan Patrick
• Boomtown Marketing Lead Francesca Ryan
• Network 10 National Regional Sales Partner Holly Staveley
• Marketing Association of Australia Senior Marketing and Communications Manager Ant Gattari
• Third Avenue Group Managing Director Julie Wright

How the council started

Boomtown launched the advisory council in October 2025 with 10 places for agency strategists, planners and buyers. The first cohort went to Newcastle for a regional offsite and masterclass, then represented Boomtown at the Cairns Crocodiles.

When Boomtown opened applications for the second intake in September, it was again recruiting 10 members. It has now named 11.

Nathan Patrick, Commercial Director, Regional at Nine, became Boomtown chairman in August. He took over from Andrew “Billy” Baxter, who set up the council. Boomtown represents the 10 million people living in regional Australia.

Making the case to planners

Ryan said the program is about “building the next generation of regional media champions.”

“We’re bringing together up-and-coming industry talent who believe in the power of local storytelling and the important role that media plays in connecting regional communities, to share their knowledge, learn from industry experts and take their insights back to their clients and colleagues,” she said.

Staveley described the commercial goal more directly. She said the program is meant to “help shift perceptions, share the value of regional audiences, and ensure regional media has a stronger voice in agency conversations.”

“These individuals represent the future of our industry - they are the next generation of media decision-makers, planners and strategists who will influence where advertising investment goes and how regional audiences are valued,” Staveley said.

Riordan, from Initiative, said she would take what she learns back to her own team.

“I’m looking forward to gaining a deeper understanding of the opportunities regional media offers, and sharing these insights with my team to help drive greater consideration of regional audiences in our planning,” she said.

Boomtown has not yet named the location for the 2027 Masterclass.