REALtalk

BUSINESS

FORUM

Leadership | Business | Entrepreneurship
Building a Resilient Brand

REALtalk was born on the foundation principle that keeping up to date with the latest trends in business requires real conversations. A Business Forum with globally leading brands and a focus on panels and discussions, REALtalk facilitates communication, knowledge sharing and networking among our industry’s most passionate professionals.

With a focus on branding for 2025 and what it takes to build a strong brand, our brand building program encourages discussions on various topics that create an unstoppable brand message, allowing you to ask questions, seek advice, and share challenges some of our speakers and guests face.

Want to sit and talk to the very people who have built brands that receive national and global recognition both within and outside of our industry? REALtalk will not only tell you but show you how important their brand is in everything they do.

Be prepared to discuss technology, asset creation, brand consistency and messaging and learn how when these processes are in place, how and why consumers will continue to engage with you. Walking away from REALtalk will promise not just increased knowledge but new relationships with industry peers from keeping it real and building your business in years to come.

Defining branding, the importance of branding, brand personality and more will be showcased in a fun and sophisticated way that only REALtalk in its fifth year knows how.

REALtalk Business Forum looks forward to you joining our limited number of professionals to create connected conversations to build brands that stand the test of time. Taking place on Sunday 29 June 2025 from 9.00am to 1.00pm followed by lunch, it is one of the best value business conferences in the industry.

With our schedule now finalized, stay tune for more details on the 2025 event and speakers to be announced soon.

Interested in becoming a speaker? Email us at hello@hairfestival.com.au

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2025 REALtalk PROGRAM

Sunday June 29, 2025 | 9.00am – 1.00pm | Pyrmont Room Theatre

8.30am – 9.00am	Coffee and registration
9.00am – 9.05am	Welcome by Cameron Pine (mcee)
9.05am – 9.45am	Redefine Your Brand Story James Needham Co-Founder + Joint Strategy Director – Untangld Untangld Co-Founder James Needham will help you find your brand’s authentic story and zero in on the superpowers that make it unique. By refining and redefining your brand through its role in culture, you will unleash its true value that leads to iconic status.
9.45 am – 10.15am	My brand My Success
10.15am – 10.45am	Panel 1 – Successful Salon Branding Insights Oscar Cullinan – Founder \| Oscar Oscar Salons, WILDE.hair, HMP BT, & BeardDye
10.45am – 11.00am	Morning Tea
11.00am – 11.45 pm	Branding Opportunities with Social Media
11.45am – 12.15am	Panel 2 – Successful Salon Branding Insights
12.15pm – 1.00pm	Brand Execution – Interactive Planning Session James Needham Co-Founder + Joint Strategy Director – Untangld You have a brand that people love and here we show you a few simple ways to make it more distinctive and powerful to everyone that engages with it. From kitsch to all-class – ensure your brand speaks your identity.
1.00pm Recap	End of REALtalk
1.00pm – 2.00pm	Buffet Lunch – Outside Pyrmont Theatre

*Program subject to change

Realtalk Speakers

Oscar Cullinan

Founder | Oscar Oscar Salons, WILDE.hair, HMP BT, & BeardDye

Oscar Cullinan is the visionary force behind Australia’s most iconic luxury hair empire Oscar Oscar Salons, and the driving creative energy behind three luxury hair and beauty brands; WILDE.hair, HMP BT, and BeardDye.com. Twice named Australian Hairdresser of the Year, Oscar’s career spans over three decades, blending artistry with entrepreneurial genius to redefine the beauty landscape and continue a salon legacy that remains a leader in luxury hair.

With WILDE.hair, Oscar brings a cutting-edge approach to luxury, vegan haircare, celebrated for its innovation and recognised as a finalist in the AHIA and AHFA awards. His HMP BT brand has cultivated a cult following for its clean, botanical ski care solutions, while BEARDdye reimagines men’s grooming with bold, fearless style.

Oscar will share his branding story discussing the importance of resilience, creativity, and leadership, making him an ideal panellist guest discussing beauty innovation, brand building, and disrupting industry norms. His passion for elevating both the artistry of hair and the science of beauty is matched only by his commitment to empowering others to look and feel their best.

James Needham

Co-founder + Brand and Research Director | Untangld

James is the Co-founder of Untangld, an international strategy studio that’s redefining how ambitious businesses win.

With over two decades of global experience helping shape some of the world’s most iconic and effective brands leading complex brand strategy and research projects for the likes of ANZ, Core Plus Studios, Vida Glow and Intrepid Global Travel.