Better Story, Better Brand: An Introduction to Storytelling
Tuesday 28 April 2026 | 12:00 PM
Mermaid Waters
Join us for a 90-minute introduction to brand storytelling. What it is, how you can use it, and how you can wrap your brand story in the Gold Coast story.
Narrative is the most human way to communicate. It is the foundation of every great brand, an engine of consistency and growth.
How can we use it in our businesses and organisations, our art, our community?
Topics
- The principles of narrative
- Case studies
- Your first draft
- The Gold Coast brand story
- How Brand Gold Coast can help you
We promise it will be fun and inspiring, and that you will meet other fascinating Gold Coasters.
Meet your facilitator
Todd Babiak is the CEO of Brand Gold Coast, a writer, entrepreneur and city-building strategist working at the intersection of storytelling and economic development.
As a leading voice in place branding, he helps cities define who they are, align their stakeholders and translate narrative into real-world impact.
Todd’s work focuses on building "story engines" that enable communities, businesses and institutions to tell consistent, compelling stories that drive growth, attract talent and strengthen identity.
Your host Brand Gold Coast
We exist to help the Gold Coasters tell their story, honestly and confidently.
We are not here to invent something new. The story is already here, shaped by people who chose this place and continue to build something from it.
From the meeting of rainforest and ocean to the everyday decisions of locals having a go, starting again, or pushing for something better, this has always been a place of movement and possibility. We bring that story together and help it travel.
We work alongside businesses, creators, educators and communities to connect what they are doing to something bigger, so the city feels more aligned and more recognisable wherever it shows up. For us, this is about culture, not campaigns.
A place brand is not a logo or a tagline. It is how a place behaves. It is the choices people make, the way ideas are welcomed, and the confidence to aim high without losing what makes this place real.
Our role is to support that.
We connect people, guide decisions and build consistency over time.
Not by controlling the story, but by helping more people see themselves in it and use it in what they do.
Because when a place understands its story and stands behind it, things start to shift.
People feel it, and that feeling is what drives everything else.
Getting there
Consider using public transport or active travel. Plan your trip with Translink's journey planner.
Parking may be limited. For metered parking, use the EasyPark app to start, end, and extend your parking direct from your phone to avoid fines. For more information visit City of Gold Coast's Parking page.
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