Helping staff find ways to connect with colleagues was a continuing focus for Destination NSW during the 2024–25 financial year.

The agency’s monthly all-staff Town Halls were an opportunity to come together to share Destination NSW’s strategic vision and to celebrate successes.

The sessions were led by CEO Karen Jones and provided key business updates with opportunities to ask questions.

During NAIDOC Week 2024 (7–4 July) activities and events were held for staff members to attend.

These included an Aboriginal Dreaming Tour (above) led by Dunghutti-Jerrinjah woman Aunty Margret and an Aboriginal Weaving Workshop with Jess Sinnott from Koori Konnections.

Staff also participated in broader DCITHS events, including an
International Women’s Day event celebrating the 2025 theme: March Forward. Destination NSW CEO Karen Jones took part in a panel discussion (above) during the event.

Social Club

Destination NSW also supports the work of its social club, an initiative that is fully funded by employees.

The social club played an integral role in the agency’s culture during the 2024–25 financial year.

It built a bridge between different areas of the organisation by ensuring its members stayed connected with each other through events and activities.

Each year, the social club organises events that foster connection and provide an environment for employees to have fun with their colleagues and meet new people.

During the 2024–25 financial year the social club organised activities including a bake sale, Olympic sweepstakes, trivia night (above), Melbourne Cup sweep, an end-of-year party and hot cross bun sale.

Behind the scenes at Vivid Sydney

Owned, managed and produced by Destination NSW, Vivid Sydney has captivated the collective imagination of millions of visitors since its launch in 2009.

Led by Destination NSW General Manager, Events Julie Turpie and
Festival Director Gill Minervini, the Vivid Sydney team spent 12 months planning and delivering the 2025 program across the pillars of Light, Music, Ideas and Food.

This year, the festival featured the theme ‘Dream’ and boasted more than 200 events spanning five connected zones: Circular Quay and The Rocks, Barangaroo, Martin Place and CBD (for the first time since 2018), Darling Harbour, and The Goods Line and Inner City.

Bringing Vivid Sydney to life wouldn’t have been possible without the technical, production and operational teams; corporate partnerships; major events; editorial and content; legal and procurement; research; corporate communications; ministerial; product and distribution; consumer marketing; publicity; digital; and stakeholder engagement staff who worked alongside Vivid Sydney curators and producers to bring the festival to life.

Throughout the festival, Destination NSW staff and teams from other government agencies worked together at the Government Coordination Centre and Event Control Centre (below) to ensure the event ran smoothly.

Staff also volunteered to participate in content shoots at Vivid Light Walk installations and Vivid Fire Kitchen.

The Vivid Sydney Volunteer Program, in collaboration with Casual Hands, played an essential role in the smooth operation of Vivid Sydney. Hundreds of volunteers provided information at city-wide booths, roamed key precincts and supported many Vivid Light Walk installations.