Unmuted Summit 2026 · Newcastle business event
Learn. Connect. Inspire.
A full day at Merewether Surfhouse for business owners and professionals who want to be seen, be heard and be chosen by the right people. Practical ideas, real stories and conversations you'll still be thinking about on the drive home.
Our 2026 charity partner
Proudly supporting 
Giving back is one of our core values, and we truly believe in supporting charities and partners that are meaningful to our community. That’s why we’ve partnered with Talk2mebro as our 2026 charity partner, supporting mental health. 10% of every Unmuted Summit ticket sold goes to Talk2mebro.
The day
One day. Three parts.
Learn
Three speakers on getting seen, getting heard and getting chosen. PR, podcasting and AI, made simple and kept human.
Meet the speakersConnect
A curated connection experience. No awkward networking, just real conversations with new people.
How it worksInspire
A panel of people who’ve been through it and spoken up. Real stories, said out loud, with Emma Gentle, Brock Mcleary and Luke Conners from Talk2mebro.
Meet the panelLearn
Get seen. Get heard. Get chosen.
Being great at what you do only counts if the right people can find you and trust you. Practical sessions from our speakers and your host, with ideas you can put to work the next morning.
Our speakers have been featured in
Heidi Anderson
PR coach & bestselling author of Drunk on Confidence · Creator of Pitch Like a Publicist
Your Story Opens Doors
How to use PR, podcasting and your personal story to build credibility, get noticed and create business opportunities. You don’t need to be famous, have a huge following or wait until you feel ready. Heidi shows you how to:
Find your story. Spot the stories already in your experience and expertise.
Turn it into opportunities. Use it to land podcast and media spots.
Open new doors. Use that visibility to get into rooms you never imagined being in.
You’ll leave with something you’ve worked on in the session: your own PR story angle, a pitch, or a plan to start getting seen.
Heidi’s street cred? A former award-winning breakfast radio host and TV personality turned PR queen, author, coach, keynote speaker and host of two chart-topping podcasts. Through Pitch Like a Publicist, her 12-month program, she helps coaches, creatives, authors and business owners land media coverage without dropping $30K on an agency.
Tash Miller
Your host & MC · Founder & Creative Director, Unmuted Stories
Be a little more unmuted: bridging the invisible gap
As your host and MC, Tash does what she does best: asking the questions that draw out the best of people and the stories behind them, just like she does in her workshops and on The 100 Stories Project. She’ll also share a short session on the invisible gap between people knowing who you are and choosing you, and how to close it with three layers of trust:
Trust you. Let people know the person behind the business.
Trust your process. Show how you work, so choosing you feels easy.
Trust the proof. Share evidence people actually believe, because a screenshot of a five-star Google review doesn’t cut it anymore.
You’ll leave knowing which layer is missing for your business, and what to share to fill it.
Em Gee
AI marketing mentor & bestselling author · Flying in from New Zealand
The Story Multiplier: get louder with AI without losing your human voice
Everyone has the same AI tools now, so generic content is everywhere. Em shows you how to use AI to amplify your real stories, not replace them, in three steps:
Capture. Find the stories you already have.
Codify. Teach AI to sound like you.
Multiply. Turn one story into visibility everywhere.
You’ll leave with a Story Bank, a brand voice template, a repurposing prompt pack and an AI visibility checklist.
Around 80 seats, so it stays personal.
Connect
We can’t trust what we don’t know.
People buy from people they trust. And trust starts with actually getting to know someone.
01
Not your usual networking
No standing on the edges with a coffee. No sticking with the people you came with. No awkward small talk.
02
A curated experience
A part of the day designed to get you into real conversations with people you’d never otherwise meet.
03
Leave with your people
Walk out knowing people, not just holding their business cards. That’s where trust, and business, begins.
Supported by a partner we’re revealing soon.
Inspire · The panel
Real stories, said out loud.
Our panel brings together people who’ve been through it, spoken up about it and come out the other side. Honest conversations about resilience, grief, mental health and why using your voice matters.
Panellist
Brock Mcleary
Former professional motocross & supercross racer · Founder, In House Plants
Brock was racing motocross and supercross professionally when he lost his dad, his best friend and biggest mentor, at just 20. He had to work out what came next on his own.
His answer to almost everything is “I can do that.” He doesn’t avoid hard things. He invites them in, and he always finds a way.
Hear Brock’s story on The 100 Stories Project
Panellist · Charity partner
Luke Conners
Co-founder & Director, Talk2mebro
Luke Conners co-founded Talk2mebro after losing a close friend to suicide. What began as a simple goal, a safe space where people could open up without judgement, has grown into a movement with one mission: to reduce suicide to zero in Australia.
Since 2018, Talk2mebro has run programs in more than 7,500 schools, 25,000 workplaces and 17,500 sporting clubs. Luke will share why starting the conversation can change everything.
About Talk2mebro, our charity partner
Panellist
Emma Gentle
Emotional intelligence & leadership coach · Former Assistant Principal
Emma spent 14 years as an educator and Assistant Principal, drawn to the kids others labelled “the challenging ones”: kids with trauma, neurodivergent kids. She was always curious about what was really going on for them.
Now she brings that same work to women, helping ambitious mothers build meaningful, profitable businesses without choosing between the babes and the business. Because she believes you get to have both.
More about Emma10% of every ticket goes to Talk2mebro.
Good to know
Unmuted Summit FAQs.
When and where is the Unmuted Summit?
Tuesday 8 December 2026 at Merewether Surfhouse in Newcastle. Registrations open at 8:30am and we kick off at 9:00am. The Summit wraps up at 3:30pm.
Who is it for?
Business owners, founders and professionals who are great at what they do and want the right people to know it. If you want to be seen, be heard and be chosen, without losing what makes you you, this day is for you.
Who’s speaking?
Your host is Tash Miller, founder of Unmuted Stories and creator of The 100 Stories Project, who’ll be your MC, drawing out the best stories from our speakers, panel and the room, and sharing a short session on the three layers of trust. She’s joined by AI marketing mentor and bestselling author Em Gee, flying in from New Zealand, and PR coach Heidi Anderson, bestselling author of Drunk on Confidence and creator of Pitch Like a Publicist. Our panel of real stories, said out loud, includes emotional intelligence and leadership coach Emma Gentle, former professional motocross and supercross racer Brock Mcleary, and Luke Conners, co-founder of Talk2mebro.
What tickets are available?
Early Bird tickets have sold out. Individual tickets are now $250. A table of 8 for your team is $1,750 ($218.75 per person: bring 8, pay for 7). There are around 80 seats, so it stays personal. Book your tickets.
Where will I sit?
At tables of 8, set up so no one has their back to the speakers. Tickets bought together in one order sit together.
Is food included?
Yes. Morning tea and a chef’s choice lunch are included. You can tell us about any dietary requirements when you book.
Does any of my ticket go to charity?
Yes. 10% of every ticket sold goes to our 2026 charity partner, Talk2mebro, supporting mental health.
Can my business sponsor the Summit?
Yes, we’re looking for sponsors. A sponsored table includes 8 tickets plus VIP sponsorship. Email studio@unmutedstories.com.au and tell us a little about your business.
Our Summit partners
Thank you to the businesses backing the day.
Want your business to be part of the Unmuted Summit? Email studio@unmutedstories.com.au.
Tickets
Save your seat.
Tuesday 8 December 2026 · 8:30am to 3:30pm (registrations 8:30am, kick-off 9:00am) · Merewether Surfhouse. Around 80 seats, so it stays personal. 10% of every ticket goes to our charity partner, Talk2mebro.
Individual ticket
$250 per person
Early Bird sold outBuy one or a few. Tickets bought together sit together. Morning tea and lunch included.
Book individual ticketsTable of 8
$1,750 · $218.75 per person
2 tables already soldA whole table for your team, seated together. Bring 8, pay for 7. Morning tea and lunch included. Tables are limited, so book early.
Book a table of 8Want a sponsored table with VIP sponsorship? Email studio@unmutedstories.com.au.
Be a little more unmuted.