Best Keynote Speakers in Brisbane (2026)
I've spent over a decade on stages across six continents, and I've shared green rooms, conferences, and late-night hotel lobby debriefs with hundreds of speakers. I also run a community of 2,500+ facilitators who book, recommend, and occasionally warn each other about keynote speakers. So when someone asks me who the best keynote speakers in Brisbane are, I don't need to Google it. I've seen them work.
This is a short, opinionated list of speakers I'd genuinely recommend if you called me tomorrow and said, "We need someone brilliant for our event in Brisbane."
In the interest of full transparency: I'm a Brisbane-based keynote speaker myself, and I've put myself first in this list. I'll let you decide whether that's confidence or audacity.
But you'll also get six other speakers I respect enormously, each with a genuinely different specialty.
But first, let's talk about how to actually choose the right speaker for your event, because this is where most organisers get it wrong.
How to Choose a Keynote Speaker (From Someone Who's Been on Both Sides)
Here's what I've learned from being both the person on stage and the person helping organisations find the right fit.
Start with the outcome, not the topic
Every event organiser I've worked with starts the same way: "We need a speaker on leadership" or "We want something on AI." But that's a topic, not an outcome.
The question that actually matters is: what do you want people to do differently on Monday morning? If the answer is "feel inspired," that's fine, but know that inspiration without application fades fast. The speakers who create lasting change give your audience something to implement, not just something to applaud.
Before you search for a single name, write down one sentence: "After this keynote, our people will ___." That sentence becomes your briefing document, your evaluation criteria, and your measure of success.
Ask about their preparation process
This is the single biggest differentiator between a good speaker and a great one. When I'm booked for an event, I spend more time on the briefing call than most speakers spend on their entire customisation. I want to know what's happening in the organisation, what the audience is worried about, what the event is trying to achieve, and what language they use internally.
When you're evaluating speakers, ask them: "What does your preparation process look like?" If the answer is essentially "send me the date and the AV specs," keep looking. The best speakers will want to interview you. They'll ask about your audience before they pitch their content.
Beware the one-talk speaker
Some speakers have built their entire career on a single story. It might be a great story. It might have happened on a mountain, or in a hospital, or at the Olympics. But if their only trick is telling that story with increasing theatrical flair, you're paying for entertainment, not transformation.
The speakers I respect most have a body of work. They've written books, run workshops, built frameworks, and tested their ideas with real organisations. Their keynote is the tip of an iceberg, not the whole ice cube.
Local matters more than you think
I'm biased here, obviously, but there are real practical reasons to consider Brisbane-based speakers. They understand the Queensland business culture. They can be at your venue without a flight delay derailing your programme. And if you want them to run a follow-up session three months later, they're not billing you for interstate travel.
Brisbane also has a genuinely strong speaker community.
The Speakers I'd Actually Recommend
Leanne Hughes | Engagement, Influence and Becoming Work Famous
Website: leannehughes.com
I'll start with myself, in the interest of transparency, and keep it factual so my work can speak.
I'm a Brisbane-based keynote speaker, workshop facilitator, and consultant. I'm the author of The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint, I host The First Time Facilitator podcast (250+ episodes), and I run The Flipchart, a global community of 2,500+ facilitators. I've spoken and facilitated on six continents, working with organisations ranging from BHP to boutique consultancies. My next book, Work Fame, is due out through Wiley Publishing in late 2026.
My keynote specialty is the intersection of engagement, facilitation, and workplace influence. I help organisations understand why their workshops, meetings, and internal events fall flat, and what to do about it. My most requested keynote, The Dark Arts of Engagement, unpacks the psychology of why people check out and the specific techniques that pull them back in.
What I bring that's different: I don't just talk about engagement. Every keynote I deliver practices it. I use the same facilitation techniques I teach, which means audiences experience the principles in real time rather than hearing about them in theory. People leave knowing not just what works, but having felt it work on them.
Best for: Organisations that want their people to run better workshops, more engaging meetings, and more impactful internal events. Particularly strong for L&D teams, education conferences, internal facilitator networks, and leadership groups that are tired of death-by-PowerPoint.
What you should know: I do a thorough briefing process for every engagement. I want to understand your audience, your context, and what success looks like before I design the session. I also offer follow-up workshops and consulting for organisations that want to build engagement capability across their teams.
Keith Abraham | Goal Achievement and High-Performance Leadership
Website: keithabraham.com
If the Brisbane speaking scene has an elder statesman, it's Keith Abraham, and I mean that as a genuine compliment. Keith has been doing this at the highest level for nearly three decades, and he's earned every accolade along the way.
He holds the Nevin Award (the highest honour in Australian professional speaking), was named Keynote Speaker of the Year in 2012, Educator of the Year in 2019, and is a Hall of Fame Speaker and Certified Speaking Professional. He's the author of five bestselling books published in 12 languages, and has spoken to over 1.7 million people across 39 countries. His client list reads like a who's who of corporate Australia: CBA, Toyota, Harley-Davidson, Woolworths, Westpac, and hundreds more.
What makes Keith exceptional isn't just the CV. It's that after nearly 30 years, he still customises every presentation to the client's specific context. His GoalDriver Formula gives audiences a practical methodology for goal achievement that goes well beyond "set goals and smash them." He connects personal motivation with organisational objectives in a way that actually sticks.
Best for: Organisations that want their people to leave with a clear, actionable plan for achieving specific goals. Particularly strong for sales conferences, leadership development days, and annual planning events.
What you should know: Keith's team manages all bookings, and he's often booked months in advance. If you're planning an event for later this year, reach out now.
Sally Prosser | Voice, Communication, and Public Speaking
Website: sallyprosser.com.au
Sally Prosser is one of those speakers who makes you rethink something you've taken for granted your entire life: the way you use your voice.
With a background in TV news reporting and corporate communications (she was spokesperson for one of Australia's largest water companies), Sally transitioned into voice and public speaking coaching and has now worked with over 5,000 clients. She's the author of Voiceprint, hosts the That Voice Podcast (250+ episodes), and was named Young Entrepreneur of the Year (PR & Media) in Queensland in 2020. She's also built a significant online presence, with over 328,000 followers on TikTok alone.
What sets Sally apart as a keynote speaker is that her sessions are genuinely interactive. She doesn't just talk about the power of voice; she gets audiences up and using theirs. People walk out having physically experienced the difference between speaking with and without vocal presence. That's rare in a keynote format, and it's why her sessions are consistently memorable.
She's been a trusted partner of TEDxUQ since 2019, coaching speakers for one of Brisbane's most prestigious stages. That experience means she understands both sides: what makes a speaker effective and how to help others find their voice.
Best for: Conferences where you want an energising, interactive session that leaves people with immediately usable communication skills. Particularly strong for professional development events, women's leadership programmes, and any audience where confidence and presence matter.
What you should know: Sally splits her time between Brisbane and travelling for speaking engagements, so confirm availability early. She also offers corporate workshops and one-on-one coaching, which can extend the impact well beyond the keynote itself.
Petra Zink | Personal Branding, Trusted Authority, and the Future of Work
Website: impaccct.com
Petra Zink is the person I'd call if an organisation needed their people to understand how to build visibility and credibility in their industry, particularly in a digital-first world.
As a certified Personal Branding and Digital Strategist, Petra is the founder of impaCCCt and The360Talent.Co. She's the author of Trusted Authority, hosts the Trusted Authority podcast, and is an official Forbes Coaches Council member. She's been recognised as a Top 100 Thought Leader in APAC and is represented by Saxton Speakers, one of Australia's leading bureaus.
What I appreciate about Petra's work is that she's taken a topic that can feel fluffy (personal branding) and built it into a rigorous, practical methodology. Her blueprint has been used by over 400 professionals to clarify, communicate, and commercialise their personal brand. She's not teaching people to be influencers; she's helping them become the recognised authority in their professional space.
Her background in brand marketing (with roles at companies including Subway and Campari Group), recruitment, and education means she brings a commercial lens that resonates with corporate audiences. She understands the gap between having expertise and being known for it, and she has practical frameworks for closing that gap.
Best for: Organisations investing in leadership visibility, employer branding, and future-of-work capability. Particularly strong for professional services firms, tech companies, and any team where individual thought leadership supports business growth.
What you should know: Petra can be booked directly or through Saxton Speakers. She's based in Brisbane and speaks regularly at conferences both locally and internationally.
Julian Mather | Change, Resilience, and Leadership
Website: julianmather.com
Julian Mather has one of the most genuinely interesting backstories of any speaker I know. He started as an army sniper, became a documentary cameraman for ABC, BBC, and National Geographic (filming alongside people like Sir Edmund Hillary and the Dalai Lama), then reinvented himself as a professional magician before landing where he is now: a keynote speaker who specialises in helping organisations navigate change.
That career arc isn't just a good story for the stage. It's living proof of his core message: the ability to change isn't a talent, it's a skill anyone can develop. His signature CHANGEABILITY keynote breaks this down into a practical, repeatable framework that audiences can actually use. He's been a past State President of Professional Speakers Australia (Queensland), and is consistently voted an audience favourite at conferences.
What I appreciate about Julian is that he brings genuine warmth and humour to a topic that can easily become heavy or corporate-speak. He doesn't lecture people about embracing change; he makes them laugh, tells stories that stick, and leaves them feeling like change is something they can actually handle. His background as a cameraman also means his visual storytelling instincts are sharp. He knows how to hold attention.
Best for: Organisations going through transformation, restructures, or uncertainty. Particularly strong for large conferences, leadership summits, and any event where the audience needs to feel energised about what's ahead rather than anxious about it.
What you should know: Julian is Brisbane-based and speaks at events across Australia and internationally. He's a polished professional who makes the booking process easy, and his preparation for each event is thorough.
Mel Kettle | Sustainable Success, Leadership Communication, and Connection
Website: melkettle.com
Mel Kettle is someone I personally turn to when I need strategic thinking and a clear head. She's one of the sharpest minds in Brisbane's speaking and consulting scene, and her work sits in a space that most speakers avoid: what happens when high performance comes at the cost of your health, your relationships, or your sanity.
Mel is a leadership communication expert and sustainable success strategist with over two decades of experience. She's the author of two books, Fully Connected and The Social Association, and hosts the This Connected Life podcast. She holds a Master of Business (Marketing) and a Master of Public Health from Griffith University, plus a Certificate in the Neuroscience of Leadership. LeadersHum recognised her as one of the Top 200 Biggest Voices in Leadership in 2022 and 2023, one of only seven Australians on that list. She currently serves as Program Manager for Professional Speakers Australia QLD/NT.
Her client list includes Toll, Microsoft, ANZ, Queensland Country Bank, Arup, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, and numerous universities and government agencies. What makes Mel stand out is that she's not just talking about sustainable leadership in the abstract. She survived work-related burnout in her late twenties and a life-threatening melanoma in her early forties. That lived experience gives her message a weight and authenticity that's hard to replicate.
Her 2026 keynote topics include "Sustainable Success: Because hustle isn't a long-term strategy" and "Lead Like a Human: Communication and connection in an AI world." Both hit themes that organisations are grappling with right now.
Best for: Leadership teams and organisations that want to build high performance without burning people out. Particularly strong for women's leadership events, health and wellbeing-focused conferences, and any audience where the conversation needs to go beyond productivity into what actually sustains people.
What you should know: Mel is based on the Sunshine Coast with deep ties to the Brisbane professional community. She's readily available for Queensland events and also offers her Connected Leaders 12-week programme for organisations wanting sustained impact beyond the keynote.
Ally Nitschke CSP | Courageous Leadership and Communication
Website: madeformore.com.au
Ally Nitschke brings an energy to the stage that's hard to describe until you've experienced it. She's a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), bestselling author, and the Founder and CEO of Made For More. With over 20 years of leadership experience spanning arts, finance, project management, and change management, she's built a practice around one core idea: courageous leadership.
Ally is the author of Rise of the Courageous Leader and Grunt, Grit and Grace, hosts the Made For More podcast (ranked in the top 25 leadership podcasts in Australia), and has won multiple awards including three Freedom Awards and the 2022 Kerrie Nairn Scholarship from Professional Speakers Australia. Her corporate clients include CPA Australia, Virgin Australia, Carsales.com.au, University of Adelaide, and OZ Minerals.
What I admire about Ally's work is her focus on the conversations most people avoid. Her "Courageous Conversations" keynote doesn't just motivate people to be braver; it gives them a practical framework for having the difficult discussions that actually move teams forward. She uses Neuro Linguistic Programming techniques to help leaders identify and break through limiting patterns, which means her sessions often create those lightbulb moments where someone realises they've been holding themselves back.
She also brings a refreshingly honest perspective on leadership through her "Lighthouse Leader" keynote, which addresses what it takes to be the steady presence in a storm without wearing yourself down in the process.
Best for: Organisations investing in leadership development, building courageous cultures, and improving team communication. Particularly strong for women's leadership programmes, executive development days, and any team that knows they need to have better conversations but doesn't know where to start.
What you should know: Ally is Brisbane-based and speaks at conferences and corporate events nationally and internationally. She also delivers transformational leadership programmes over several months for organisations wanting deep, sustained change. Contact her team at hello@madeformore.com.au.
Making Your Decision
Seven speakers, seven distinct specialties:
Leanne Hughes if your priority is engagement, facilitation, and making your internal events actually work
Keith Abraham if your priority is goal achievement, motivation, and high-performance leadership
Sally Prosser if your priority is communication, confidence, and getting people to find their voice
Petra Zink if your priority is personal branding, professional visibility, and future-of-work readiness
Julian Mather if your priority is helping your people navigate change with confidence and energy
Mel Kettle if your priority is sustainable leadership, connection, and high performance without burnout
Ally Nitschke if your priority is courageous leadership, tough conversations, and building fearless cultures
Each of us takes a different approach, attracts different audiences, and solves different problems. The right choice depends entirely on what outcome you're trying to create.
And if you're not sure which direction to go? I'm always happy to have a conversation about your event, even if I'm not the right fit. Sometimes the most valuable thing a speaker can do is point you toward the person who'll serve your audience best. That's how this industry works at its best: professionals recommending professionals.
Reach out at leanne@leannehughes.com and let's talk about your next event.