Boomtown, the media industry collective representing the 9.9 million people living in regional Australia, has announced its advisory council for 2026.
The Boomtown Insiders are Marcus Billingham-Yuen, senior client partner media strategy at Afterpay; Courtney Birch, media manager at Enigma; Zoe Gothard, sales executive at Nine; Angus McLeod, senior planning and trading executive at Atomic 212; Arya Mishra, account executive at Ptarmigan Media; Eamonn O'Reilly, senior trading manager at Sanctuary Media; Madeleine Riddle, radio sales specialist at SCA; Sophie Rivers, senior media manager at Enigma; Angie Shen, investment director at Clemenger BBDO; and Matthew Tan, investment manager at Starcom Australia.
Boomtown Insiders represents the collective's new advisory council, designed to nurture budding industry talent, encouraging them to be lifelong advocates for regional media.
The Boomtown Insiders were selected by a panel of industry professionals, including Reflections Holidays chief marketing officer Peter Chapman, Seven Network sales director Katie Finney, and Boomtown chairman Andrew 'Billy' Baxter, who assessed the applicants' video submissions, along with recommendations from their managers.
"We were really impressed with the calibre of submissions for the Boomtown Insiders," Chapman said.
"Each applicant impressed us with their thinking, collaborative nature, insights and above all, their enthusiasm for regional advertising."
Chapman said many of the insiders have been raised in the regions, bringing a real-world understanding of Boomtown to their new roles, while others have a genuine curiosity for regional advertising and its ability to intimately connect with audiences.
"Some have already executed successful Boomtown campaigns, and we welcome their experience, feedback and knowledge on advertising in regional markets to the Insiders," he said.
Baxter said the Boomtown Insiders represent the future of regional media.
"The applicants' professionalism, work ethic, adaptability and willingness to learn stood out in their submissions," he said.
"I'm confident we have some of the most talented and well-rounded up-and-coming media operators in the industry appointed to the council."
Baxter said most are already championing regional media within their roles, acting as the go-to for all things Boomtown with their colleagues and clients.
"The Insiders is a chance to formalise their enthusiasm for regional media, directly contributing to the future of Boomtown and its partners," he said.
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