10 First Nations Business Event Experiences in Sydney and Surrounds

From engaging a First Nations keynote speaker to tasting native bushfoods in the heart of Sydney, here are 10 distinct ways to incorporate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures into a business event.

Organising a dance or vocal performance is a powerful way to include First Nations cultures in a business event. Bangarra Dance Theatre is a company of professional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performers and storytellers who can offer private performances for corporate groups of up to 200 guests in their light-filled spaces in the Walsh Bay arts precinct overlooking Sydney Harbour.

Groups can take a guided tour of the gallery hosted by a First Nations Australian staff member who’ll explain the diversity of practice across the country, and across time, media and art styles. For an interactive experience, Hidden Door Experiences offers an Aboriginal Art Workshop which can be held indoors or outdoors at a location of choice, for groups of up to 1,000 guests. Participants will learn the role art plays in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, before expressing themselves on canvas under the guidance of a First Nations Australian artist.

Groups can get an authentic taste of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures by incorporating a culinary experience into a business event. Hailing from the Bundgalung nation of the New South Wales north coast, celebrated chef Mark Olive’s new restaurant Midden by Mark Olive is located at the Sydney Opera House and offers a produce-driven menu showcasing native Australian ingredients, from wattleseed and bush honey to saltbush and succulents. Operated by Doltone Hospitality Group, the restaurant can be booked for seated private events of up to 100 guests.

Mark Olive also works closely with Sydney-based team building cooking company Cheeky Food Events to deliver a First Nations cooking experience known as The Cheeky Olive. Available for groups of minimum 10 guests to large-scale events, this mobile experience teaches guests how to cook using native herbs and spices whilst deepening their appreciation for the culinary traditions of First Nations Australians.

Alternatively, groups can take a stroll through the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney with a First Nations guide and learn about how bush foods were used traditionally and have been adapted to the modern plate and palate.

Or, consider a gift-sized hand-blown glass bottle of pure Australian vodka by Axel Vodka, a 100% First Nations, female-owned and operated business based on the New South Wales south coast. The Unexpected Guest produces a range of health bars and mueslis using organic, fair-trade ingredients sourced from Indigenous growers and communities. Or, for an array of gifting options, Blak Markets is an online collective of retailers selling artwork, homewares, jewellery, textiles, woodwork, woven goods and bushfoods.

To inspire audiences at a conference or seminar, consider engaging a First Nations Australian as a guest speaker or to MC the event. Australia has a raft of professional talent agencies that represent many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander speakers, ranging from sporting stars to actors and television personalities, many of whom live and work in Sydney or regional New South Wales. Through Pickstar, choose from celebrities like Luke Carroll – one of the world’s most successful and well known First Nations Australian actors – or Matildas soccer legend Kyah Simon. Saxton Speakers can connect you with First Nations talent such as pop star Jessica Mauboy or journalist and television presenter Brooke Boney. Or, engage International & Australian Speakers and Entertainers (ICMI), who represent inspiring speakers such as chef Mindy Woods – whose goal is to reignite First Nations culture by protecting native foods and the environment  –  and Aaron Pederson, a renowned Australian actor championing the changing representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.