Ben Taylor is a Senior Associate at SGS and a transport and urban planner with over a decade of experience in transport modelling, planning, and policy. He has worked on major city-shaping projects across Australia and is passionate about creating cities where people can move freely. Ben's expertise spans urban policy, governance, public transport, and infrastructure appraisal.
Dr Anna Edwards is a leading expert in night-time economies, urban governance, and economic research. She co-founded Ingenium Research, a consultancy specialising in data-driven insights on the night-time economy. As a Research Fellow at the Melbourne Centre for Cities, she works on the Night Shift project, a study that examines night work in Australia. Her PhD in Urban Analysis and Development / Economic Geography, completed in 2024, focused on night-time economy policymaking and governance. She also holds an MSc in Economic Development Research and Policy and a BA in Business Studies. With experience across government, academia, not-for-profit, and consultancy, Anna advises policymakers and businesses on creating safer, more vibrant 24-hour cities.
Mick Gibb is the CEO of the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), where he leads efforts to create a vibrant, safe, and inclusive night-time economy in Australia. With a career spanning public affairs, communications strategy, and community engagement, Mick has developed expertise in working with government, businesses, and industry leaders to advocate for policy change and support the growth of hospitality, arts, culture, and live performance sectors. His leadership at the NTIA has been marked by growing the impact of the organisation, strengthening its membership base and delivering value to members.
Dr Laura Hodgson is currently the Principal Economic Advisor for the City of Adelaide. In 2022, Laura received a PhD from the University of South Australian Business School on The Impact of Airbnb on Metropolitan and Non-Metropolitan Housing Markets in Australia. Having previously worked at the Local Government Association of South Australia as a Policy Officer, an Associate Lecturer in Public Policy at Flinders University and Project Officer at the University of South Australia, Laura has extensive research experience in academia and the public sector. Laura’s work specialises in housing, Airbnb, tourism, local economic development, regional health workforce and Australian local government. Laura is the Deputy Chair of the South Australian Practitioner Network of Economic Development Australia, Deputy Chair of the Victor Harbor Horse Tram Audit committee and Director of the Mentoring Program for the Women in Economics Network. Laura also has a decade of experience as a yoga teacher and yoga business owner.
Andrew Stephenson oversees the City Economy team at the City of Melbourne, which is responsible for coordinating and delivering various programs, strategies, and activities to support economic development within the municipality. Some of the notable programs include the Small Business Grants, Shopfront Activation Program, Business Precinct Program, Open Innovation Competition, Melbourne Migrapreneurs Program, and Mainstreaming Twilight Trade. The latter is a collaboration with the Australian Retailers Association aimed at encouraging retail and personal service businesses in the municipality to embrace twilight trade and consider aligning their operating hours with peak visitation times. The City Economy team is part of the City of Melbourne’s Economic Development and International branch.
