News In Brief

Welcome to our ‘News In Brief’ column in which we digest all the news releases for you in no more than five paragraphs.
Below are snippets of all the media releases we received from June 9 till the end of the week.
This article updates throughout the week.

Sabah Hosts Sustainability Workshop

Kota Kinabalu, June 9: The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) High-Level Workshop was held on June 3, 2025, at the Shangri-La Tanjung Aru, Kota Kinabalu, gathering 80 key stakeholders from the tourism sector. Organised by the Sabah Tourism Board, the event featured GSTC CEO Randy Durband and trainer Kingston Khoo, who introduced participants to GSTC Criteria and sustainable tourism practices.
The workshop opened with a keynote by Datuk Josie Lai and a briefing by Sabah Tourism Board CEO Julinus Jeffery Jimit, who underscored the alignment of Sabah’s tourism goals with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Sabah’s commitment was further highlighted by the GSTC certification of Maliau Basin, Imbak Canyon, and the Borneo Rainforest Lodge in Danum Valley.
Presentations included case studies and local success stories, notably from Grace Pounsin of Yayasan Sabah Group. The afternoon sessions focused on implementing GSTC standards across Sabah, with discussions promoting collaborative, sustainability-driven strategies for the region’s tourism development.

Lamb Acquires McGees Property

Perth, June 9: David Lamb, Managing Director of MLV Commercial and Industrial Real Estate, has acquired McGees Property in Perth, uniting two of Western Australia’s leading independent property firms. The acquisition marks a strategic move to expand market reach and service capabilities across industrial, commercial, retail, office, and residential asset classes.
Lamb will lead McGees Property into its next growth phase following a transition plan set by directors Damian Molony, Peter Duffield, and Victor Sankey as part of their succession strategy. He was selected through an exclusive tender process, reflecting his longstanding relationship with McGees and proven leadership track record.
The acquisition, facilitated by Pendium Advisory’s Lachlan Sinclair, formally settled on June 5, 2025. McGees’ directors will remain involved during the transition to ensure continuity. This move follows Lamb’s 2023 acquisition of Commercial Realty in Bunbury and aligns with his vision to build a resilient, WA-focused real estate advisory group with metro and regional presence.

CMOs Double Down on GenAI

Melbourne, June 10: Despite economic challenges, Australian Chief Marketing Officers are pushing forward with significant investments in generative AI (GenAI), according to a new global survey by Boston Consulting Group.
The 2025 CMO GenAI Survey shows 71 per cent of global CMOs will invest over $15 million annually in GenAI over the next three years, up from 57% in 2024, with Australian CMOs showing equally strong intent.
BCG’s Jarryd Porter said local marketers are embedding GenAI into daily operations—particularly in video, immersive content, and hyper-personalised campaigns. However, many are still grappling with how to scale efficiency across entire marketing workflows.
The report also highlights the growing promise of “agentic AI” in B2B marketing and warns that underinvestment in ROI measurement could limit GenAI’s long-term value.

Angie Becker Joins ABEA Board

Melbourne, June 10: The Australian Business Events Association (ABEA) has appointed Angie Becker of the Victorian Convention and Event Trust to its Board, filling the venue representative role vacated by Samantha Glass of ICC Sydney.
Becker, currently Chief Sales and Customer Experience Officer for MCEC and Nyaal Banyul Geelong, brings over 20 years of experience in hospitality and events.
Two existing Board positions will also be up for renomination ahead of the AGM in November, with Julia Swanson and Nicole Walker stepping down due to personal and professional commitments.
ABEA Chair Peter King thanked departing board members Samantha Glass, Nicole Walker, and Julia Swanson for their significant contributions to the organisation and the industry.
ABEA leadership recently concluded a national ‘Member Connect’ roadshow, with key insights from the industry to inform the upcoming national conference agenda.
The 2025 ABEA Conference will be held in Melbourne on December 4–5.

Tracksuit Raises $38M to Fuel Global Growth

Sydney, June 12: Sydney-based brand tracking platform Tracksuit has secured $38 million in an oversubscribed Series B round led by VMG Partners, with participation from existing investors Blackbird, Icehouse Ventures, Altos Ventures, and Footwork.
The funding will support Tracksuit’s global expansion, with a focus on the US market, and accelerate product innovation including AI-powered insights and broader brand health data offerings. The company aims to double its current brand coverage from 10,000 to 20,000 by the end of 2025.
Since launching in 2021, Tracksuit has grown to 1,000+ clients and 150 employees, with plans to hire 50 more. Co-founder Connor Archbold has taken on the role of CEO, with Matthew Herbert stepping into Chief Commercial Officer.

Investors Eye Private Assets

Sydney, June 12: A new global survey by Natixis Investment Managers and CoreData reveals that a third (32 per cent) of Australian investors feel FOMO about private market opportunities like SpaceX and OpenAI. Despite strong interest, over half (56 per cent) don’t understand how private assets work, mistakenly believing they are priced daily.
The report, based on responses from over 7,000 global investors (including Australians with $100K+ in investible assets), highlights significant gaps in knowledge around liquidity, valuation, and risk in private markets. Only 31 per cent of Australians currently invest in private assets, though 54 per cent say they are interested but concerned about liquidity.
The findings also show growing anxiety about market instability, with 80 per cent of Aussie investors preferring safety over performance and 72 per cent expecting continued volatility. While many are wary of overreliance on the “Magnificent Seven,” 63 per cent believe AI is a bubble, and only 22 per cent hold defensive assets like bonds.
Despite these uncertainties, trust in financial advisers remains strong, with 91 per cent of Australians placing them as their most trusted source for investment advice.

Adobe Simplifies Ad Creation

Sydney, June 12: Adobe has launched Adobe Express for ads, a new solution aimed at helping small businesses easily create high-performing ads for major platforms including Google, Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok, and soon, Amazon.
The tool introduces “social safe zones” to ensure designs meet platform-specific ad guidelines and includes integrations with Metricool and Bitly for performance tracking. With AI-powered features and professionally designed templates, users can quickly customise and publish polished content across platforms.
Adobe Express now supports video ad creation, brand kit consistency, and direct publishing to ads managers—making ad creation and performance tracking more accessible for businesses of all sizes.