LEAD STRATEGIST
Stefanie Wilson
CEO | EVENT ASSET & ECONOMIC STRATEGY, MEASUREMENT & SYSTEMS
For nearly 25 years, Stefanie Wilson has helped councils and governments turn events into lasting economic, social, environmental and cultural benefits.
Stefanie designed and led Brisbane’s Major Events Strategy, led event strategies and reviews for councils from Mackay to Tweed, and delivered the trade and investment forecasts for Queensland’s Brisbane 2032 proposition. Her work on a two-year state pilot covering events with more than 200,000 attendees, together with her collaboration with The University of Queensland, informs how The Wider Effect helps councils measure what their events deliver.
She founded Luminair in 2015 to help governments tackle complex decisions and adapt international best practice to local conditions. The Wider Effect grew out of more than a decade of that work. It helps councils decide what they want their events to achieve, align investment with those priorities and measure the results.
Stefanie brings the perspective of a council officer, consultant, contractor, government adviser and board director, with experience at local, state, federal and international levels. An IAP2-trained engagement specialist, she has led more than 500 stakeholder engagements. The Australian Government engaged her to mentor emerging entrepreneurs, and her governance experience includes co-chairing an innovation and commercialisation subcommittee.
EVENT STRATEGYBrisbane Major Events StrategyMackay structural review and Major Events StrategyBrisbane 2032 trade and investment forecasts
MEASUREMENTQueensland Event Waste Pilot, 200,000+ attendeesMajor venue data pilotUQ collaboration on event benefits
ENGAGEMENT, INNOVATION AND GOVERNANCEIAP2-trained · 500+ stakeholder engagementsMentor to emerging entrepreneurs, Australian Government (2020–2024)Board director and chair, including innovation and commercialisation sub-committee co-chairAvailable as independent chair of council event committees and funding panelsPresented at The Pavilion for People during COP29 and at Queensland ParliamentCo-founder, Keystone Commons · former Chair, Go Circular · AICD member
