Hunter Innovation Festival Enters New Era: Marnie Davey Appointed 2026 Festival Director
Marnie Davey - 2026 Festival Director
The Hunter Innovation Festival, produced by Hunter iF, is proud to announce the appointment of Marnie Davey as Festival Director for the 2026 edition.
Deepening Hunter iF’s commitment to regional Australia, this strategic leadership appointment is designed to unite the region’s industrial heartlands with its tech-driven future.
Marnie is a digital transformation leader with 16 years' experience driving technology adoption across heavy industry. As former Head of Marketing and Customer Experience at WesTrac—one of Australia's largest Caterpillar equipment dealers—and founder of Integrated AI, she brings both the operational credibility and the strategic vision the festival needs at this stage of its growth. She also serves as a board director of the Hunter Manufacturing Awards, where she leads the organisation's focus on AI and digital transformation.
A New Vision for the Hunter Community
Zara Crichton - CEO Hunter iF
As the festival enters its 24th year, the focus has shifted from a single-city event in Newcastle to a truly collective regional experience. The 2026 program features a dedicated roadshow reaching Muswellbrook, Maitland, Lake Macquarie, and Cessnock.
Zara Crichton, Hunter iF CEO, believes Marnie is the ideal catalyst for this community-led expansion.
"Innovation doesn't happen in a vacuum. It happens in our workshops, our mines, and our local businesses. Marnie’s background means she speaks the language of the Hunter. She understands that for the festival to succeed, it must feel as relevant to a manufacturer in Muswellbrook as it does to a startup founder in Newcastle."
Claire Quigley, Hunter iF Chair, emphasised that this year is about strengthening the social fabric of the region.
"Our mission for 2026 is to ensure every corner of the Hunter feels ownership of this festival. The Board is confident that Marnie’s appointment ensures that our growth is matched by a deep respect for the local identities of our partner communities. We aren't just visiting these towns; we are spotlighting the brilliance already within them."
Curating Local Strength
Marnie joins HIF as the festival enters its 24th year and her focus in 2026 is on curation, ensuring the Newcastle Flagship and each regional activation reflects the specific industry strengths and communities it serves. Speaking on her vision for the role, Davey highlighted the unique "chemistry" of the region:
"The Hunter has something most regions don't," Marnie Davey says. "Genuine industrial grit sitting right next to real innovation energy. HunterIF is the moment those two things meet. The festival format, the roadshows, the rooms full of people who might not otherwise be in the same conversation, that is what drew me in. My job is to get the curation right. The right people, the right provocations, activations that feel like they belong to each community."
Hunter Innovation Festival 2026 takes place on October 13. Regional roadshow dates to be announced.
For more information, visit www.hunterif.com.au.
