Carat reveals the program for tomorrow’s virtual one-day festival, Couch-ella, in conjunction with MKTG, dentsu’s brand experience, sport and entertainment agency.
A legion of clients, media partners and celebrities will embrace the day kicking off at 9am and running until 6pm. Over 2000+ participants will take the opportunity to choose all, or a variety of what to consume on the day.
Craig Cooper, Chief Investment Officer, Carat Australia said: “The range of content the team has put together for the day is fantastic and we are incredibly appreciative of the way our partners have supported Couch-ella again this year. There is something for everyone and we are sure that those tuning in will thoroughly enjoy the day.”
Nationally acclaimed stand-up comedian, Emma Zammit (main photo), will be the festival’s MC for the day. A highly entertaining performer, Emma’s relatable style is bound to keep all energy levels elevated.
The day includes a segment from Yahoo! Finance and Verizon Media on how to build a champagne life on a beer budget. There is Fast Talk with Fabian Coulthard and Michael Caruso presented by 7SPORT, and Foxtel has delivered E! Australia host, Francesca Hung, Live from the Red Carpet. Couch-ella resident Vet, Dr. Chris Brown will cover all things pets before we move on to No F*cks Cooking with Yumi.
The action continues with the Hit Network’s Hughesy and Tommy Little tuning in to Solve Your Problems, then it’s Howie Games with Dylan Alcott OAM. Dentsu’s MKTG will cover Why Females in the Boardroom are Changing Pro Sport as we know it, and ARN’s Mike E & Emma will get into a Cocktail Battle before a short afternoon intermission.
After the break Are Media’s Dolly Doctor Unzipped will be reborn, then there’s SEN’s Sport, life and balance, Val Morgan will entertain with the CineGame Trivia Show and on to Mamamia Outloud Live, before finishing the day with a special performance inside the Nova Red Room.
Special thanks to all the partners that have made Carat Couch-ella 2021 possible:
Verizon Media, Network Seven, Network 10, Nova Entertainment, Mamamia, Foxtel Media, VMO, MOOD, News Corp, ARN, Facebook, SCA, QMS, Are media, SEN, Val Morgan, and Yahoo! Finance.
Luke Minto, Group Commercial Director Nova Entertainment: “The team at Nova are thrilled to once again be part of Carat Couch-ella and provide another great music experience. Nova’s Red Room will be another unique experience that takes the well-known brand to a broad audience of industry colleagues and partners, offering the audience an opportunity to connect with one of Australia’s great artists via a live stream. Hosted by Nova’s Matt de Groot, there will be a special performance exclusively for guests of Carat Couch-ella 2021.”
Sara Lappage, QMS Chief Operating Officer – Customer: “QMS were proud to help Carat launch Couch-ella last year at a time when we all needed to be stronger together and we are delighted to help bring this memorable virtual event back for Carat’s staff and clients to take some time to stop, reflect and connect with each other. This year, our session will feature Founder and CEO of EQ Minds, Chelsea Pottenger as she shares some brilliant insights on how to go about reducing stress while enhancing your productivity. An internationally accredited mindfulness speaker, Chelsea will help teach Couch-ella attendee’s valuable tools in stress management, resilience and managing change so they learn how to cope and thrive in uncertain times.”
Natalie Harvie, National Sales Director, Seven Network: “After collaboration at Carat’s fantastic virtual event last year, we couldn’t resist returning for 2021. Couch-ella is an amazing concept, and a live example of the great work with partners looking to connect in an engaging way. This event takes attendees on an enjoyable, interactive journey.Seven is bringing in the legend that is Mark Beretta to talk all things Supercars to some of our upcoming young talent… plus maybe offering the Couch-ella viewers a taste of what it’s actually like being behind the wheel!”
Melissa Green, National Agency Lead, Facebook: “Facebook is joining Carat Couch-ella’s virtual festival event for the first time in 2021. In keeping with our mutual goals to celebrate diversity and inclusion, Facebook is thrilled to present Australian musician Mitch Tambo. Actor, presenter and musical performer, Mitch is one of Australia’s most talented entertainers. A proud Gamilaraay man, he lights up any arena with a passion and deep commitment to his First Nations culture and the people he represents. Mitch will open the festival with an Acknowledgement to Country, celebrate upcoming Reconciliation week and perform his music tracks throughout the event.”
Paul MacGregor, Director – Strategy & Marketing at Val Morgan Group:
“At Val we love getting people off their couches. So much so, we will be partnering with our great friends at Carat to bring 2 fully interactive sessions to Couch-ella which exercise not just their bodies, but their minds too. Our first session will transport the audience to the best seat in the house with the world premiere of our movie trivia quiz, The CineGame Show, hosted by Val Morgan Digital’s Senior Entertainment Producer Lyndsey Rodrigues. We’ll follow this up with a workout that’s tougher than finding free to air TV avails in June. The VMO Active Nation session will be led by internationally acclaimed personal trainer Kristy Curtis and is guaranteed to make you feel great.”
Nikki Rooke, National Head of Radio Sales SCA: “Couch-ella is a fantastic initiative from Carat that unites the media industry, and SCA is excited to be a part of it. We will feature our new digital audio destination LiSTNR with a special edition of Australia’s No.1 sports podcast, The Howie Games, where host Mark Howard sits down with tennis superstar Dylan Alcott. Radio legends Hughesy and Tommy Little will also bring the laughs as they attempt to solve a series of problems pre-submitted by the team at Carat.”
Nev Hasan, Executive Director Agency Sales, Foxtel Media: “Foxtel Media is delighted to once again be part of this hugely successful event. Our industry went through quite the journey in 2020 but we are on the rise again and Carat Couch-ella 2021 is the perfect way for us to come together and celebrate that trajectory.
We are excited to be working with our channel partner, NBCU and talented E! Australia host, Francesca Hung, to bring to life a special segment around interviewing and presenting tips and tricks. Francesca will be ‘live’ from the red carpet and practicing her tips on a secret, celebrity guest. Make sure you tune in to find out who it is!”
Rachel Page, National Sales Director at Verizon Media: “Verizon Media and Yahoo Finance are delighted to once again be involved in Carat’s Couch-ella event. What a fabulous initiative and we are proud to support by providing inspirational content for our partners. Last year our Yahoo Finance team did what they do best and led a great practical session on ‘How to be financially fit’. The hands-on workshop was voted one of the most valuable sessions of the day so get excited as the team will be back again this year to deliver more financially friendly tips on How to build a champagne life on a beer budget.”
Jenny Hayward, GM of MOOD: “Excited to see Couch-Ella back for a second year! We’re delighted to be involved and joining our partners at Verizon Media to spread the word about MOOD – the tea that saves lives. This year, more than ever, we’ve been encouraged to see our industry put a spotlight on the important issue of mental health. MOOD helps people sip selflessly and fight youth suicide with every cup.”
Michael Stanford; Head of 10 Imagine, National Creative Director: “We can’t wait to see this year’s line up at Carat Couch-ella 2021, what a great initiative to bring the industry together! As more people transition back to the office and leave their furry friends at home, we are thrilled to have everyone’s favourite Vet, Dr Chris Brown, present some helpful tips and tricks to keep our pets happy and healthy.”
Karen Holmes, NSW Sales Director at Are Media: “Creating premium content and experiences across our leading brands for women is what Are Media is all about and we’re delighted to join this year’s Carat COUCH-ELLA line-up to entertain its audience with a very special trip down memory lane. We’re bringing iconic Australian teen favourite Dolly Doctor to life for the first time ever with the help of ex- Bachelor Australia star Abbie Chatfield. Our Dolly Doctor will offer up advice on navigating life in a post-Covid world and we’ll be ripping open the infamous sealed section, where the topics promise to be a little more risqué. It’s one not to be missed.”
Pete Whitehead, ARN Chief Commercial Officer: “After the success of the inaugural Carat Couch-ella in 2020, ARN are excited to be involved in this year’s slightly less locked down version of what is now a much-anticipated event. For Carat Couch-ella 2021, ARN will be serving up some scrumptious food and delectable cocktails. Firstly, Yumi Stynes from the KIIS Network’s 3pm Pick Up will be providing a guided cooking class – bringing to life some of her favourite recipes, taken directly from her Zero F*cks cookbook, whilst answering audience questions about the power of audio for brands. This will be followed by Mike E & Emma from The Edge battling it out over who can prepare the best cocktail whilst giving the audience a glimpse at their incredible, signature chemistry that their listeners love. It’s sure to be a lot of fun and we’re looking forward to being part of another great day.”
Holly Yates, Head of Sales, Mamamia: “The Mamamia team are excited to be a part of Carat Couch-ella 2021. The event is a great opportunity to bring people together and take time out of our day to connect in a positive way. This year Mamamia will be turning our flagship podcast, Mamamia Out Loud, into a show filmed especially for Carat Couch-ella. Co-hosts Mia, Holly and Jessie will be doing their thing: discussing what women are ‘actually’ talking about.”
Craig Hutchison, CEO, Sports Entertainment Network: “We are pumped to be part of Couch-ella 2021 and bring audiences a taste of the Sports Entertainment Network’s amazing line-up of talent and their insights into the topics impacting sport today.
‘Sport, Life, Balance’ will see cricketing great Ian Healy, NRLW Rabbitoh and sports journalist Katie Brown, as well as AFLW legend Daisy Pearce, dial up the discussion on the topics that have migrated from the back page to the front and affect us all including Mental Health, The Representation of Women, and Organisational Culture.”
Lou Barrett, Managing Director of National Sales, News Corp: “We’re delighted to be part of Carat’s Couch-ella event again this year as it’s a fantastic initiative. Strong and credible brands have influence that can span any medium – from audio, video and digital to print, events and beyond. We’ve put together a great line-up of some of our top lifestyle talent to get to the heart of the art of influence today, and how the reach and trust of our brands can move your audiences with it.”
Originally published on B&T here.