On Thursday 30 July, the Australian Marketing Institute Victorian State Committee hosted more than 70 Certified Practising Marketers (CPMs) at Berth Restaurant in Docklands for an engaging lunch and thought-provoking discussion on the findings of the 2026 Marketing State of the Nation Report, presented by Wingmaven founders Jenn ten Seldam and Laura Wilson.

Jenn and Laura sparked honest conversations about the realities of leading marketing in Australia today, sharing insights that resonated strongly with senior marketers across the room.

Some of the key takeaways from the report included:

• 92% of marketing leaders feel confident in their marketing abilities, and 97% in how confident they feel in their leadership abilities.
• Marketing is a business system, not a silo. The job of doing great marketing is not wholly held by the marketing team. It isn’t delivered just by the marketing team. It really is a business system.
• 52% regularly feel like they want to leave marketing entirely and change careers
• Marketers feel like they’re under the pump, along with the isolating feeling that it’s just them. Jenn said, “None of us have the answers alone, but together we just might.”
• A lot hinges on the person leading marketing. They set the weather, not just for the customer, but for the business as well.
• The most valuable resource when you’re being pulled in a million directions is your own energy.

The conversations continued well beyond the presentation, with attendees sharing ideas, challenging each other’s thinking, and making new connections. It’s these genuine conversations and shared experiences that make the AMI Victoria marketing community so valuable.

A big thank you to everyone who joined the AMI Victorian State Committee for lunch and contributed to such a dynamic and uplifting event.

Thank you to Wingmaven for sponsoring the event, and to Jenn and Laura for sharing their expertise and sparking such meaningful discussion.

Congratulations to the Australian Marketing Institute VIC State Committee, led by Nikki Moeschinger and Kate Coleridge, on delivering another successful event and continuing to bring the Victorian marketing community together.

Keep up to date with the latest events from the Australian Marketing Institute Victorian State Committee by following their LinkedIn (Australian Marketing Institute VIC) and Instagram (@ami_vic_marketers) pages.

Want to know more about Wingmaven?

Wingmaven is pleased to introduce their Marketing Leadership Compass. Join the exclusive first cohort to test the beta version.

Between the demand for immediate results and charting marketing’s future direction, few leaders have the time to step back and evaluate their own impact. That’s where Wingmaven’s new Marketing Leadership Compass comes in.

Built on their founders’ (Jenn ten Seldam and Laura Wilson) decades of coaching and developing marketing executives across diverse industries, geographies, and business stages, the Compass reflects what genuinely drives success in this uniquely demanding role.

In under 15 minutes, this free assessment provides an objective evaluation across the four core dimensions of marketing leadership:

• Customer: Driving clear positioning, value and engagement.
• Business: Elevating marketing’s strategic influence and commercial impact.
• Team: Fostering alignment, capability and high performance.
• Self: Cultivating personal clarity, conviction and resilience.

Gain immediate insight into where your leadership is already thriving, and pinpoint exactly where targeted growth will yield the greatest impact.

Be one of the first to experience the Wingmaven Marketing Leadership Compass and help shape its final release by completing the feedback form.

Click here to find out more.