This year’s Knowledge Monday theme, “Expertise Matters!”, celebrates the credibility, clarity and strategic influence of professionals across the business events sector. Attendees will be guided by three standout speakers who will explore the art and science of expertise — from mindset and behaviour to resilience, reinvention and human connection.
Dan Haesler, Performance and Leadership Coach (thanks to Saxton Group), is a leading authority on mindset, mental skills and leadership. A trusted coach to elite sporting teams, Olympians and global organisations, Dan helps high performers thrive by combining research, psychology and real-world experience.
“Expertise matters – however, time and again it’s lost in translation due to environments and delivery that dampen authentic engagement,” Haesler says. “My keynote is less about the expertise we share and more about the environment we create to share it.”
Haesler says delegates will leave with “a more nuanced approach to designing for authentic engagement” — something he believes is critical in today’s high-pressure business events landscape.
Milo Wilkinson, Behavioural Scientist & Futurist (thanks to ICMI Speakers Bureau), is renowned for decoding human behaviour in high-stakes environments — from boardrooms to interrogation rooms. With seven degrees spanning neuroscience, psychology and criminal sciences, she brings a razor-sharp lens to leadership, influence and performance.
“‘Expertise Matters!’ aligns directly with the neuroscience behind intentional design, decision-making, and human connection,” Wilkinson says. “True expertise goes beyond logistics — it requires understanding subconscious drivers of attention, trust, and engagement. By revealing the brain’s pattern recognition and threat-response systems, we can elevate events from functional gatherings to strategically engineered experiences that create measurable impact.”
She adds that delegates will leave with “practical strategies to strengthen mental agility and a deeper understanding of their primal brain — recognising that their expertise is grounded in science, not instinct.”
Kristina Karlsson, Founder of kikki.K and Dream Life, is a globally recognised entrepreneur, author and speaker whose story embodies the power of resilience, reinvention and purposeful expertise. From building and leading a $650 million global design brand to starting again with her company Dream Life, Kristina inspires audiences to dream big, act bravely and create impact that lasts.
“Expertise isn’t just what you know – it’s what you’ve lived,” says Karlsson. “I’ll be sharing what I learnt from building then losing a $650 million globally loved business – and how that can help you, no matter where you are in life.” She adds, “You’ll walk away refreshed and inspired to dream big, with new practical tools to start using immediately in your own life.”
Hosted by BEAMexperience Founder El Kwang, Knowledge Monday is expected to attract more than 1,500 global event professionals, setting the tone for three dynamic days of networking, learning and connection.
AIME Event Director Silke Calder says the 2026 keynote lineup epitomises the theme “Expertise Matters!” and the growing strength of the Knowledge Monday platform.
“Our keynote speakers each bring a unique lens on what true expertise means today — it’s about lived experience, self-awareness and the ability to apply knowledge with purpose,” Calder says. “Knowledge Monday continues to be the heart of AIME’s learning experience, inspiring our community to connect, collaborate and lead with confidence.”
The AIME 2026 Knowledge Monday program brings together AIME Hosted Buyers and Exhibitors, while Visitor Buyers can upgrade their tickets to attend.
AIME 2026 will run from 9–11 February 2026 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC). Returning for its biggest edition yet, delivered by Calder and her team, the event will feature over 4,500 attendees, including 700 exhibitors, 700 hosted buyers and more than 20,000 pre-scheduled appointments.
For more information, visit aime.com.au.
