Senior marketers from three of Australia’s most recognised retail brands will come together in Melbourne next month, as the Australian Marketing Institute (AMI) opens ticket sales for its Victorian Retail Marketing Forum.

Taking place on 30 April 2026 at the ANZ Centre in Docklands, the event will bring together marketing leaders from Kmart Group, David Jones and Bakers Delight to discuss how retailers are driving growth while managing margin pressure and shifting customer expectations.

The panel includes:

• Rennie Freer, General Manager Marketing, Kmart and Target (Kmart Group). Ms Freer leads marketing across two of Australia’s highest-volume, most-loved retail brands. With leadership experience spanning both agency and client-side roles, she has shaped the growth strategies for brands including MECCA, Nestlé and the Australian Red Cross. She brings deep expertise in amplifying brands while maintaining a tight link between customer relevance and commercial performance.
• James Holloman, Chief Marketing Officer, David Jones. Mr Holloman oversees marketing for one of the country’s most established department store brands. His background across global luxury and lifestyle businesses informs his focus on brand positioning, customer connection and the ongoing evolution of the department store model.
• Jodi Murray-Freedman, Chief Marketing Officer, Bakers Delight. Ms Murray-Freedman brings extensive experience across retail and franchising, with a track record of delivering marketing that drives network-wide performance. Her approach connects brand activity directly to in-store outcomes.

The session will be moderated by Andrew Braun, former Head of Marketing at Netwealth, who helped transform the business from challenger to category leader through a tightly integrated marketing and customer strategy.

Designed for senior marketers, agency leaders and retail decision-makers, the forum offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from those shaping strategy inside some of Australia’s most recognised retail businesses. The format combines panel discussion with peer networking and a hosted lunch, creating space for both insight and connection.

This is strictly a ticketed event. Tickets are now available via ami.org.au.

Event details

Victorian Retail Marketing Forum Lunch

Date: 30 April 2026

Time: 12:00pm – 2:30pm

Location: ANZ Centre, 833 Collins Street, Docklands VIC

Bookings: https://memberhub.ami.org.au/event-6607945.