VIVID Sydney isn’t just pretty lights: there are also the Music and Ideas streams. As part of the latter, Yahoo7 hosted the ‘Selfie to Superstar’ panel at The Pavilion in the Royal Botanic Gardens. Starring some of the biggest names across social media, radio, and retail, attendees were privy to insights about their industries.

Moderated by Lucy Chesterton from Yahoo7’s lifestyle website Be, the panel included:

• Tanya Hennessy – radio host, social media star and influencer
• Dan Conn – influencer, Brand Ambassador and Global Athletic Director of fitness franchise F45 Training, and former player with the Sydney Roosters NRL team
• Alyce Tran – fashion it-girl, entrepreneur and co-founder of luxury monogrammable leather accessories label, The Daily Edited
• Taryn Williams – business guru and Founder of theright.fit social influencer agency, and Wink Models

Entering The Pavilion on a wet evening, I was quickly led to the bar for some pre-panel libations. Arranged in a tantalising row: champagne glasses filled with light pink Fluffy Crunch fairy floss. Over which was poured sparkling rosé. Yes, fairy floss cocktails are as sugary-delicious as you’d expect.

Fortified with canapés, we were ready to learn from our eminent panelists.

Tanya Hennessy was the hit of the night. She’s clocked up 65 million views on Facebook + YouTube for her ‘Everyday make-up tutorial’.  (Make sure to subscribe to her channel for more.) The hilarious Canberra radio announcer shared candidly how she struggled as an actress in Sydney before finding radio — and how she hopes to return to acting on her own Netflix show. Which just might happen now, seeing as how Netflix’s PR people were in the room and met her afterwards.

I found it refreshing how honest the panelists were. Alyce from The Daily Edited shared how she hires influencers to help sell her products — remarking that one young woman in Texas moved more product than a full-page ad in a nation-wide fashion magazine.

The panel rocketed along, as we heard from everyone about how they’ve grown their brands — plus the struggle to stay authentic along the way. There were also questions takenfrom the audience, including mine: Who are their influencers? Tanya loved this one, rattling off so many great YouTubers that we struggled to keep up. (Hopefully she’ll share her list on social media sometime soon.)

Finishing off with special Yahoo7 Be-branded Doughnut Time doughnuts, and one more cheeky fairy floss cocktail, the night finished on a sweet note.

– Theresa
Co-founder of The Plus Ones, Theresa can be found on Instagram at all hours of the day and night.

Vivid Sydney runs 26 May-17 June 2017 at various locations around Sydney. See the full programme of events here.

Check out The Plus Ones’ guide to the best events at VIVID Sydney 2017.

Visit www.au.be.yahoo.com for all things Be.

Disclosure: The Plus Ones were invited guests of Red Agency.
Image credit: Red Agency.