Passion & Purpose In Business
Abby will lead us through the history of her career as a musician & working in the corporate world; the accomplishments, lessons she has brought forward into business practices today, the highs and lows of chasing a dream and the necessary fuel the ‘purpose’ provided.
The formation of Next Level Music Programs (with business partners Wayne (Batman) Ficnerski and Andrew Gifford (Bulldogs Director), which started with a shared desire to give something back to the community and the subsequent launch of the Next Level High School Talent Comp in 2023 & 2024.
The impact a tragic youth suicide had on the importance and focus of the program, leading to our now-regular, hugely successful Youth Jams.
The expansion and ambitions of Next Level into youth mentoring, workshops & skill development, more local events, and expanding the program into other regions.
The challenges of balancing this with her career and ambitions as an artist in the coming years.
What it means to me to be a female CEO.
ABOUT ABBY
Abby Skye is a popular singer, artist and youth advocate based in Wide Bay, Queensland. ‘Born singing’, Abby taught herself piano and guitar, trained in Classical Voice at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School, produced numerous songs, albums, music videos and collabs from her studios in Victoria and Queensland, and performed thousands of shows along the east coast of Australia.
Self-taught on guitar, she wrote her first song at 14 and has since clocked up thousands of performances around Australia, supporting the likes of Rick Price, Daryl Braithwaite, Renee Geyer, James Reyne, Mental as Anything, Jon Stevens, Icehouse and Baby Animals as well as performing at such esteemed occasions as the Sydney Lord Mayor NYE Ball, Victorian College of the Arts Alumni Concert and for the President of Hungary.
In 2021, Abby released her highly anticipated album ‘Build A Castle With Me’, along with another LP ‘Learning To Fly: Early Recordings’, which showcases her favourite catalogue songs and celebrates 20 years of writing and recording.
Abby’s voice is uniquely expressive, powerful and versatile, often compared with the like of Melissa Etheridge & Toni Childs. She is known for giving 100% to every performance, has a passionate & dedicated fanbase and is in high demand as a performing artist in public, private and corporate settings.
In recent years, Abby discovered a new passion in youth advocacy and mental health support, launching ‘Next Level Music Programs’ in 2023 to astonishing success, receiving a Rotary International Fellowship in 2025 for services to the community, an Australia Day Award for Community Group of the Year in 2026 and featuring as a speaker for International Women’s Day in March.
Time 6:30am – 8:00am - H20 Restaurant & Bar
BUFFET BREAKFAST
Bacon, Poached & Scrambled Eggs, Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Panini & GF Bread
Dietary requirements can be catered for. Please advise at time of registration
Self-serve juice & tea/coffee station
Barista Coffee can be purchased at Cruz N Brew Coffee Van out front
Registrations close at 10pm MONDAY 27th July 2026
Please note: NO LATE REGISTRATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED