EVENT AUTHORITY · CHAMPagne master · ai implementation
MELISSA
DUNBAR CMC
Strategic Access.
Intelligent Influence.
Unforgettable Impact.
Master of Champagne - Australia's newest Champagne Master
Melissa creates the rooms and experiences that matter for leaders and brands who need to be seen, heard, and remembered.
With 30+ years in the industry and 22 years as Founder and CEO of Big Fish Events, I’ve delivered 1,100+ high-stakes events worldwide, from a Royal Reception for Queen Elizabeth II to major launches, sporting galas, and global talent.
She is also South Australia's very own female Master of Champagne, host of The Business of Being Seen podcast and a Senior Managing Partner at AI Agency Group, helping leaders use AI to amplify access, influence and impact.
t.
30+
YEARS designing and PRODUCING EVENTS
1,100+
events delivered WORLDWIDE
Australia's Newest
champagne master of the guild
Strategic Speaker
key messages that matter
ABOUT MELISSA
Access you can use.
Influence you can measure.
I don’t just produce events. I create the rooms that change outcomes: engineered for access, powered by intelligence, and remembered for years.
- MELISSA DUNBAR
Melissa Dunbar is a seasoned entrepreneur and global event leader with more than 30 years' experience and over 1,100 high-profile events produced worldwide - including a Royal Reception Gala for Queen Elizabeth II, major sporting and national award galas, and events with personalities such as Sir David Beckham OBE and Dean Jones AM.
As founder and CEO of Big Fish Events Group, she grew a niche event management firm into a premier agency blending events, marketing and communications. She is also Co-CEO of Under The Vines, an international importer of French wine and Champagne.
In 2025 Melissa earned her AI certification and partnered with JT Foxx as a Business Partner in AI Agency Group - pairing decades of event leadership with AI business transformation to help leaders grow smarter and scale faster.
FOUNDER & CEO, BIG FISH EVENTS GROUP
CO-CEO, UNDER THE VINES
BUSINESS PARTNER, AI AGENCY GROUP
SIGNATURE EXPERIENCES
Curated for leaders who
want more than an event.
Rooms that Matter
Strategic access to the rooms, conversations, and people that create momentum. The difference between networking and strategic access: one collects contacts, the other creates opportunities.
Champagne Tastings
Your Boardroom.
Our Champagne Master.
A Client Event They’ll Remember.
A premium hosted tasting designed for client connection and lead conversations, delivered seamlessly in your boardroom..
Conferences People Remember
The difference between a good conference and one people remember for years?
Strategic design. Every session, every speaker, every moment planned.
Future by Design
A keynote series exploring what's next in business, leadership and technology. AI won't replace human connection - but it will amplify who gets access to the rooms that matter.
KEYNOTES · MASTER OF CEREMONIES
Talks that stay in the room long after the lights come up.
Melissa Dunbar delivers keynotes built for high-stakes rooms: grounded in 22 years running Big Fish Events and 1,100+ events delivered, sharpened through hosting The Business of Being Seen, and made practical with real-world AI applications. Expect strategic access, intelligent influence, and unforgettable impact.
Strategic Access and Influence
Influence is built in rooms, not feeds. This keynote shows how premium experiences and the language of Champagne create trust faster, elevate relationships, and turn conversations into opportunities.
The Business of Being Seen
Some of the most capable people stay invisible - not from lack of talent, but lack of strategy. This keynote breaks down how influence is actually built: positioning, presence, rooms, and repeatable visibility that earns trust.
The Art of Storytelling (That Moves a Room)
Story is not the opening. It is the engine. Learn how world-class events and leaders use narrative, structure, and emotion to create attention, belief, and action - on stage, in meetings, and in the moments that matter.
AI That Amplifies
AI will not replace human connection, but it will amplify who gets seen, chosen, and remembered. A practical keynote for leaders and teams: what to adopt now, how to apply it safely, and how to turn AI into momentum.
“
"She is the real deal."
JT FOXX
Global entrepreneur, investor and dealmaker across 84 countries
THEY KNOW HER, HAVE WORKED WITH HER, OR BEEN INTERVIEWED BY HER
Arnold Schwarzenegger · Olivia Newton-John · The Hon. Julie Bishop · Greg Norman · Gwen Stefani · Vince Vaughn
JT Foxx · Joe Foster · Mario Lopez · Tim Gannon · Fred Fishbank · Jack Cohen · Liz Dawson MNZM · Mark Bouris
Valtteri Bottas · Phil Liggett MBE · Paul Sherwen · Caroline Stanbury Sergio Carrallo
William May · Guy Sebastian AM · David Campbell OAM · Marina Prior · Emily Williams
Cadel Evans AM · Anna Meares OAM · Stuart O'Grady OAM · Mike Tutur AO
Dean Jones AM · Darren Lehmann · Alison Mitchell ·
Mark Beretta · Mark Ricciuto · Leigh McClusky · Bruce Abernethy
champagne
Champagne Master of the Guild
Champagne Expert (Comité Champagne)
Champagne Connoisseur (Comité Champagne)
Champagne Specialist (Comité Champagne)
AWARD WINNER
Australian Event Awards — Best Cause Related Event
NOMINEE
Australian Event of the Year — Divine Dining
National Nominee — Best Congress or Conference 500 Delegates or Over
FINALIST & JUDGE
Telstra Women's Business Awards Finalist
Telstra Women's Business Awards Judge
RECOGNISED BY
SA Leaders and Vic Leaders
AI CERTIfIED
AI Certification
AI Implementation Certification
Prestige with precision.
Style with strategy.
BOOK MELISSA
Let's create something extraordinary.
Rooms that matter - access and influence, strategic speaker, Champagne Master, signature experiences and event creation.
Tell Melissa about your audience and occasion, she cannot wait to connect.
Connect with Melissa's other businesses
2026 Melissa Dunbar. All rights reserved.