State of Social ‘26 Welcomes Back Tess Palmyre for Fourth Year

Brandable founder and DEI strategist returns to Optus Stadium with a session on using friction as a creative force

 State of Social, Western Australia's leading social and digital marketing conference, has announced the return of Tess Palmyre to its 2026 speaker lineup.

The Brandable founder and WAMA DEI Lead will take the Optus Stadium stage on 25 August for her fourth consecutive appearance at the conference.

Tess Palmyre's 2026 session, Get Out of Your Algorithm: Riding the Waves of Friction to Create Better Work, sits squarely within SOS26's theme of Friction, exploring how marketers can stop avoiding tension and start using it to produce work that connects in an AI-shaped world.

The session is a practical breakout designed for marketers and leaders who say they care about inclusion but still expect it to feel comfortable. Palmyre will challenge attendees to step outside their echo chambers, work with people who think differently, and use discomfort as a creative catalyst rather than a reason to retreat to safe, forgettable work.

Palmyre brings a rare combination of lived experience and sharp commercial strategy to the topic. A former teacher and Seychelles-born foster mum to two Noongar girls, she helps businesses build brands that genuinely connect, with purpose, with people, and without performative gestures.

She was named on the 2025 AdNews Champions of Change Power List for her impact in the DEI space, and serves as DEI Lead for the Western Australian Marketing Association (WAMA) alongside running Brandable.

"I keep coming back to State of Social because the conversations here are genuine. People aren’t here for marketing fluff – they want to know what actually works under real pressure.

This session is for anyone who knows inclusion matters, but isn’t sure how to do it without falling into tokenism or playing it safe.

Friction and discomfort aren’t things to avoid, but things to work with."

Palmyre said.

State of Social founder Meg Coffey said Palmyre has become one of the conference's most anticipated returnees for good reason.

"Tess is one of those speakers who makes you uncomfortable in the best possible way. She doesn't let you off the hook, and that's exactly what SOS26 is about.

Friction isn't the enemy of good work, it's often the reason for it. Tess gets that better than almost anyone I know, and she knows how to take a room with her."

SOS26 runs 25 & 26 August 2026 at Optus Stadium, Perth. The conference brings together marketing and branding professionals for two days of practical sessions, industry conversation, and connection.

Tickets are available now at stateofsocial.com.au.

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About State of Social ’26: Friction

Now entering its ninth year, State of Social has grown into Australia’s largest independent digital marketing conference, drawing hundreds of senior marketers, founders and decision-makers each August.

The 2026 theme, Friction, explores the productive tension driving modern marketing: platform shifts, AI acceleration, consumer scepticism, creative constraints and organisational pressure. Rather than avoiding friction, the programme will examine how leading marketers harness it to create stronger strategy, sharper thinking and better results.