As New Zealand’s creative economy continues to evolve, one question keeps coming up for artists, designers, filmmakers, and creative entrepreneurs: how do you take the skills you’ve spent years developing and actually turn them into a viable, sustainable business or source of income? SAE Creative Media Institute is bringing together industry voices to answer exactly that at its Creative Business Info Night, on Tuesday 13 October 2026, from 5:30pm to 7:00pm at 12 Heather Street, Parnell, Auckland. Places are limited and early registration is encouraged.
The event is open to creatives at all stages of their careers, from students and recent graduates to established freelancers and small business owners looking to scale. It’s designed for emerging creatives exploring how to turn their craft into a career, freelancers and sole traders looking to grow their client base and revenue, small creative business owners seeking practical growth strategies, and anyone curious about the business side of the creative industries.
“We teach creative people how to start, fund, grow and lead their own business. It’s a shortcut to sustainability.”
David Court, Founder, Compton Business School
For many creatives, creative skill has become an easier part of their workflow, the real challenges lie in what comes along with utilizing those skills, building a network, finding an audience, pricing work fairly, and turning a passion into a dependable income stream. SAE Creative Media Institute created this info night to bring together practitioners from across the creative industries who can speak candidly about the strategies, setbacks, and turning points that helped them build sustainable creative careers and businesses.
The panel represents a cross-section of the creative industries, from retail, culture, and community-building to education and music, giving attendees a well-rounded view of what it takes to grow a creative business or brand into something sustainable. Speakers include David Court (Compton Business School), Anita Tana (Celestial Corner Shop), Swap Gomez (This Place Here), and Dave Johnston (Villainy & n1ghtmar3cat) each offering a different lens on what it takes to build a creative business. The evening will include a discussion, audience Q&A, along with dedicated networking time, giving attendees the chance to connect directly with our guests.
This info night will showcase a programme that SAE Creative Media Institute has already designed as a solution to bridge these business skill gaps. Alongside its programmes in Audio, Music Production, Songwriting, and Screen, SAE Auckland offers a dedicated Creative Business Graduate Diploma, designed specifically for creatives who want to turn their craft into a career, not just a qualification. SAE’s Graduate Diploma in Creative Business puts entrepreneurship, brand-building, pricing, client relationships, and industry networking at the centre of the curriculum, taught by practitioners who’ve built creative businesses themselves, locally & globally.
The Graduate Diploma also gives graduates of SAE’s other programmes a clear education pathway, a natural next step for those who’ve completed a degree at SAE, and want to build the business skills to back it up. As Aotearoa’s creative industries become increasingly entrepreneurial and borderless, knowing how to build a sustainable creative business has never been more important.
Numbers are limited for this free event. Creatives, freelancers, and small business owners across Auckland are encouraged to register early via the event page: events.humanitix.com
