JWDK Showcase | Sticky Places: Insights on Place Experience Strategies and the power of Community Building

Matt Barratt is a creative urbanist and place brand leader based in Sydney, Australia who works with councils, developers and destination marketers to craft their vision and translate their ambitions into experiences, products and brands that attract tenants, buyers and visitors.

Matt began his career at Hassell and later, became Creative Director at Hoyne. Recently he has led place visions and experience planning for New Sydney Waterfront BID, Sydney Central Station Renewal Program and Australian National Maritime Museum.

Jing is a Place Brand Strategist specialising in distinctive brand positioning and place narratives for developments across China. With a deep understanding of the Chinese market and consumer behaviour, she translates cultural and market insights into compelling brand strategies and actionable frameworks. She has helped shape brand strategies for destinations including Shanghai’s Aroma Garden, EKA·Tianwu and AHN LAN Resorts & Hotels.

Holding an MSc from University College London (UCL) and a BSc from the University of Warwick, Jing brings an interdisciplinary perspective spanning business, psychology and design thinking to her strategic practice.

Kirsten Johnston is a place strategist and creative leader specialising in place branding, urban regeneration and destination development. As Founder & CEO of JWDK, she works with leading developers and asset owners across China and Asia to transform properties into culturally relevant, socially meaningful and commercially resilient places.

Her work explores how culture, community and experience can strengthen place identity, foster belonging and create lasting value. She is Chair Emeritus of the British Chamber of Commerce Shanghai and an active voice in discussions on placemaking and the future of cities.

Tony is a “jack of all trades” in the consumer retail space, with experience spanning industries (F&B, Technology, Sports, Luxury Retail), functions (Marketing, Product Merchandising, Sales), and geographies , with stops in New York, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai.

Currently leading Hang Lung’s re-invention as a place to “engage” for the modern consumer, he holds a dual BS in Marketing & Finance from Boston University and an MBA from HKUST.

Audrey Ou is the Chief Strategy Officer of ROCKBUND, a landmark urban regeneration and real estate district in Shanghai, and serves on the board of the Rockbund Art Museum. Previously, she co-founded and served as CEO of TRLab, an art and tech platform that has evolved to focus on design-led gifting. She has been recognised as a rising talent by Apollo Magazine (2022 40 Under 40 for Asia Pacific), Tatler Asia (2022 Gen.T Leaders of Tomorrow), and the Forbes 30 Under 30 Class for 2023. Audrey is also a founding Global Ambassador at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and a founding member of the Vanguard Council at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She holds a B.A. in History from Princeton University and an M.S. in Applied Analytics from Columbia University.

Dr. Helena Rong is an architect, urbanist and researcher exploring the intersection of urban development, technology and human experience. She directs the Protopolis Lab at NYU Shanghai, researching emerging technologies, governance and urban futures.

Previously, she conducted research at MIT’s Real Estate Innovation Lab on the relationship between architectural design and property value, and has taught at Harvard and MIT. She holds degrees from Cornell, MIT and Columbia University.

Max Ma is a national-level elite swimmer, former NCAA swim team captain and graduate of Trinity College. He founded ALLTRA GAMES, now one of Asia’s largest functional fitness event series, hosting over 30 competitions across Asia each year and attracting tens of thousands athletes from over 30 countries.

Through an online community of tens of thousands, a network of over 600 partner gyms across China, and PROJECT ONE’s company-owned training spaces in Shanghai, Max connects international competition with everyday training and urban life. He brings people together through sport, creating spaces that go beyond training—places where people build connections, find a sense of belonging and return time and again.