Katherine Grace: The Driving Force Behind PAX Australia’s Content Vision
Katherine Grace stands as a pivotal, yet often unacknowledged, figure within Australia’s vibrant local games industry. As the Content Manager for PAX Australia, an event produced by RX Global, she expertly steers the annual Melbourne convention. This gathering unites every facet of the gaming world, from major commercial players to dedicated enthusiasts, all thanks to her keen expertise, meticulous oversight, and exceptional curation skills.
Grace acts as the central nexus for all content-related aspects of the show. Her responsibilities span the entire spectrum, from shaping the programming and overall direction to extending invitations to both homegrown and international talent. She orchestrates panels, the much-anticipated annual Storytime presentation, engaging meet-and-greets, dedicated community rooms, and a myriad of other crucial elements that define the PAX Australia experience.
For Grace, this role has been a long-held dream. However, it presented a profound personal challenge when she decided to take a hiatus in 2025 to pursue another deeply cherished aspiration: motherhood.
Guiding PAX Australia: Grace’s Strategic Influence
Grace’s input is instrumental in shaping the direction of PAX Australia. She acknowledges the inherent difficulty in balancing the profound desire to be a mother with the ambition of a career-driven woman. This often involves navigating a complex web of responsibilities, alongside the continuous pressure to advance professionally, secure reliable childcare, and even work towards homeownership.
Returning to her role after maternity leave, Grace admits that the reintegration process was “a lot more difficult than [she] anticipated.”
“Juggling workload, to then go back to your full-time job as a parent, there’s no downtime,” Grace explains. “You clock into work, you clock out of work, you clock into being a parent. That’s been the hardest part… I’m just so behind [on hobbies], because there’s no time.”
The operational gears of PAX Australia are also in full swing. The post-show data from the previous year requires thorough analysis, and a precise timeline for content execution is being meticulously mapped out. Grace describes these as “tiny, tiny gears in a big, big project,” with numerous plans needing completion before the execution of this year’s October event can truly commence.
Currently, Grace is actively “reaching out to so many people and talent for panels, for keynotes [and] guest speakers, and reviewing budgets.”
“As content manager, I manage all the content at the show,” Grace states. “If it’s not an exhibitor, it’s my responsibility… it’s a big responsibility, and sometimes it’s very intimidating. But I’m fortunate that I can lean on my event director for support. I have enforcers that I lean on, who help me execute the key areas.”
“While it is an amazing job, and I love it, it can be very intimidating at times, because if I don’t do something, it doesn’t happen.”
Despite the inherent challenges of managing such a demanding workload while embracing the profound responsibilities of new parenthood, Grace remains deeply passionate about her work and the opportunity it affords her to create meaningful impact within the local games industry.
“When you’re in the queue hall, and you see people smile and get really excited… that’s the best feeling in the world,” Grace shares. “That countdown, being like ‘we made it to the show, it’s opened’ and seeing everyone smiling and happy, it really is the best feeling.”
Over the past four years, Grace has taken particular pride in curating increasingly diverse iterations of PAX Australia, fostering greater opportunities for community connection.
“Gaming is now such a big spectrum,” Grace elaborates. “It’s not just digital. It gets really nitty gritty, and unique, with what people are into.”
During her tenure as Content Manager, Grace has been instrumental in the launch of the Cosplay Central Crown Championships, providing a dedicated platform for individuals to showcase their creativity, modelling, and artistic talents. She has also played a key role in establishing the Kirrip Wilam room, a vital space designed for Indigenous gamers to connect, working alongside another significant, though often overlooked, figure in Australia’s gaming scene, developer and mentor Ben Armstrong.
“I’m really proud of how [both of those initiatives have] organically grown,” Grace remarks. “The people of Australia deserve to have amazing content, and amazing guest speakers on their shores.”
Motherhood’s Transformative Impact on PAX Australia 2026 Planning
Grace candidly discusses the significant hurdles faced by women who aspire to advance their careers while also embracing motherhood. Since her return to the workforce, she has had to navigate a diverse array of responsibilities at all hours, often necessitating early starts or late finishes. Furthermore, she’s had to re-evaluate what it means to be a career woman in the wake of becoming a mother.
“As someone who, before being a mother, was a career woman, really trying to push herself… really prove to myself and push myself to achieve new career highs, it’s been really hard to take a step back from that version of myself, to step into motherhood,” Grace confesses. “That’s probably the hardest thing.”
This presents a dilemma that resonates with many women. It’s a conscious choice to shift focus, a decision that carries considerable implications for their professional lives.
However, Grace is unequivocal that she wouldn’t change a thing. Rather than viewing this transition as a setback, she believes her experience as a mother has honed her skillset, enhanced her adaptability, and provided her with invaluable perspective and knowledge that will undoubtedly shape future PAX Australia showcases.
“Having a child really puts into perspective what is urgent and what is not urgent,” Grace notes.
“The amount of stuff that you’re willing to take on before motherhood, compared to after motherhood, is very different. As a mother coming back to work, I’m a lot firmer in my boundaries [and] what I can and can’t do, and that is to protect my own peace, as well as get shit done.”
“[They say] if you want something done, give it to a mum. It’s so true, because we are so intentional with our time, and how much time we allocate to do things. We’re not going to fluff around. We’re going to get the job done.”
Her journey into motherhood has also profoundly influenced her approach to content curation for the upcoming show, instilling a desire to create a more family-friendly environment and engage gamers of all ages.
“As I’ve grown into motherhood, I’ve been able to bring a sense of perspective on what content we should bring to the show, and something that I’ve been working on for the past year is including more family-inclusive content,” Grace shares.
“Parents want to share their hobbies with their children. And what’s more special than showing your child an ancient relic of a console?”
Amplifying Women’s Contributions in the Games Industry
Conversations with Grace underscore the critical need to highlight the contributions of women within the Australian games industry. Despite her high-profile role at one of Australia’s premier gaming events, Grace reveals that she has encountered persistent criticism throughout her career simply for being a woman in the field.
“Since discovering games as a child, into being a young adult, to being an adult, from being a consumer, to being in the industry, I have faced criticism along every step,” Grace recounts. “I was being mocked as a kid for playing games. It wasn’t cool. I entered local tournaments and competitions, played games and got mocked. Then, into my career, [it was] not being taken seriously by other professionals at the time.”
“When I got this job [at PAX Aus], I had four men reach out to me to say, ‘how did you get the job?’”
While Grace observes positive shifts occurring, she notes a lingering reluctance to fully acknowledge the value and contributions of women in the workforce, particularly within the games industry. Regardless of seniority or tenure, there remains a persistent undercurrent of disbelief regarding their positions and achievements. Women are often expected to navigate such criticism with a degree of politeness and to handle entitlement with grace.
However, Grace firmly asserts that women and mothers hold an indispensable place in the games industry, bringing essential perspectives that drive innovation and enhance efficiency. The weight of criticism and doubt, she argues, cannot diminish the significance of her own achievements or those of her female peers.
While events like International Women’s Day on March 8th provide a dedicated moment for reflection, the spotlight on women’s contributions deserves to shine year-round.
In the coming months, Grace’s lived experiences as both a woman and a mother will undoubtedly shape the curation of this year’s PAX Australia. She continues to meticulously analyse the successes of the 2025 event while forging ahead with plans for the next iteration, scheduled to take place in Melbourne from 9 to 11 October.
“The next few months are really make or break in creating strategy to execute at the show,” Grace explains. “I use this time to set up all the groundwork, to actually start executing things… I’m preparing to open panels, I’m working with probably 10+ community groups in executing other content at the show, and then I’m working with all the enforcer managers who help execute all the content areas in the show.”
“There’s a lot going on honestly, and it’s hard to pinpoint what’s most important, because everything needs to run at the same time. So, it’s a really crazy few months coming up… Being in Australia, it can be really tough getting talent here because we’re just so far away from the rest of the world.”
“But the community in Australia really deserve the opportunity to see talent and guests they love, so I’m working really, really hard to make sure it’s a strong lineup, and to get the people of Australia excited, and make their dreams come true.”
All of this unfolds while she is also tending to a newborn and navigating the early stages of motherhood. As one of the key behind-the-scenes organisers of PAX Australia, Grace typically operates away from the spotlight. However, her dedication and impact make it clear that she is more than deserving of recognition.
