"The Glitter Strip" is a label the Gold Coast has been trying to ditch.
The Queensland city grew into a tourism powerhouse over half a century, gaining a reputation for a laid-back beach lifestyle.
Motels under neon lights once lined the coast, while meter maids posed for photos with tourists.
Mr Babiak leads Brand Gold Coast, a council-owned organisation working to reinvent the city's reputation.
Austin, Texas, underwent a transformation that saw it become an engine of the technology economy, fuelled by a "weird" reputation.
Every year, Austin celebrates a public birthday party for Eeyore, the donkey from Winnie the Pooh.
Dr Long's book Weird City explores Austin's effort to maintain its eccentric character amid rapid economic change.
"Keep Austin Weird" spread onto stickers and shopfronts, morphing into an unofficial city slogan that encouraged locals to embrace what made them different.
Even the world's most popular podcaster, Joe Rogan, relocated to Austin in 2020.
While Austin has "weird", the Gold Coast has "wellness".
Mr Babiak spent 200 hours interviewing locals about the "core story" of the Gold Coast.
Mr Babiak said the cliché of laid-back beaches limits the Gold Coast's appeal for serious business, study and investment.
By leveraging its film industry, Mr Babiak said the Gold Coast could become "a younger, more sophisticated, dynamic and complex economy".
Mr Amos said many Australian films need government incentives to attract private funding, but the Gold Coast has the capacity and skills to make domestic films for international audiences.
The city council voted unanimously this month to endorse Brand Gold Coast's vision.