Meetings & Events Australia Ltd is an independent non profit body with a national office and seven branch secretariats around Australia. Each branch runs an education program through out the year. Most activities are open to members and non-members. Contact the particular branch for further details.
National Council
The National Council is made up of representatives of each established branch together with five nationally elected members. The role of the Council is to provide strategic guidance to the Association.
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors consists of 5 members drawn from the National Council, inclusive of 3 office bearers and 2 additional Executive members
Chair
Ms Rhona
Walker AFMEA
Managing Director - Solution RED View Bio
Rhona Walker is the owner operator of Solution RED and Avantage and has a very strong background in event support within the hospitality and venue environment. Rhona played a major role in the induction of audio visual services into hotels in Victoria and around Australia during the early 1990's.
In 2001 Rhona made the decision to open her own Audio Visual and Themeing company and in 2008 became the owner of Avantage along with the opening of new offices in both Sydney and on the Gold Coast.
Although her business life is extremely busy, Rhona finds time to mentor and coach students from all major TAFE colleges and universities who are entering the meetings and events industry.
In 2006 Rhona was recognised for
her business success as a Telstra Business Womens
Finalist and in 2009 was named Industry Person
of the Year, Asia Pacific.
Vice Chair
Mr Simon Baggs AFMEA
CEO & Creative Director - Lateral Marketing and Management Pty Ltd
Simon Baggs is the founder and CEO of Lateral Marketing & Management, which for the past 14 years has been producing upscale life style events, meetings and conferences for multinationals, associations and prestigious brands.
Simon is the author of ‘Extraordinary Events,’ a book published in 2006 on relationship marketing through events. The second edition of the book is due to be published at the end of 2010.
Prior to founding Lateral, Simon was the Director of Marketing of the ATP, the worldwide governing body of men’s tennis and Director of Marketing of Tourism NSW.
Simon serves on the National Board of MEA and is a past Sponsorship Australasia Association National President.
Treasurer
Mr Phil Holmes AMM, AFMEA
Director - Convention Wise Pty Ltd
Branch Chair – Tasmania
Phil has been Director of Convention
Wise in Hobart for almost 6 years.
In his previous career in education he specialised
in geography, tourism and outdoor education.
He has a Master of Educational Studies from
the University of Tasmania. He has travelled
widely, managing a Swiss ski village, course
directing at an Outward Bound School in USA
and taking school trips to Nepal and all around
Australia. He has served as a National Councillor
for the Australian College of Educators, a Board
Member of the Tasmanian Sail Training Association
and is currently MEA State Chair (Tas) and a
MEA National Director.
Board Members
Ms Ruth
Lilian OAM AMM Director - L & R Contract Business Services View Bio
Ruth Lilian's world of conferencing
and event management spans over thirty-five
years and, during this time, she and a number
of others have worked to grow the meetings and
events industry to what it is today. She has
been associated with Meetings & Events Australia
since the mid eighties.
She has worked across a wide range
of conference areas and venues throughout this
time and has tended to specialise in the medical,
scientific, technical, educational and pharmaceutical
sectors, together with industry exhibitions.
She has had the opportunity to manage
and work on some of the largest conferences
to be brought to Australia as well as smaller
corporate meetings, roadshows, campaigns, annual
general meetings and social and special events.
Her background also includes many years in association
management.
Ruth is an Accredited Meetings Manager
and has worked with MEA to establish industry
accreditation and continuing education programs.
Ruth is currently Vice Chair of the National
Board of Directors and is a Board Member of
the Tasmanian Convention and Visitors Bureau.
In the last eighteen months, Ruth has been involved in lecturing in Event Management at the International College of Management Sydney (ICMS) and more recently at Kenvale College, UNSW and as a guest lecturer at UTS.
Ruth was awarded an OAM in the 2008 Australia Day Awards, part of this award being for her service to the event management industry and in 2009 was a recipient of a Tourism Australia Training Legends Award.
Mrs Rosemarie Sama
Event Director - Reed Travel Exhibitions View Bio
Rosemarie Sama has more than fifteen years experience in the business travel, incentive, meetings and events industry.
Rosemarie is the Event Director for the multi-award winning event AIME, the Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Expo held annually in Melbourne.
Under her direction AIME has been recognised globally as a major international industry event and the most significant event of its kind in the Asia Pacific region.
AIME delivers the best in business opportunities, professional education and networking opportunities. In addition, the event has become a platform for the industry to share ideas, for leaders to gather and a venue for the next generation of meetings and incentive organisers to learn key skills.
Rosemarie is recognised by her peers for her impeccable business acumen, leadership skills, tenaciousness, passion, drive and commitment to the event, and indeed the industry.
MEA Chief Executive Officer
Ms Linda P Gaunt
Chief Executive Officer - Meetings & Events
Australia
Linda Gaunt is the Chief Executive Officer of Meetings & Events Australia - MEA (formerly the Meetings Industry Association of Australia). Linda has held this position for the past three and a half years, during which time she has driven a positive change management process for the association.
As Chief Executive Officer of MEA, Linda is a member of the following Boards and Councils:
The Industry Advisory Board to Tourism Australia
The Industry Advisory Council to Service Skills Australia
The Virgin Blue Industry Advisory Board
The Business Events Council of Australia
The Federal Minister for Tourisms Business Events Strategy 2020 Group
Linda is also a member of:
The Australian Institute of Management
International Special Events Society
Prior to taking up her current position in 2005, Linda was the Deputy CEO and Director of Education and Training of the Australia Institute of Management.
Linda is the Telstra 2005 South Australian
Business Woman of the Year as well as the
South Australian Hudson and Community Business
Woman of the Year 2005.
Born in Belfast Northern Ireland and completing her schooling in Adelaide, Linda holds post-graduate studies through to a doctorate in business administration.
Linda is enjoying the challenges and rewards
that holding the role of Chief Executive of
MEA has brought, and believes her background
working within Association Management with
various industry bodies will assist her
drive MEA to greater heights ongoing.
One of Linda's key strengths is her understanding of membership organisations and the importance she places on maintaining and growing membership. Each of the organisations that she has worked for in the past have been membership based and she understands well the commitment necessary to represent members at all levels and to provide value to members to retain their commitment to the organisation.
National Council
Steve Mackenzie, ASP Events Pty Ltd
Nationally Elected Member
Steve has over 25 years of experience within the Hospitality and Events industry, 16 years focused on the IT side and prior to that, nearly 10 years working within Hotels and Resorts. His current role is Vice-President of Global Sales for the award-winning website software and design company ASP Events.
In this capacity, Steve is primarily responsible for the growth of the UK-based company in the US and Asia Pacific markets.
Prior to ASP Events, Steve spent 11 years in senior management positions with the event software company, Ungerboeck Systems International, initially as Managing Director of their Asia-Pacific regional offices before moving to the US headquarters as Vice-President of Global Marketing.
Steve regularly speaks at event industry events around the world on software trends and is a current National Councilor of MEA, as well as a past Board Member and NSW Branch Chairman. He is also a current member of the International Association for Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) Asia Business Committee, and served on other various industry association committees whilst based in the US .
Mrs Shari
Carr AFMEA
Branch Chair – New South Wales
Shari Carr has worked in the
MICE industry for the past 15 years and her
experience includes most recently sales, marketing
and operations in unique venues, and previously
she has worked in events and stage management,
conferencing and exhibition arenas. Currently
Shari works with Foster's Group as the National
Business Development Manager for Business Events,
and her role is to manage key accounts, market
and sell the portfolio of unique venues Foster's
has which includes 16 wineries, 3 brewhouses
& 3 Restaurants in 5 states across the country.
Ms Carrie
Altamura, Darwin Convention Centre
Branch Chair – Northern Territory View Bio
Employed as Business Development Manager of the Darwin Convention Centre since 2007 I have been actively involved in the development of the centre from construction to pre-opening and then to a fully operational facility.
Previously employed by Northern Gateway P/L for seven years, originally as the Manager of their conference division, and then promoted to Group General Manager in 2004, my responsibilities expanded to cover the overall management of each division of the company:
The Best Conference and Events Company
Royal Brunei Airlines (GSA)
Borneo Holidays
Northern Gateway Holidays
Travelscene Executive Travel
During my years in management I have built a reputation for being a sound, reliable and dedicated professional with have a strong work ethic.
Liz Rivers is Managing Director of Awards Absolute, a company that manages excellence awards and rewards programs, and creates stunning awards events.
Liz is a former A-grade journalist that used to explain the world of science, medicine and technology. Then in 1994 she opened her own media, marketing and events business in Sydney. Three years later Liz and her team were asked by a client to establish a staff awards program… the rest is history.
Her 15-year business events' experience has aided many bodies. She's been active in the Queensland MEA branch for five years, contributes to national forums regarding awards, and assists university and TAFE students in understanding the events industry.
Mr Philip
Wells AFMEA, Adelaide Convention
Centre
Branch Chair – South Australia
Philip is an Event Planning Manager with
the Adelaide Convention Centre and has over
eighteen years experience in the business
events industry. Philip has a strong
operational understanding of major venues
and the industry having previously held roles with
both the Adelaide Convention Centre and the
Melbourne Convention Exhibition Centre in
catering operations and event management,
along with experience in major hotels and
small business.
Philip is currently Branch Chair in South
Australia and is committed to developing
our industry and subscribes to the fact;
"It takes a lot of effort to look effortless".
Ms Susan
Ryman-Kiernan AFMEA, Wise Connections
Branch Chair – Victoria
Susan Ryman-Kiernan has over 25 years incentive
travel and event management experience - planning
and organizing events all over the world.
Her career started in the UK and in 1996 she
relocated to Melbourne. In 1998 she established
Wise Connections, a boutique provider of incentive
travel, event management and destination management
services. Wise Connections create tailor made
solutions for their clients which will leave
a memorable and lasting impression with the
participants.
Susan has been an'active member of Meetings
& Events Australia since 1999. She holds
AFMEA recognition, worked on the MEA Professional
Development sub-committee from 2001-2008 and
is currently Chair of the MEA Victoria Branch
Committee.
Grace Kendrick, Rydges Perth
Branch Chair – Western Australia
WA Branch Chair Renee Bennett is Director of Events at EECW Pty Ltd – a combination of two of WA's leading event management companies EventEdge and Congress West. The combination of the two companies has seen EECW grow to become the largest Professional Conference Organiser in the WA business events industry with a team of 12. Renee has been an active member of the MEA WA branch for the past four years both under the networking and professional development portfolios. She moved into the position of WA Branch Chair in July 2008 and is working with the WA branch committee to build membership and creating additional opportunities for its WA members.
Mr Tim Daly, Staging Connections, Canberra
Branch Chair – Australian Capital Territory View Bio
Tim began with Staging Connections Canberra in 1998 and during this time has held the positions of Project Manager, Event Staging Manager and Technical Director with a particular emphasis on training and development of technical staff.
In 1990, Tim made the move across from the entertainment industry in Melbourne to the AV industry in Canberra with a brief stint with a Sydney AV firm before starting with Staging Connections.
Tim has a background in radio, theatre and live music and has also presented on AV topics for the past 4 years for MEA Essentials and sits on the board of a local government arts funded body.