Ms Susan Harris BBus(Mktg), AEP, CEM

Susan Harris, BBus(Mktg) is our Managing Director and Event Director and the key contact throughout the duration of the event. Susan has more than 23 years’ experience in organising events and marketing for a wide range of sectors. Her extensive experience gives her a hands-on and in-depth understanding of the needs of member-based associations, not-for-profit organisations, and Government processes and protocols.

One of the advantages of working with Susan is that it’s her business – she has a vested interest in working in partnership with clients to ensure the success of their event, and in building long-term relationships with clients.

As an Event Manager, she has organised more than 450 events ranging from national and international conferences (from 30 to 1,300 people and with complex speaking programmes), exhibitions (from 15 to 100 booths), a series of Expos (total attendance of 45,800+ over 9 locations throughout Queensland, workshops, through to gala dinners, cocktail parties, awards nights. Susan has been instrumental in the success of key conferences and projects. In 2012, she was awarded Meetings & Events Australia (MEA) National Meetings Manager of the Year. Since 2007, she had been a MEA Accredited Meetings Manager (now Accredited Event Professional AEP).

As an event professional, Susan has 23 years’ experience. She started her event and marketing career working in an advertising agency, then in marketing co-ordination roles in the association and not-for-profit sector – all while studying part time for her Bachelor of Business (Marketing) degree. At the end of her degree, she was promoted to Marketing & Events Manager and led a team of five where she managed all managed all marketing and business development. After that role, she worked as Conference Manager for a large PCO firm before starting Absolute Events & Marketing (AEM) in January 2007 and hasn’t looked back. Susan is extremely proud of the achievements made while owning and managing AEM – from starting without any clients, she has built the business into a widely-respected boutique PCO firm with repeat clients, high level of referrals and a reputation as a leading, ethical and transparent event management company.