Australasian Leisure Management
Jul 7, 2025

ABEA announces board appointment of Colette Baini

The Australian Business Events Association (ABEA) has announced the board appointment of Colette Baini to its Board of Directors, effective immediately.

Baini is the Founder and Chief Executive of The Conference Room and Australia Conferences & Incentives, a globally recognised, multi-award-winning full-service business event agency.

She is renowned for innovative design of incentive travel, conferences, special events, and destination management across Australia. 

Peter King, Chair of ABEA noted "we warmly welcome Colette Baini to the ABEA Board. She represents an important perspective of our industry. Colette is very well regarded and brings enormous expertise experience and passion.

“As we celebrate our second anniversary, ABEA continues to enjoy strong interest and active participation from all sectors of the industry.

“The calibre of talent across our chapters, pillars, and special interest groups is truly impressive, and many industry professionals are eager to contribute their time to the ongoing development of our industry."

In response to member feedback, ABEA has recently merged the Supplier Pillar with the WH&S and Risk Management Special Interest Groups, recognising the overlap in their areas of focus. Damien Gaffney has been appointed Chair of this combined group.

Further appointments include Dan Morahan as Chair of the Queensland Chapter, Hannah Von Bibra as Chair of Victoria, and Jessie Rayson who steps into the role of Chair for Northern Territory, following her previous position as Vice-Chair. For the Special Interest Groups Jessica Zicker will lead Sustainability, Toni McAllister is the Chair for Education, Skills & Pathways to Industry, and Andrew Cook, Emerging Leaders.

All chairs lead a team of people and deliver a combination of events, information, resources and networking. The chairs will provide updates on their respective committee initiatives at the upcoming ABEA Conference, 3rd-5th December 2025 in Melbourne.

More information on ABEA 

Australasian Leisure Management Magazine
Subscribe to the Magazine Today

Published since 1997 - Australasian Leisure Management Magazine is your go-to resource for sports, recreation, and tourism. Enjoy exclusive insights, expert analysis, and the latest trends.

Mailed to you six times a year, for an annual subscription from just $99.

New Issue
Australasian Leisure Management
Online Newsletter

Get business and operations news for $12 a month - plus headlines emailed twice a week. Covering aquatics, attractions, entertainment, events, fitness, parks, recreation, sport, tourism, and venues.