Committee changes for Venue Management School 2012

Following the success of its 18th annual Venue Management School (VMS), held from 6th to 11th November 2011 at the Hyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove on the Gold Coast, Anthony Duffy is to replace replace Trevor Dohnt as VMS Chair.

The VMS is the only industry run School of its kind in Australia and its popularity is such that the Year 1 program in 2011 was oversubscribed with 45 Students - while 29 Students returned for Year 2. An initiative of the Venue Management Association (VMA), this internationally recognised School has been growing year on year and has been a turning point in the careers of more than 500 venue industry professionals to date.

VMA President Brian Morris explains that "the success of this most recent School can be attributed in no small part to the contribution of School Chair Trevor Dohnt and marks an extremely fitting culmination to the dedication and enthusiasm he has demonstrated during his three year tenure in the role.

"In that time, Trevor has demonstrated a unique understanding of the needs of the Students and has displayed tremendous dedication to achieving the goals set by the VMS Committee.

"Among the many contributions which Trevor has made to the VMS during his time as Chair, the most outstanding and beneficial would be the introduction of a brand new initiative involving TAFE NSW. The result is that the Students are now afforded the opportunity to graduate with a TAFE recognised Diploma in Venues and Events. This will have a huge influence on the future of the School in terms of its offerings; however more importantly will profit our Students immensely throughout their careers."

While Dohnt has contributed greatly over the last three years, he acknowledges the tremendous support he has received from the other elected Committee Members.

In 2011 these included Tim Worton, Chris Farrell, Anthony Duffy, Julie McLoughlin, Craig Lovett and Dean Hassall, along with Brian Morris myself and Steve Hevern in their respective roles of VMA President and Chairman of the VMA Education committee.

The VMA thanks all of these individuals for the invaluable time that they have dedicated to the Venue Management School this past year.

To ensure constantly evolution and that Students' needs continue to be met, the Venue Management Association devised a rotation strategy for VMS Committee Members.

Morris adds "consequently, it is with much gratitude that the VMA recognises departing Committee members, Craig Lovett and Chris Farrell, for their invaluable contributions that have attributed to the ongoing success and vision of the VMS.

"Both Craig and Chris have been outstanding supporters of the VMS and the feedback we receive from their Students and colleagues is a testament to their professionalism, experience and passion for the Industry.

"The VMA welcomes Meg Walker and Wayne Middleton to their positions on the VMS Committee in 2012. Meg and Wayne are both VMS Instructors and have already proved themselves to be popular among students. They are seasoned professionals who will not only enhance the vast industry experiences of the Committee, but will no doubt also bring new prospective to tailoring educational requirements for the Venue Management Industry.

"As Trevor Dohnt moves on from his role as VMS Chair, the VMA is delighted that he will continue to assist the VMS Committee moving forward for a further 12 months and we once again express our sincere appreciation to Trevor for his outstanding contribution and his continued enthusiasm that has made the VMS the success it is today.

"Anthony Duffy now replaces Trevor Dohnt as incoming Chair of the VMS. Anthony has also proved to be an extremely popular Instructor, a passionate VMA ambassador and a dedicated VMS Committee member. Anthony will continue to ensure that the Committee's vision and objectives are achieved in order to ensure that our VMS Students receive all of the resources and tools that they require to be successful in their chosen professions."

The VMS Committee are already looking forward to and planning the upcoming 19th Venue Management School which will be held from 11th to 16th November 2012.

For further information or to enrol in VMS 2012 please contact Maria Lamari on 07 3870 4777, E: maria@vma.org.au, www.vmaschool.com/