Outstanding Contribution Award

Senior AEG Ogden executive Geoff Donaghy has been honoured for his contribution to Australiaâs business events industry.
Donaghy was presented with the prestigious Outstanding Contribution Award at the Meetings & Events Australia 2009 annual conference in Adelaide this week.
Geoff was appointed Managing Director of the Cairns Convention Centre in 1994 following a long involvement in Queenslandâs tourism industry.
Since its successful opening in 1996, the Cairns Convention Centre has received regular global accolades and was acknowledged as the âWorldâs Best Centre�? in 2004 by the International Association of Congress Centres (AIPC).
As Chief Executive, Donaghy oversaw the 2003 opening of the redeveloped Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane â another AEG Ogden managed venue â which is now widely recognised as one of the worldâs top football venues.
In his current role as AEG Ogdenâs Group Director for Convention and Exhibition Centres, Geoff Donaghy is involved with major project development in the Asia Pacific, India and Middle East regions. This includes responsibility for the Darwin Convention Centre which opened last year, and the Qatar National Convention Centre under construction in Doha.
In 2005, he was elected as Chairman of peak national body, the Business Events Council of Australia (BECA), and in that role has been instrumental in furthering the profile and advancement of both the organisation and the industry. This has included overseeing last year's development of the industryâs first comprehensive, long term blueprint in the National Business Events Strategy.
He has served on several other Boards including Meetings & Events Australia, both of Queenslandâs tourism and major events corporations and was an inaugural Director, and then Chairman, of North Queenslandâs World Heritage Rainforest Management Authority.
He is currently Vice-President of the Brussels based International Association of Congress Centres (AIPC) and was awarded the Australia Centenary Medal by the Federal Government in 2001.