Venue Management Association looks to biggest ever Congress

The 2017 Asia Pacific Venue Industry Congress is returning to Sydney from 21st to 23rd May, with host the Venue Management Assocuation (VMA) expecting delegate registrations to sell out.

Held in the heart of Sydney’s Darling Harbour, Sydney at the newly refurbished Hyatt Regency, the Congress, the key event for venue professionals in the AsiaPacific, will host over 350 delegates.

Our ‘Building for the Future’ focus will be unpacked over the Congress by an incredible array of high calibre speakers from a range of sectors, with delegates able to learn from industry leaders, stay up to date on current issues and developments, and take the opportunity to build an enviable peer network that spans across the region.

VMA Chief Executive Steve Romer explains “the venue industry in the Asia Pacific is still young with massive potential for further growth.

“Our annual Venue Industry Congress provides an important opportunity to discuss how we build for the future and continue to grow in a rapidly changing environment”.

“It really is an exciting time to be a venue professional - and sharing valuable insights and experiences can really fast track our delegate’s personal and professional growth.”

Kicking off our program will be the well-known and inspirational Afghanistan War veteran, author and actor Damien Thomlinson, who recently starred in the Academy Award nominated film Hacksaw Ridge.

The Congress will then experience a stellar cast of presenters and panels from across many sectors of the industry, presenting on the latest in digital, data and Wi-Fi to the ever urgent issue of security and safety at venues, from the world of ticketing to the future of sport, entertainment and venues.

Key presenters include:

• Harvey Lister - AEG Ogden 
• Helen Fairclough - Melbourn Convention and Exhibition Centre  
• The Hon Stuart Ayres MP - NSW Minister for Sport 
• Brad Mayne - International Association of Venue Managers 
• Adam Vonthethoff - Adelaide Oval
• Lynell Peck - ICC Sydney 
• Martin Latter - Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre 
• Matthew Forsythe - Melbourne & Olympic Parks 
• Ross Steele - Cairns Convention Centre 
• Todd Harris - Stadiums Queensland 
• Marc Swan - Venues NSW 
• Tim McGregor - TEG Live 
• Liza Every-Thompson - FELD Entertainment 
• Chris Farrell - Venue Legal Consulting 
• Gwendoline Keel - Simpson Grierson lawyers
• Gavin Taylor - Western Australian Footbal, Commission
• Alisha Rodas - The Star 
• Adam Hannon - Cox Architecture 
• Darren Burden - Vbase Christchurch 
• Geoff Hanrahan - BCEC 
• Darren Southurst - MCEC 
• Matthew Lazarus-Hall - Uncommon Cord 
• Cameron Hoy - Ticketek 
• Matt Davey - TicketDirect 
• Steve Baillie - Sydney Opera House 
• Harley Evans - moshtix 
• Tony Squires - Media Personality 
• Todd Greenberg - NRL 
• Travis Auld - AFL 
• David Gallop - Football Federation Austrakua
• Marne Fechner - Netball Australia 
• Peter Beattie - Chairman, 2018 Commonwealth Games 
• Troy & Zara Swindells-Grose - Humour Australia 
• Craig Sheridan - Facilitator, Sheridan Consulting Grp 
• Ross Guenther - Victorian Police, Counter Terrorism 
• Catherine Burn - Deputy Commissioner, NSW Police Force 
• Danny Baade - 2018 Commonwealth Games 
• Matthew Shephard - Hatamoto 
• Bob Perry - Scott Carver Architects 
• David Fishel - Positive Solutions 
• Nick Hubble - Sydney Olympic Park Authority 
• Kathy McCabe - National Music Writer, News Ltd 

The Congress will end with the Association’s Gala Dinner and Awards ceremony rocking out to the tunes of the chart topping band of the 1970s, Dragon, hosted at the ICC Sydney’s new state-ofthe-art Ballroom.

The VMA Awards will celebrate outstanding leaders from the industry across three award categories: Young Achiever of the Year, Venue Professional of Year and Allied Professional of the Year. We will also recognise 2017’s new Accredited Venue Managers (AVMs) and Certified Facility Managers (CFEs). 

Click here for details in the Australasian Leisure Management industry Calendar.

Lower image shows the recently refurbished Hyatt Regency Sydney, host venue for the 2017 Asia Pacific Venue Industry Congress.

1st February 2017 - VMA OPENS NOMINATIONS FOR 2017 VENUE PROFESSIONALS AWARDS

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15th May 2016 - REGISTRATIONS OPEN FOR 2016 VENUE MANAGEMENT SCHOOL AND GRADUATE INSTITUTE

20th April 2016 - SUPERSTAR PRODUCER AND ENTREPRENUER TONY COCHRANE TO ADDRESS 2016 VENUE INDUSTRY CONGRESS