Venues West Chief Executive David Etherton receives VMA Lifetime Achievement Award

The 32nd Asia-Pacific Venue Industry Congress held in Sydney last week concluded with a Gala Dinner and Venue Industry Awards – the event and venue industry’s highest recognition of excellence, innovation, and impact.

These prestigious awards honour the individuals whose leadership, service and passion help shape the success of our venues, our people and our communities. Whether leading teams through complex operational challenges, delivering outstanding allied support, or emerging as the next generation of venue leaders, the finalists represent the very best of the industry.

Venues West Chief Executive secured the Lifetime Achievement Award with the Venues West team sharing "while David was humble in his speech, the significance of this honour is not lost on us. David has led the growth of Venues West’s portfolio from four to 14 venues, most notably the establishment of RAC Arena in 2012 and Optus Stadium in 2018.

"He has also played a key role in the delivery of the biggest sport and entertainment moments in WA history, including the 2021 AFL Grand Final, State of Origin and the Coldplay exclusive shows.

"As an organisation, we also look forward to an exciting future with opportunities that have been built on years of strategic groundwork laid under David’s guidance. Congratulations, David."

VMA President Phil King said after the event “a personal highlight for me this week was having the honour of presenting David Etherton, Chief Executive of Venues West, with the Lifetime Achievement Award - a well-deserved recognition of his remarkable contribution to our industry. Congratulations, David.”

The major awards were:
Young Achiever of the Year: Emily Jones. Marketing Manager Venues West;
Allied Professional of the Year: Tim Long, CVE. Managing Director, Hawkridge Entertainment Services;
Venue Professional of the Year: Houri Tapiki, General Manager, Theatre Royal Sydney;
Lifetime Achievement Award: Chief Executive, Venues West.