Jennifer Milward, Member Services Manager

Jennifer has over 20 years experience in the meetings and events sector, having managed more than 150 events including business events, community events, and special events. Jennifer was one of the first conference managers in Australia to be accredited by the Meetings Industry Association of Australia.

Jennifer’s qualifications include a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from the University of Southern Queensland; Certificate IV in Training & Assessment; Diploma of Tourism (Operations); Advanced Diploma of Events

Jennifer also has extensive Association Management experience, having held the position of Branch Executive Officer for the Queensland & Northern Territory Branches of Meetings & Events Australia for 9 years prior to joining the PCO Association.

Rob Henshaw - PCO-DIR, Administration Manager
Managing Director, Organisers Australia

Rob Henshaw is the Managing Director of Organisers Australia, an independent event management company which has managed in excess of 400 events across Australia, New Zealand and Asia since 1985.

Organisers Australia is a Meetings and Events Australia (MEA) multi award winner for Conference Management.

Rob is an experienced course presenter at tertiary level and has served on the MEA Queensland Council.

Rob is a board member of the International Cities, Town Centres & Communities Society Inc (ICTC) and the International Global Navigation Satellite Systems Society Inc (IGNSS)

ACT - Barry Neame, PCO-DIR
Director, Consec – Conference Management

Barry Neame is a Director of Consec – Conference Management and has extensive project management event management experience spanning over twelve years in business.

He has a sound understanding of the logistical issues associated with planning and managing events as well as an understanding of international protocols and has been commended for his sound strategic and organisational planning skills.

Barry is a current board member of the Canberra Convention Bureau and has played a role in contributing to the focus group that advised on the redevelopment of the National Convention Centre.

NSW - Robyn Johnson, AMM, AFMEA, PCO-DIR
Managing Director, Conexion Event Management

Robyn is one of Australia’s most experienced Professional Conference Organisers. In a career spanning more than twenty years Robyn has worked as an in-house meetings manager and as a senior executive for two of the country’s largest event companies.

Robyn now owns and manages Conexion Event Management, one of eight PCO Gold Members of the Sydney Convention and Visitors Bureau. Robyn frequently lectures at Meetings and Events Australia industry seminars and has taught event management to students from the University of New South Wales.

Robyn is known for her passion for the events industry and her commitment to promoting ‘best practice’ policies and practices.

Robyn believes that the PCO Association is a logical development in the creation of a vibrant professional meetings industry and would like to see the Association work with and complement the existing industry organisations of which she and Conexion are long term members.

QLD - Peter Sugg , PCO-DIR
Managing Director, AST Management Pty Ltd

Peter launched AST in 1992, following a career in airline and hotel marketing and management. He is a former board member of the Brisbane Convention Bureau and is currently the Chairman of the Australian Conference and Events Bureau.

He is also a board member of the Australian and New Zealand Mental Health Association.

Peter has delivered MEA educational content and regularly speaks at training seminars for in-house meeting managers.

AST have managed over 300 conferences and events in seven countries and specialise in Association and Government business.

SA - Anne-Marie Quinn, PCO-DIR
Director, All Occasions Group

Anne-Marie is the Managing Director of All Occasions Group and has developed the company since its inception in 1998.

She has built the organisation over the past 11+ years to a staff of 16 and has attracted a very impressive range of major national and international clients. All Occasions Group is a true South Australian success story, offering award winning conference, event and travel management services.

Anne-Marie is a current board member of the Adelaide Convention Bureau and a past committee member of MEA South Australia. She regularly presents to audiences at industry functions and is a guest lecturer to students studying at the International College of Hotel Management.

TAS - Paula Leishman, PCO-DIR
Managing Director, Leishman Associates

Paula is the owner and Managing Director of Leishman Associates, a Hobart-based conference & event management provider working with government, association and corporate clients across Australia and NZ.

Paula has over 20 years experience in the industry, initially as an inhouse PCO and when relocating to Hobart commenced her own business. In eight years the company has grown from a single owner/operator to a team of nine.

Leishman Associates are multi-award winners, recognised by MEA as a leader in the industry, as well as boasting two Telstra Business Awards, and a Commonwealth Bank Small Business Award for outstanding service.

Paula was a founding member of MEA Tasmania; is a regular educator in MEA and hospitality courses; was a representative on the Small Business Advisory Committee to the Reserve Bank, and believes firmly that “you are the author of your own destiny”, and is very excited to be a national councillor for the PCO Association and represent Tasmania.

Leishman Associates has been built on a reputation of delivering outstanding events, and in eight years have delivered over 100 conferences and events in every state of Australia and NZ. Their motto “conference management – it’s all about people” is the backbone of the company.

VIC - Suzanne Hart, PCO-DIR
Managing Director, Suzanne Hart Events

Suzanne Hart owns and operates one of Melbourne’s leading boutique event management companies, Suzanne Hart Events (SHE). Her background includes corporate conference and event management, the coordination of large scale association meetings, and travel and incentive management.

With over 13 years experience in the meetings industry, Suzanne combines solid experience with a well established industry network and passion for creating events that clients describe as ‘excellent, well organized and smooth running’.

WA - Don Pearce, PCO-DIR
Managing Director, Promaco Conventions Pty Ltd

Don has more than twenty years experience in conference organising following a long government career at management level. He had eighteen years experience overseeing international conferences as a former World Secretary General of the profession of Cartography and dealing with high levels of international government, including the United Nations in New York and Bangkok.

Since establishing Promaco Conventions in 1987, Don has served as Chairman of the Perth Convention Bureau and was responsible for the establishment of the Meeting Industry Association of Western Australia (then called ACE) and subsequently the National Association.

He was the Chairman of the National Council of the Meetings Industry Association of Australia for four years and in 2001 received the inaugural Gold Medal for Outstanding Contribution to the Meetings Industry following similar awards in 1991 and 1992. His company has also won State and National Awards for professional organising.

NZ - Paul Walker, PCO-DIR
Director, Convention Management  New Zealand Limited

Paul is one of two directors of Convention Management New Zealand Limited based in Auckland, New Zealand.

Convention Management New Zealand Ltd is New Zealand’s longest established Professional Conference Organiser,  managing projects based in New Zealand and works on a wide variety of medical, government and association events.

Paul has an extensive background in the hospitality industry.  He has been involved in Convention Management New Zealand Ltd since 2003, in 2005 Paul and business partner Dean Bradley purchased the company from Richard Buchanan.  Prior to this time Paul worked throughout Australasia in various hotel management positions for companies such as Mirvac, Heritage Hotels and the Regent of Auckland.

Paul is the Chairman of the New Zealand PCO group and he and his team are also members of Conventions & Incentives NZ, the Auckland and Wellington Convention Bureaus and the Green Globe Environmental Programme.

Now that the Australian and New Zealand PCO groups are working closely together Paul is aiming to strengthen this relationship moving forward and encouraging higher professional standards throughout our industry.