Councillors

The Association is managed by an Executive Committee and Council, who are all Owner/Director members.

Contact

The Professional Conference Organisers Association
PO Box 413
Tweed Heads  NSW  2485
Email: council@pco.asn.au

T: 1300 441 099

F: 07 5508 2175

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), and an Advanced Diploma in Event Management.

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, CEM, PCO Assoc. President

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.

Rob is an experienced course presenter at tertiary level.

Rob is currently on the Board of  the International Cities, Town Centres & Communities Society Inc (ICTC) and the International Global Navigation Satellite Systems Society Inc (IGNSS)

Peter Sugg, PCO-DIR, CEM, PCO Assoc. Treasurer

Managing Director, AST Management Pty Ltd

Peter launched AST Management Pty Ltd 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 and a board member of the Australian and New Zealand Mental Health Association.

Peter regularly speaks at training seminars for in-house meeting managers.

AST Management has managed over 400 conferences and events in seven countries and specialise in Association and Government business. The company is recognised for its emphasis on quality, financial value, experienced staff and value adding.

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 -  Francis Child

Managing Director,  Conference Action Pty Ltd

Francis Childhas been the owner and managing director of Conference Action Pty Ltd since 2000.  Conference Action is a specialist provider of meeting management services to the association sector.  In addition, Conference Action owns the Australian Professional Centre, one of the leading providers of association management services within Australia.

Francis is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and holds a BSc in Economics and Statistics from the University of Bristol (UK).  Francis has extensive commercial and financial experience obtained from working in the accountancy profession (Deloitte), the music industry (Chrysalis Records) and the commercial conference sector (AiC Worldwide) prior to buying Conference Action.

QLD - Mary Sparksman

Director, YRD

Mary is the co-owner and director of YRD, a well known and respected Professional Conference Organiser in Australia.  Before establishing YRD in 1995, Mary had a successful career in hotel marketing and management as the National Sales Director for a five star hotel.  As a director of YRD, she now manages and markets major events and conferences on a local, national and international scale for a wide range of organisations including State, Federal and local governments, scientific, educational, medical, legal, business and professional services organisations. 

After 27 years of experience in events and conference management and the hotel hospitality industry, Mary is recognised as a competent and reliable professional organiser who is trusted by a variety of public and private sector clients with the responsibility of delivering their important events and conferences.  An extensive range of client organisations rely on her skills, knowledge and good communications to guide, manage, account and report on their event or conference.  The personal care, wealth of experience, detailed planning and diligent management that Mary brings to each event or conference are her signature ingredients for the success of those events and conferences. 

Universities, training and educational organisations regularly engage Mary to lead or lecture at various forums, seminars and discussions on the management and organisation of events and conferences including the operation of and training on specialist software for event and conference management.

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 - Debbie-Ann Scott

Managing Director, EECW Pty Ltd

With more than 30 years marketing experience specialising in hospitality and tourism, with 24 of those years specifically in event management, Debbie-Ann has an intimate understanding of the needs of the industry. 

Debbie-Ann has lectured and trained in the areas of selling skills, marketing and customer relations.  Her focus is on creating a style that responds to the increasing demands and needs of customers.

She served on the Board of the Perth Convention Bureau for a four year period, and stepped down as Chair late 2009.  Prior to this she was a Western Australian Board Member of the Meetings Events Australia in Western Australia.  In 2008 she was awarded the “Ambassador of the Year for Youth Focus” (Prevention of Youth Suicide), a charity that she supports most passionately.

NZ - Paul Walker, PCO-DIR

Director,  Convention Management New Zealand Limited (CMNZ)

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

CMNZ is New Zealand’s longest established Professional Conference Organiser.  CMNZ manages projects based in New Zealand and Australia 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 CMNZ since 2003. In 2005 Paul and business partner Dean Bradley purchased CMNZ 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 the CMNZ team are also members of Conventions & Incentives NZ, the Wellington Convention Bureau and the Earth Check Environmental Programme. CMNZ also strongly supports the Child Cancer Foundation.

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.