Join us for an insightful webinar panel discussion with industry experts Gretchen Irvine, Malu Barrios, and Sarah Markey-Hamm as we explore the complexities of managing event logistics and vendor relationships for associations. From aligning schedules with member needs to negotiating contracts with trusted suppliers, our speakers will share practical strategies to streamline your processes and seamless event execution.
Key Takeaways:
- Strategies for streamlining event logistics to enhance efficiency and reduce costs.
- Insights into effective vendor selection criteria and management techniques.
- Tips for negotiating favorable contracts with event vendors.
- Solutions for overcoming common challenges encountered in event logistics.
- Utilisation of technology tools to simplify and automate logistics processes.
Who Should Attend?
Association Executives, Event Managers and Planners, Professionals involved in conference organisation, Meeting and Convention Planners, and anyone interested in enhancing their understanding of event logistics and vendor management
Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights and take your event management skills to the next level. Register now to reserve your spot!
Attendees receive 1 CAE credits.
AuSAE is proud to be a CAE Approved Provider. As a CAE Approved Provider educational program related to the CAE exam content outline, this event may be applied for 1 credit toward your CAE application or renewal professional development requirements. For more information about the CAE credential or Approved Provider program, please visit www.asaecenter.org/cae.
Meet our Panel
Gretchen Irvine
National Business Development & Events Manager, Palliative Care Australia.
Gretchen is the National Business Development and Events Manager at Palliative Care Australia. Her career in event management, strategic communications, and stakeholder engagement spans 30 years, across the for-purpose and government sectors.
Gretchen’s expertise is in design and delivery of successful events that are more than just people coming together. A skilled communicator who creates and delivers challenging messages in an informative and engaging way, Gretchen firmly believes in the power of business events to bring about change, create legacy and deliver strategic outcomes.
Driven by a passion for the events industry and a steadfast commitment to excellence, Gretchen dedicated to elevating standards and fostering growth. She is determined to leave a lasting impact, both through her work and by empowering emerging talents in the field with knowledge and opportunities for professional development.
She loves that her work allows her to take a tiny idea and turn it into something that can make a positive difference in the world.
Malu Barrios
Director of Event Services at International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney)
Malu Barrios has spent over 20 years at Director level in the events industry; developing and implementing venue management strategies across a variety of major convention centres and event venues throughout Australia.
She is a seasoned ASM Global executive, having successfully launched three of the global venue management group’s facilities prior to undertaking her current role of Director of Event Services at ICC Sydney.
Malu previously held the position of Events Director of the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, General Manager of the Darwin Convention Centre, and General Manager of Sydney Exhibition Centre @ Glebe Island, where she ensured the seamless transition of events from the interim facility to ICC Sydney.
Malu was an instrumental member of the ICC Sydney opening team and has since overseen the delivery thousands of world class events since it’s opening in December 2016.
In her role as Director of Event Service, Malu oversees the teams involved in ICC Sydney’s event planning, event operations, customer service and live events. Her team is often considered to be the engine room of ICC Sydney, working hand in hand with clients to bring their extraordinary event visions to life.
Under her guidance, ICC Sydney’s operations have gone from strength to strength and have been recognised with numerous industry accolades. This includes the Exhibitions and Events Association of Australasia (EEAA) Best Venue Team in 2018 and 2019 and being awarded the Best Event Venue – Capacity over 1500 from the prestigious Meetings and Events Australia (MEA) 2019 National Awards, amongst others.
She has a global reputation for being a first class leader and is well recognised for her expertise and advocacy of business events. Malu was recognised as the inaugural Unsung Hero of the event and exhibition industry by the EEAA in 2017 for her significant contribution over many years.
Sarah Markey-Hamm
CEO at ICMS Pty Ltd and President at IAPCO
Sarah Markey-Hamm is as passionate about creating quality, inspirational first-class conferences today, as she was when she was fourteen, eagerly helping out with stamping letters for mail-outs for her father’s business. Making it her life’s passion to continue the family tradition, Sarah has grown her father’s company through innovation, trust and a hands-on approach, ensuring her clients return every year for another amazing event.
Sarah’s life-long commitment to conferencing and events is as evident as her loyalty to her clients. She is a respected innovator of the industry, helping professional associations connect, through real life, hybrid and virtual means.
Even from a young age, Sarah loved learning about the different industries upon which her father’s conferences were created, travelling around the world, attending conferences in exciting and sometimes eye-opening locations, and noticing how each one was a little different to the next. She loved working out how she could make improvements, how could the next conference be better, to enable the conference participants connect better, be educated better and be financially successful.
Sarah has always been naturally curious. She takes her work seriously, living by the motto, ‘do for others as you would do for yourself.’ Her thoroughness, ability to think quickly and her expert organisational skills, make her highly-sought after in her field. She finds that the value in her business is in her ‘hair-brain ideas.’ She gets to the essence of what her clients need in their conference and what they want to achieve, by actively listening and implementing exacting strategies that make each conference a success.
Sarah has ensured ICMS has stayed deliberately small, yet world-class, so she still maintains a connection to her clients. She has created a coaching framework to ensure her clients understand the processes required to host a large-scale event. In the end, her clients have confidence in her and ICMS, and completely trust ICMS with every aspect of the conferencing spectrum, giving them the best conferencing experience possible.
To date, Sarah has been Chair of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), Australian National Committee and has also held positions on the ICCA Meetings Advisory Group. She has been a board member of the Business Events Council of Australia (BECA), an active International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO) member and past President of the Meeting Events Australia (MEA) Victorian Chapters.
