About us

Jan is the founder of The Conference Company and a longtime leader and advocate for the Australasian conference industry. She is responsible for budget monitoring, risk assessment, contingency planning and overseeing service delivery for our clients.

Jan is Chair of the Education Taskforce at the UK-based International Association of Professional Congress Organisers, where she served as President from 2016-2018. She teaches throughout Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East, and is a regular speaker at international conferences.

Stephen has been with us for over 15 years and is a member of our management team. Today, as Manager Asia Pacific he draws on his significant experience in managing international meetings to lead our team in the region and build positive and enduring partnerships with our clients. He is active in the business events industry through consultancy and leadership, and as an Ambassador and Training Academy faculty member for the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers.  

Based in Sydney, Stephen still loves to be hands-on with meeting planning and organisation, sharing his enthusiasm for global best practice, technology, digital events and other innovations in meeting design which are making today’s conferences more engaging, enriching and accessible than ever.

As General Manager, James has a key role in our strategic planning and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company. With his strong affinity for technology and systems, James is our in-house technical expert and has recently become immersed in our digital meeting offerings.

Prior to joining us 14 years ago, James spent many years in business process and operations management with multinational investment banks and law firms overseas. He brings a highly valued range of people and project management skills to our team.

Zoe is our finance team lead, overseeing our rigorous financial management, planning and reporting processes. Her training in the Deloitte offices of Wellington, Boston and London has seen her work with international organisations around the world.  Zoe has also worked for PwC and various private and government entities in Auckland. Zoe loves the variety of the work she does and the people she meets through The Conference Company.  Zoe holds a BCom, DipGrad from the University of Otago and is a Chartered Accountant with Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ).  

With 20 years in meeting planning behind her, Theresa is one of our most highly experienced conference managers. She loves the diverse range of people she meets in her role, the variety packed into every day and the pleasure of creating great memories for participants.

Theresa builds solid relationships with clients and suppliers, who appreciate her attention to detail and her open, honest and responsive communication style. A strong background in hospitality includes roles as General Manager of the prestigious Dunedin Club and Convention Services Manager at Sheraton Auckland.

Ben began his career as a Communications Intern for the Centre for Policy Development. He then spent 5 years at Century Venues where he co-ordinated a myriad of events, including concerts, corporate events, stand-up comedy, live theatre, festivals, film shoots, workshops and expos. Ben joined our Sydney team in 2018 as a Conference Co-ordinator, before moving into the role of Conference Manager.

Ben enjoys taking the lead on furthering our virtual and hybrid meeting solutions and supporting the knowledge and expertise our team has in delivering digital meetings, so that TCC provide the best possible outcomes to our clients and their participants.

Katrina has worked in conferencing for 13 years, nine of them with us, planning and delivering a diverse range of national and international meetings. She enjoys the satisfaction of helping bring a client’s vision to life and delivering beyond their expectations. Our clients love the way she makes the process easy for them, with her proactive, service-focused approach and eye for detail.

Katrina herself has a long-held interest in higher learning, with a history of tertiary teaching and research, and an academic focus on health psychology and business studies.

“He waka eke noa”
Ko Tutamoe tōku maunga, Ko Wairoa tōku awa
Ko Ngāti Whātua te hapu, Ngāpuhi te iwi ki te taha o tōku pāpā
Ko Ngāti Whanaunga te hapu, Pare Hauraki te iwi ki te taha o tōku māmā
Ko Te Houhanga a Rongo Marae, tōku marae
Nō Ngāpuhi ahau

Reremoana, also known as Rae, joined The Conference Company in 2017. She is no stranger to conferencing and events, beginning her career 10 years ago she's worked in a range of roles in the industry. She brings her sound knowledge and structured logistical mindset into her current role with us as Project Co-ordinator.

Rae is adept at responding quickly to changing circumstances, bringing an encouraging attitude to everything she does to create a positive impact on those around her. She enjoys working with the team and ensures our clients have the best experience and outcomes from their events.

A team veteran since 2009, Jo came to TCC after stints organising youth development conferences and as a technical writer, and following her Bachelor of Communication Studies, Majoring in PR.

An integral part of our team who values the friendships gained within the workplace, Jo also enjoys building long-term client relationships as she liaises with speakers year on year. The tangible completion of a project and the pleasure of exceeding clients  expectations is a highlight for Jo, whose attention to detail has been likened to "military precision”!

When not excelling at work, Jo can be found in the garden with her dogs or putting some of that precision to the test by building furniture.
 

Ana joined us in 2023 and re-opened our Christchurch office in November. During her career she has managed two not-for-profit membership organisations, gaining a deep understanding of associations’ challenges and opportunities. Ana excels in communication and connecting people and opportunities and it's wonderful to have her onboard to manage the many meetings we have in Christchurch and the surrounding region.

Clare joined TCC in 2006 whilst on her OE (overseas experience) in New Zealand and hasn’t left TCC or NZ. Over the last 14 years she has been involved across a wide range of our events, conferences and awards. She has worked in varying roles and is currently our Delegate Services & Awards Manager. She has in-depth knowledge of the ‘back of house’ and is adept at taking on roles as needed. She is the in-house consultant for our Event Management Software.

Originally from Ireland, her archaeology background has taught Clare to be infinitely patient, meticulously careful and she brings to the table excellent analytical and IT skills. Clare has a Bachelor of Arts from Trinity College, Dublin.

Deb joined the Australian team in 2022 and has been in the events industry for over 10 years. She has a solid track record of operations management and event coordination covering large- and small-scale events, which cover a wide range of formats including conferences, retail events, awards, tradeshows, and exhibitions. Known for her attention to detail and positive attitude, Deb thrives on bringing an event to life and seeing it ‘all come together’ on the day.

Deb is very active beyond the events world, enjoying road and trail running and holds qualifications in Business Marketing majoring in Event Management, and E-business marketing. Deb has quickly settled into the team and it's great to have her experience and energy on board.

Bringing together people with shared interests and purpose is an enriching aspect of conferencing for Victoria. The energy of being onsite helps to fuel her skill for on-the-spot problem solving and she is absolutely willing to go the extra mile to ensure a successful event.

Victoria has an awareness of the environment our Medical Associations clients work in, gained from her Bachelor of Health Science in Paramedicine and wealth of experience in the sector. In 2017, Victoria was the AUT Paramedic Student Association President and Convenor of the Student Paramedic Conference. Prior roles included volunteer work and student representation at conferences, as well as Surf Lifesaving and Emergency Management. 
 

Bernadette has joined The Conference Company team after spending 8 years working in a similar position in the NZ sports industry. She has a solid background in marketing communications with a particular interest in branding, telling a story and bringing a brand to life.

After studying a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Commerce at Auckland University she worked in a marketing role that oversaw local and international events and symposiums. The skills gained with  delegate management and sponsorship have been particularly useful at TCC.

She lived and worked overseas for several years in Canada and the UK with the majority of her time in London working at one of the world’s top law firms. Bernadette is a team player and loves meeting and working with others. She enjoys the variety of clients at TCC and is excited about the opportunity to market new brands and events and see results.

Nihal is a talented sponsorship and exhibition sales and relationship manager who delivers consistently excellent results for our clients. He leads a specialist team with an outstanding reputation in the market for fairness, communication and impeccable service delivery. Many of these satisfied investors return to work with us year after year.

Before joining us, Nihal worked in the competitive events market in Dubai. Our clients benefit from his brilliant negotiating and research skills, and his ability to engage with people from diverse professions and groups.

Sarah has worked with The Conference Company for over 20 years in varying roles with the last 8 years as Sponsorship and Exhibition Co-ordinator.

Sarah’s proficiency and willingness to go the extra mile to ensure all needs are met is highly valued by conference sponsors and exhibitors. She is proud of the strong relationships she has built up over the years and passionate about enabling the sponsors and exhibitors to maximise the return on their investment.

Ani’s career began with sales and marketing in the hospitality industry and she has worked with The Conference Company since 2017. With a degree in Management and a diploma in Event Communications, Ani thrives in the conference environment, always learning and putting new skills into practice.

Now in her role as a Sponsorship & Exhibition Co-ordinator, Ani relishes the opportunity to make projects run as smoothly as possible for our sponsors & exhibitors. Her quick thinking and readiness to roll up her sleeves and solve whatever situation arises puts clients totally at ease.

After 26 years with The Conference Company, Jane is the mainstay of our onsite delivery service. She leads the team who welcome delegates, answer queries and generally take care of guests over the course of the event.

Jane is consistently praised for exemplary customer service – she’s been described by more than a few clients as ‘totally wonderful’ – and trains her team to the same exacting level. She welcomes the fast pace and constant challenges of onsite work. After all these years she still loves her role and the way it continues to change as conferencing itself changes.

With a B.Com finance degree and many years of varied experience in the finance sector under her belt, Candice could be considered an all-rounder in her finance role. Her skills however stretch far beyond finance, from high level floral design to holistic massage and languages, of which Candice is currently studying her fourth - NZ sign language. 

Candice values the opportunities that she gets with TCC to continually learn and evolve and the feeling of family that the team brings is something that she holds special. Highly accurate, calm, patient and positive, Candice herself is a special part of the TCC family.

Details are important to Lulu and that’s just a small part of her natural affinity for Accounting. Lulu’s qualifications include a Bachelor of Business Analysis major in Accounting and she spent six years in retail and hospitality education accounting before joining our finance team.

Lulu is fascinated with learning about different industries and what makes businesses tick and she gets great satisfaction from making tasks easier for others. The supportive and professional culture at The Conference Company is a perk of the job for Lulu - and we value her contribution to it!
 

Kerry has a Bachelor of Commerce and a Post Graduate Diploma in finance and economics from the University of Otago.  She has worked in varied roles principally in the finance sector both in NZ and the UK.  Kerry’s analytical background makes her ideally suited to getting into the detail of financial reporting.  She prides herself on her attention to detail, problem solving and seeing a project to completion.

The great team atmosphere at The Conference Company is valued by Kerry and the variety of work offered keeps the role challenging.

With 20 years’ experience in sales, business development and key account management Fleur is highly experienced in developing strategic relationships across all areas of business.

Fleur has worked across many industries including insurance, event planning and travel both in NZ and in the UK.  For the last seven years she has worked for Skills Consulting Group assisting nationwide businesses to develop their leadership capabilities.

As our accommodation executive, Fleur has an in-depth knowledge of domestic and international hotels and she develops and manages all our accommodation relationships to ensure that TCC offers our clients and their delegates the best possible options in any conference location.

Kelly joined The Conference Company in 2019 after living and working in rural Japan. A real people person, Kelly thrives on having genuine and meaningful interactions both in the workplace and with the clients and delegates she meets.

Kelly thrives in the busy onsite environment and clients describe her as ‘a star’ and being ‘in awe’ of the way she engages onsite. Her qualifications include a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Event Management and Japanese Language.

The fast-paced nature of working in the conferencing space suits Lucy down to the ground. Her energy, verve and charisma are balanced with a quick mind and a gift for time management. She loves that no two conferences are ever the same and thrives on working as part of a team while meeting a diverse range of people.

Prior to joining us at TCC, Lucy produced leadership conferences and workshops end-to-end for an Australian events organisation. Her qualifications include a Bachelor of Arts in Ancient History and Anthropology.
 

Sara joined the team as a Conference Administrator after completing a conjoint Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Commercial Law and a Bachelor of Music, majoring in jazz performance at The University of Auckland.

Sara has loved discovering the world of conferencing and she particularly enjoys the fast-paced nature of onsite work and the opportunity to meet attendees often after many months of exchanging correspondence. Sara likes the challenge of bringing an event to life and a key focus of hers is to ensure the delegates experience at a conference is second to none.

Since starting at TCC she has been fortunate to learn a lot of valuable skills from the wealth of experience and knowledge that every member of the TCC team has to offer.

Organised and efficient, Sinead's attention to detail is evident whether it's simply responding to queries in a timely manner or facilitating an international event. She gets great satisfaction from seeing a project through, enjoying the administrative aspect of her role just as much as dealing with clients day-to-day and meeting participants at events.

Sinead is skilled at working with abstracts and even-keeled when under pressure. Her qualifications include a BA in Criminology, Media Studies and Cultural Anthropology.
 

With a career history based in not-for-profits, event management and social media, it’s clear that Shanon is a people person. She’s empathetic and thinks on her feet, which is what drove her to start a sole trading business during the first COVID lockdown, helping small businesses to manage their events and marketing.

Shanon's strong sense of community and principled ethics are the perfect fit for the conferencing arena. She is always willing to step in to help, adapting easily to situations, and gets great pleasure from working with a company that shares her values. Shanon has a bachelor’s degree in international hospitality management, majoring in Event Management.

Kaylah joined The Conference Company team in mid-2022 after finishing a Bachelor of Communications, majoring in public relations with a minor in film and television production.

Kaylah comes from a strong sporting background and has been involved in coaching and refereeing youth basketball for many years. She is proud of her Pasifika (Samoan, Māori and Cook Island) and English heritage and one of the highlights of working in the events and conference industry is having the opportunity to work with and meet people from all around the world.

Kaylah is hardworking and adaptable with a keen eye for detail which are essential skills to have as a Conference Administrator. Kaylah says there is nothing better than going onsite and watching a conference come into fruition after many months of planning.

Emily is a great communicator, which is more than just a skill she has developed for her roles in events and sales; she is fascinated by people, so meeting clients and conference participants is a job highlight.

The process of working on a conference from the administrative background aspects through to the actual go-live gives Emily great satisfaction. Driven by the excitement of working under pressure, she is diligent, organised and solution oriented - and an all-round lovely person.

Emily has a BA from AUT, Major in Event Management, Minor in Public Relations and Human Resources.
 

Coming from a background as a legal secretary in Family Law, Conveyancing and Immigration, Ann knows a thing or two about problem-solving. She gets great satisfaction from working to find solutions for clients and her peers, collaborating to ensure an excellent outcome from all angles. No problem is beyond Ann's scope!

Valuing excellence at every level is part of what Ann loves about working with TCC. She also gets great satisfaction from hearing the joy in people's voices when she has made their difficulties vanish.