ICMSA Team

Emma has been involved in the Events Management industry for over 18 years with proven successful outcomes in managing staff and suppliers. Emma has personally managed some of Australia’s largest and most prestigious conferences; winning Event of the Year on four separate occasions for events under her Directorship. Emma has been contracted to Federal and State Governments, the United Nations Department of Public Information, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and a number of the world’s leading Association’s during her career.

As the Owner and Chief Executive Officer of ICMS Australasia (ICMSA), Emma has the overall responsibility for the success of ICMSA concerning growth, external engagement and management of senior personnel. Emma drives the strategic direction of the organisation, building the reputation and legacy of ICMS Australasia.

Emma has led numerous overseas delegations on behalf of ICMSA clients, facilitating trade negotiations, optimising existing networks whilst also establishing new ones.

Emma’s business acumen has been successfully applied to the procurement of over $25 million of sponsorship funds on behalf of our clients over the past five years. She has built sound relationships and is extremely professional when she represents clients or the company. Emma has a strong focus on ensuring client policy is delivered, governance and risks are managed and oversees project from end-to-end.

Fallon has been an integral member of the ICMS Australasia team since 2003 and is committed as the Sponsorship and Exhibition Director to conferences through to 2025. Her skillsets have been developed from her experience in managing large exhibitions and sponsorship portfolios associated with ICMS Australasia’s largest conferences.

Fallon is a creative and energetic event operations specialist with years of experience working in fast-paced environments where exceptional organisational skills are required. She manages staff, customers and contractors and is responsible for the accurate budgeting of our exhibitions.

Under her leadership, Fallon has delivered two award-winning exhibitions for the International Congress on Robotics and Automation in 2018 and SportAccord 2019, which won the Platinum Event of the Year Award from the Meetings and Events Australia Judges in May 2020.

Fallon leads a team of people who possess excellent sales and logistical skills. She ensures that all aspects of the work of her department are managed in a cost-effective and time-efficient manner. Fallon strives to exceed client expectations and goes above and beyond to customise sponsorship and exhibition prospectus’ to attract a high level of commitment for the development of ongoing partnerships.

Suellen has been involved in Events Management for over 30 years, 12 of which include her role as Executive Director for ICMSA. Responsible for Business Development submissions, Suellen has extensive experience in sales and communication with a strong focus on international delegate boosting campaigns and overseeing marketing strategies for major international conferences. With her appointment to Executive Director in 2018, Suellen is also responsible for diversity strategy which reflects and enhances the objectives of the events under the ICMSA portfolio.

As funding support is aligned with a high percentage of international attendance you can be assured that Suellen’s focus will yield positive returns. Suellen’s expertise in developing marketing plans for delegate boosting sees her working closely with all state Convention Bureaus and Tourism Australia to develop tailored marketing strategies for the benefit of the events she works on. Suellen will propose methods, targets and evaluation criteria to ensure that the marketing goals of the Conference are achieved. Together with the web and design team she manages, you are assured of end-to-end brand management.

Suellen is passionate about inclusion and diversity. She is a strong advocate of the nation’s First People and their rights. It is her responsibility to ensure that ICMS Australasia and our stakeholders abide by the policy and standards that exist at a national level.

ICMS Australasia’s goal is to create an inclusive, respectful environment that invites participation from people of all gender, gender expressions, sexual orientations, ethnicity, nationality, disability, religion or ages. Previously, Suellen held the position of Lecturer, Event Management with TAFE at the Brisbane North Campus, teaching event management in hospitality and tourism. For over 10 years she was an Event Manager for the Major Events team for CPA Australia.

Financial Controller Radhika Kulasekera CIMA (Certified Institute of Management Accountants, London), ensures timely financial management of all conferences under ICMSA management, produces financial reports, manages the BAS and oversees the accounts team.

Radhika brings over 28 years of accounting experience to ICMS Australasia in both financial and conference account management. She spent 11 years prior to working with ICMSA as Financial Controller at Business Events Sydney (formerly the Sydney Convention and Visitors Bureau). Unlike most Financial Controllers, Radhika brings both financial and conference account management awareness to the meetings managed by ICMS Australasia.

ICMSA specialises in the management of international conferences in Australia. As a result of being a locally based Professional Conference Organiser, you have the assurance that we comply fully with the financial reporting requirements as set out by the Australian Taxation Office.

Radhika is also the Director of Finance and Treasurer for the Shanthi Foundation, a Not-For-Profit organisation dedicated to the delivery of the palliative care service model in all countries to maximise the level of a person’s comfort towards a dignified death.

Lili’s role as Creative Director sees her lead innovative and creative projects across the company focussing on social and ceremonial events along with STEM outreach initiatives. She provides the ICMSA team with ideas and expertise to launch new and impressive projects aligned with strategic outcomes for ICMSA clients. Her role involves leading creative and technical workshops to conceptualise objectives and then collaborating with clients and suppliers to progress these through to successful delivery.

Lili began her events career over 12 years ago while completing a Bachelor in Business degree. She previously held management roles within a high-end wedding caterer and education provider before joining ICMSA in 2016. She quickly became an invaluable member of the team and distinguishes herself with her can-do attitude and personal approach.

Today her role as Creative Director at ICMSA sees Lili working with a variety of organisations and currently including the Society of Crystallographers on their international congress (IUCr 2023) which is looking to attract 5,000 participants in hybrid format.

Having joined the team in 2006 under the guidance of our former Owner and Chairman, Mr Bryan Holliday, Selina very quickly cemented her place as a loyal member of the ICMSA family.

As previous Director Conferences at ICMS Australasia (2017-2020), Selina led a team of eight staff based in the Sydney office. Appointed Director Business Strategy in 2020, Selina works very closely with the Managing Director, providing strategic support and direction, understanding and appreciation of the financial implications of decisions and their impact for revenue growth.

During her tenure at ICMS Australasia, Selina has delivered over 60 events including the many of the largest and most complex scientific event programs.

She is the epitome of the consummate professional: dedicated, motivated and goal-oriented. She has over 24 years’ experience in meeting and event management and corporate communications, 16 of which have been at ICMS Australasia.

Selina is an enthusiastic and highly organised tertiary qualified professional with proven ability in large, complex environments. She demonstrates this through her leadership qualities, relationship building, administration skills and ability to implement and manage multiple projects successfully.

Kate is responsible for the project management of events under her directorship, overseeing the Event Team nationally. With over 13 years’ experience at ICMSA, she has a wealth of knowledge of all aspects of delivering large international and national conferences. Before joining ICMSA, Kate was part of the Major Events team at CPA Australia responsible for delivering their flagship event the CPA Congress.

Kate holds a double degree in History and International Relations which gives her an added advantage when working with a range of clients, most recently including the International Political Science Association. Kate has delivered events throughout Australia and has an exceptional understanding of venues and operational excellence. Since 2020 Kate’s portfolio of events has included many virtual and hybrid meetings.

Kate’s primary role is to ensure the contractual delivery of the Conference requirements and to apply a stringent assessment of critical areas in project management and quality control. As the Event Director, she will also offer strategic consultancy to the Conference on all aspects of conference management. She will be responsible for the successful operations of the Conference.

Kate led the event management teams for both the International Robotics & Automation Conference 2018 and the World Association of Disaster & Emergency Medicine Conference 2019. Under her leadership, ICMS Australasia won the Meeting and Events Association National Award for “Congress of the Year” for work undertaken in the delivery of the International Robotics & Automation Conference 2018.

Karen brings a unique combination of skills and global experience to her pivotal role at ICMS Australasia as Director New Zealand. She has fulfilled management roles in tourism, hospitality, and business events over the past 27 years in countries including Australia, the UK, Canada, the United States, and most recently New Zealand.

Karen joined ICMSA in 2002 as Business Development Manager before moving into a conference management role where she championed the planning and delivery of the NSW Premier’s Forum on Spinal Cord Injury. The event was named Event of The Year by Meetings & Events Australia.

Karen’s passion for business-to-business relationship building combined with her solid understanding of sales and marketing processes and logistics led to a transition into the role of Sponsorship & Exhibition Manager for ICMS Australasia. She left ICMSA to pursue an opportunity to work in North America, where her work included the production of Fortune 500 business summits and management of consumer expos.

Returning to the Southern Hemisphere in 2007 Karen settled in Christchurch where she established her own event management company specialising in large-scale public festivals and business events for an impressive portfolio of corporate and government clients.

Her past association with ICMSA, combined with her extensive local and international experience, made Karen the obvious choice to take on the Director New Zealand role as part of the company’s expansion plans, with the New Zealand office opening in Christchurch in 2023.

Emma completed her Bachelor of Business degree majoring in Tourism and Hotel Management with Distinction in 2010. Emma is an event delivery specialist with more recent experience in virtual and hybrid event planning and execution. Emma has has worked with high-level committees, successfully managing abstract submissions, reviewal processes and speaker programs.

As a power user of the award-winning EventsAIR conference management software, Emma has the responsibility for ensuring event staff are trained and kept up-to-date with the evolving functionalities of this powerful program. Emma has recently delivered hybrid and virtual conferences using the EventsAIR program and is skilled in developing these digital platforms to meet the requirements for varied program structures. Emma has been a valued staff member since 2009 and is currently working on events scheduled through to 2024.

As a Senior Event Manager, Emma is responsible for planning and executing major events within the ICMSA event portfolio. Emma leads the event team from the initial conception of the event to its successful completion. Her excellent event planning skills along with the ability to define project milestones and deadlines are key to the successful delivery of events under her control. Emma coordinates both teams and external contractors to ensure a successful and enjoyable event that meets organisational goals and expectations.

Prior to joining ICMSA, Emma worked in various hospitality roles at leading Australian hotels including the Hilton Sydney, the Sofitel Brisbane and Hayman Island.

Sofia is an experienced Project Manager with a background in marketing, events and partnerships. Over the past five years she has delivered unique experiences within the fashion, hospitality and disability industries. Her creativity and analytical skills have been essential to the development of the innovative concepts and solutions she has provided to a range of clients.

Sofia’s role of Event Manager at ICMS Australasia includes managing budgets, event time-lines, marketing and liaising with internal and external stakeholders to ensure each and every event is delivered on budget and seamlessly.

Sofia supports the Event Coordinator and Conference Service Coordinators to make sure the event’s registration, financials, accommodation and other requirements are met accordingly.

Siobhan joined ICMSA in 2018, bringing with her over six years of experience in managing corporate events in Dubai. She has created events for 10 to thousands of delegates equipping her with extensive knowledge in all areas of organising a conference, including sourcing venues, creating conference branding, audio-visual/technical equipment resourcing, VIP management and more.

Before her events career, Siobhan worked in New Zealand in the Hospitality Industry where she developed her fantastic people skills. Siobhan always rises to a challenge with a smile on her face.

Siobhan’s role of Event Manager is instrumental to the successful outcome of events under ICMSA management, as is her role as the main point of contact regarding logistics for Local Organising Committee (LOC) activity. Siobhan’s responsibilities extend to program management, liaising with venues, suppliers and supervising logistical arrangements. Onsite, Siobhan provides assistance to the LOC and is the main point of contact for all suppliers, ensuring everything is executed as planned during set up and the duration of the Conference.

Siobhan prides herself on her meticulous attention to detail and has not met a spreadsheet she doesn’t love!

Emma comes to ICMSA after working in special and challenge events in the UK where she focused on creating and managing Gala Dinners and coordinating a major charity fun run through the streets of central London.

She has a passion for customer service and a love of problem-solving, making her a great fit for the Event Management role. Emma attends all meetings she is appointed to manage and is available to assist the Local Organising Committee with all requirements for their Conference including managing website content, the abstract submission process, budgeting and helping to create, update and implement the conference program. She also directly liaises with key organisation stakeholders on any questions they have about the conferences.

Durign the COVID-19 pandemic Emma took on the challenging assignment of helping ICMSA find and implement virtual conferencing solutions. One example over this period was successfully helping to organise and arrange pre-recording online, studio recording and live online sessions for an 11 stream, 1,400pax Conference that had to be moved in mere months to be completely virtual.

Emma has continued to stay up-to-date on all the latest Virtual and Hybrid options for conferencing to assist clients achieve their meeting goals.

Alex joined ICMS Australasia in 2023 in the company’s Christchurch office following six years of experience in events and hospitality where she developed strong people and management skills.

Alex has the ability to rise to any challenge with a smile on her face and is adept at problem solving and exceeding client expectations.

She was appointed Senior Event Coordinator at ICMS Australasia with a focus on assisting in the successful delivery of Conferences and Events in New Zealand and Australia.

Her responsibilities extend to liaising with venues, suppliers and supervising logistical arrangements. On-site, she provides assistance to the LOC and is the main point of contact for all suppliers, ensuring everything is executed as planned during set up and the duration of each Conference.

She holds a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Tourism and Management, attained from the University of Otago-Dunedin.

Jessica completed a Bachelor of Business majoring in Event Management from La Trobe University in 2017 and joined the ICMS Australasia Melbourne office in 2018 as a Conference Assistant. She was soon after promoted to Conference Services Coordinator and is now an Event Coordinator.

Jessica demonstrates professional customer service skills when communicating with delegates, sponsors and committee members, managing over 10,000 delegates while in the Conference Services Coordinator role.

She has the ability to build strong relationships with committees which has resulted extended working relationships with the Association of School Business Administrators, the University of Melbourne and the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology.

She was a Victorian State Runner-Up in the MEA Ungerboeck Young Professional Award in 2019.

She takes an active lead in assisting with training new Event Assistants and Conference Services Coordinators.

As an Event Coordinator, Sheryl works closely with the Event Manager to assist in the management and successful delivery of conference programs, including abstract submissions, review processes and speaker invitations. Sheryl will support the Local Organising Committee (LOC) to coordinate the delivery of the Conference, manage arrangements for speakers and assist with correspondence with all speakers prior to and during the event. Sheryl is a highly personable and efficient coordinator with the ability to work independently in a changing and multi-tasking environment with numerous and competing deadlines, as an accomplished and experienced event coordinator with more than 15 years of experience in conference management, including using EventsAIR in all aspects of sponsorship and exhibition, abstract management, virtual event platform management and delegate registration.

Rickie is an astute Event Coordinator, joining ICMS Australasia from Encore Event Technologies where she was employed as Venue Events Director and Duty Manager. In her role she managed events at The Grace Hotel in Sydney and was responsible for sales activity including promoting Encore Event Technologies’ products and services to clients. She also played a pivotal role in maintaining strong relationships with regular clients.

She was previously Events and Marketing Coordinator at Employsure, assisting in the planning and executing of internal client events and webinars across Australia and New Zealand.

In her current role Rickie provides administrative duties and support for various conferences managed by the Conference Services Coordinators, Event Coordinators, Event Managers and Directors.

Emily completed a Bachelor of Business Degree at Victoria University in 2022 majoring in Event Management and minored in Marketing and Supply Chain Logistics.

Since starting as an intern in 2021, Emily has thoroughly enjoyed being part of the ICMSA team and working on projects to help bring events to life. Now, as a Conference Service Coordinator, Emily’s main areas of responsibilities include managing all registration, accommodation and onsite administration for her allocated Conferences.

She is enthusiastic to apply the skills learnt throughout her university degree and her six years working in the hospitality industry and looks forward to utilizing her strong organisational skills.

Tyger is a new member of the ICMS Australasia team, joining the company at the start of 2023. Her previous experience comes from hotel management, where she was most recently the Team Leader of Conference and Events Operations at one of Brisbane’s largest hotels. At ICMSA Tyger’s main responsibilities will focus on registration, accommodation and administration management, working closely with the Event Coordinators, Managers and Directors.

Shaelyn is a newcomer to the meetings and events industry having recently completed a Certificate III in Event Management at TAFE. This course was preceded by completing an Attainment in Small Business Certificate at TAFE.

A highly motivated individual, Shaelyn was a school Prefect, which involved school and extra-curricular activities including volunteering in the local community. Since leaving school, and as part of her Event Management Certificate, she has completed work experience at events including the well-patronised Glenworth Valley Food and Wine Festival and the bump-in, set-up and bump-out of the NSW Caravan and Camping AGM and State Meeting.

Her part-time work roles during her years of study have also provided her with strong customer service skills and a high level of attention to detail.

At ICMS Australasia, Shaelyn provides administrative duties and support for various conferences managed by the Conference Services Coordinators, Event Coordinators, Event Managers and Directors.

Emily has joined ICMS Australasia following a recent position as Supervisor at the Moonee Ponds Club in Melbourne and completing a Bachelor of Commerce at the Australian Catholic University.

A highly motivated individual, Emily has also completed a range of short courses including certificates in the Responsible Service of Alcohol, Responsible Service of Gaming, TAB Compliance, and St Johns First Aid. She has also undertaken charitable work for a variety of organisations focused on Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementia and cancer.

Working in hospitality she has developed a strong client focus and a genuine desire to help people, strong communication skills and the ability to consult and contribute ideas within a team environment.

The Event Assistant supports the Delegate Services department to ensure that all registration/accommodation bookings, sponsor/exhibitor entitlements and enquiries are processed and managed smoothly and effectively. Aiding in the successful delivery of ICMS Australasia events. This aligns naturally with Rachel's skills developed whilst working as a carer for a child with special needs. Rachel is an empathetic, reliable, motivated and enthusiastic person who is well-organised and possesses the necessary communication and technical skills to deliver the best outcomes for the Conferences assigned to her. Rachel completed a Double Degree Majoring in Events Management, Marketing and Sales, University of Canterbury.

Andrea has a long and accomplished career in Event Management including over 10 years’ experience working with high profile clients throughout the UK and Europe. Enthusiastic and self-motivated with excellent organisation skills and an eye for detail, complemented by superior administration and computer skills, Andrea possesses a positive and confident manner and is an outstanding communicator who can motivate a team to achieve outstanding results.

Andrea is responsible for managing the sponsorship and exhibition sales of ICMS Australasia managed meetings. She acts as the conduit between sales and delivery, ensuring the benefits of each sponsor is communicated accurately and that their level of satisfaction remains high. Her negotiation skills are well suited in her role of procurement and management for sponsorship and exhibitions, forging meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships between clients and their stakeholders.

Previously holding the position of ICMSA Event Manager provides Andrea with great insights and understanding of critical elements of meeting planning and delivery, enabling her to utilise a holistic approach to integrating sponsors’ and exhibitors’ goals within all conference forums.

She has a steely determination to ensuring that stakeholder return on investment is always realised at meetings under her management.

Jessie has a solid understanding of what it takes to make an event stand out for delegates. Working with people from diverse backgrounds has provided Jessie with an awareness of differences in both individuals and organisations, which is essential in her role. Jessie is a hard worker who is focused on client satisfaction and project success.

Jessie is highly organised and detail-oriented with an emphasis on communication, as efficiently sharing information is critical when working as part of a team. Some of her skills include experience with the Adobe suite, WordPress, social media and EventsAIR. Jessie's responsibilities at ICMS Australasia include creating registration forms, formatting online communications, reconciling bank transfers, managing accommodation, processing sponsorship and exhibition application forms and ensuring all entitlements are met before the delivery of an event. Jessie holds a Post Graduate Diploma, Event Management from Otago Polytechnic and a Bachelor of Arts, Communication Studies for the University of Otago.

Tiffany was appointed Sponsorship and Exhibition Assistant at ICMS Australasia after working as an Events and Administration Assistant at the University of Technology Sydney and following her completion of tertiary studies.

Tiffany has completed a Bachelor of Business in Hotel Management, a Certificate III in Events, and an Advanced Diploma of Event Management.

At ICMS Australasia, Tiffany provided sponsorship and exhibition support for various conferences managed by the Conference Service Coordinators, Event Coordinators, Event Managers and Directors.

Georgia has a passion for planning and enjoys applying her varied skills to help support the organisation and running of events. Georgia's strengths allow me to quickly learn new skills and complete tasks in an efficient manner. Georgia understands the importance of not overlooking even the smallest detail, being prepared to be adaptable and the importance of teamwork to ensure a conference or event runs successfully. Georgia possesses a Certificate of Science, Computer Science and Mathematics University of Canterbury.  

With over 20 years of design experience at ICMS Australasia, Albina has produced hundreds of creative, colourful and professional pieces of conference collateral.

Working together with our Webmaster, Albina ensures that each event has its own identity with very strong visual impact, outstanding design consistency, vibrancy, coherence and clarity.

Albina gains huge job satisfaction and enrichment from ongoing professional development, being a part of a winning team, collaborating and working hard to achieve shared goals where our clients’ expectations are consistently exceeded and a memorable experience is felt by our delegates.

In the early years at ICMSA, Albina undertook an extensive portfolio of design and print production for all events under management at any given time. Her role consisted of project management with our lead designer, various printers, sign companies, web designer and audiovisual technicians to orchestrate harmonious delivery of work including quoting and invoicing for all our events which were at varying stages of their timeline. Items produced would range from logo design, printed stationery, digital stationery, promotional and onsite PowerPoint slides, promotional banners, flyers, registration brochures, program and abstract books, delegate lists, exhibition catalogues, CD-ROMs, exhibition manuals, event signage, tickets, name badges, certificates, duplicating and fulfilling orders during a conference and post-conference.

James is a key asset to the web and design team of ICMS Australasia. After completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Academy of Art University, San
Francisco, James spent several years honing his skills in Silicon Valley, working with a marketing agency designing multiple projects for a variety of clients from various industries.

He joined ICMS Australasia as Website Manager in 2021.

James’ websites are the cornerstone of our highly successful marketing campaigns. In the rapidly changing and evolving nature of this media channel, James stays abreast of current trends and strategies to ensure that the conference website is distinguishable, relevant and user friendly.

James is highly focused on collaboration, teamwork with event managers and applying targeted marketing strategies to ensure successful results and wow factors are the consistent outcome for our clients.

Brad has been a Journalist and Editor for more than 20 years, starting his career with Fairfax Newspapers in the Southern Highlands, later progressing to a News Editor role with Rural Press Ltd, followed by a long-standing position as Managing Editor of Australia’s leading magazine in the business event sector.

Brad was a founding member of the team behind the launch of the award-winning B2B business events magazine, micenet, and played a lead role in launching a sister publication in Singapore and managing the magazine as Editor until it was sold.

He has written for a range of publications including BRW, been commissioned to provide content to Tourism Australia, and has most recently worked with Radio New Zealand as a Sydney Correspondent.

Brad has also presented at conferences on topics focused on working with the media, been invited to advise tourism operators on effective communication strategies, including the Hamilton Island Group, and written speeches for a range of clients.

Charlene holds the position of Website Administrator at ICMS Australasia.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts with Honours at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and attaining a Master of Health and Human Services Management at Deakin University, Charlene completed a Certificate IV in Information Technology from TAFE NSW. She is currently completing a Diploma of Information Technology.

With a strong level of knowledge in front-end and back-end web development, she also has experience in photo and video editing, graphic design and typesetting, and copywriting.

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Charlene moved to Australia to continue her studies in 2021 and is now happily ensconced in Sydney work and life.

Cosmas is an accomplished and motivated Accounts Payable and accounting allrounder. He has a Diploma in Accounting and an overseas Degree in accounting.

Cosmas has excellent written and verbal skills, strong bank reconciliation knowledge, and experience in Micronet, Attache, Marcola, Pronto and AS400. He supports the ICMSA Financial Controller with financial management and reporting skills.

With over 10 years’ of accounting experience, he possesses a strong financial accounting skillset and brings an analytical approach to his work for the benefit of ICMSA clients.

Cosmas takes control of ICMSA bookkeeping functions and maintains the company’s general ledger for daily transactions. He maintains an excellent working relationship with ICMSA creditors and ensures their invoices and payments are processed and pain on-time. Cosmas also monitors ICMSA credit cards and staff reimbursements. Using Attache accounting software, Cosmas processes month-end reports for ICMSA and ensures month-end closure within five working days.