From the desk of Emma Bowyer

After three exhausting years of upskilling to virtual events and trading through the pandemic, it would be tempting for us to quickly return to fully in-person offerings and to enjoy the strong demand we’re experiencing for traditional conferencing.

Our delegate participation numbers and stakeholder support is higher than ever. So far, this calendar year is shaping up to be the best ever for ICMS Australasia.

Across the industry, whether it be hotels, audio visual, exhibition companies and other key providers in our industry, activity is likely to remain above pre-pandemic levels for a while yet.

Our feeling as we ride this new wave of business is that despite the push for in-person conferencing, some elements of the virtual online model that we all experienced during the pandemic remain.

As we head deep into the second year of running in hybrid mode, we’re working to deliver the best of in-person and the best of virtual. The two can co-exist and, in fact, should do so for the very best client outcomes.

With this in mind, our recent attendance at the 2023 MEA National Awards was a truly memorable night for us and our clients during the pandemic, particularly those featured on the night - the CSIRO and the Australian Geomechanics Society. Both of these events were delivered in hybrid.

It is fair to say that we faced stiff competition from some of the industry’s leading organisations. Nevertheless, by the end of the proceedings ICMS Australasia walked away with the “Government Event of the Year”, “Event Legacy” and “Platinum Event of the Year” awards.

To see all of our hard work recognised in this way was gratifying beyond measure, yet not undeserved.

In closing, Winston Churchill’s famous observation, made during the bleakest days of World War II, of never letting a good crisis go to waste has a lot to teach us and inspired me to create opportunities in New Zealand.

In March of this year I advised we were opening a new office in Christchurch and now I’m delighted to showcase the team to you (below). The quality of the candidates, the city’s Convention Bureau and the wonderful facilities on the ground, led by the wonderful Te Pae Convention Centre, assure me that Christchurch will become a very successful pillar for ICMS Australasia in the future.

Emma Bowyer

ICMSA Wins Trifecta at National Industry Awards

ICMS Australasia was thrilled to win three National Meetings & Events Australia Awards recently including the highest accolade presented to the industry – the MEA Platinum Event of the Year Award for the 21st International Meeting on Lithium Batteries 2022, managed on behalf of the CSIRO.

Platinum Awards are presented to recipients who achieved the highest score of all entrants via the judging process across the Event of the Year category.

ICMSA also won the Government Event of the Year Award for the 21st International Meeting on Lithium Batteries (IMLB 2022) Congress and the Event Legacy of the Year Award for the 20th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ICSMGE 2022).

Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO Manufacturing and Chair of IMLB 2022, Adam Best, gave thanks to the ICMS Australasia team including Suellen Holland (pictured left), Kate Stevens and Emma Bowyer (pictured right) for delivering an award-winning event.

“The legacy of IMLB2022 is the formation of the Australian Battery Society and we have a lot more to do to grow a vibrant, energetic and charged-up battery industry in Australia. Energy storage is critical to Australia's renewable energy future and we want to build an ecosystem that benefits all Australians,” he said.

ICMSA smashes all KPIs for the World Mining Congress in Brisbane

ICMS Australasia smashed KPIs set for the 26th World Mining Congress in Brisbane in June almost doubling delegate numbers and beating sponsorship targets by more than 700%.

The Congress, hosted by the CSIRO, saw more than 3,500 attendees walk through the doors of the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre to hear from more than 500 speakers across the four-day program.

Given the nature of the event and the high level of VIPs – including the world’s top level mining CEOs as well as state and national politicians including Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Australian Treasurer, Jim Chalmers - significant investment was made in ensuring the safety of all participants, with ICMSA appointing Sheridan Consulting Group to manage on-site security and cyber security.

The meticulous pre-planning and on-site strategies worked seamlessly, with more than 80 suppliers working around the clock to deliver to the complex brief.

In his closing address, Chairman of the International Organising Committee of the 26th World Mining Congress, Professor Marek Cala, said WMC 2023 had been “one of the best conferences, maybe the best conference ever” in the organisation’s 65 year history.

WMC 2023 generated an economic impact to the city of Brisbane of over $20 million.

Meet our Christchurch team

We made the announcement, appointed a New Zealand Director, found a great office space right near to Te Pae Convention Centre in Christchurch, and now we’re happy to say we have a brand new enthusiastic team who have hit the ground running this month.

Welcome from left to right Rachel Pero, Georgia Phillipps, Sheryl Norton and Lenore Wright. Also joining ICMSA NZ is Jessie Kingsbury. The new team is being headed up by Karen Hamilton.

Contact Karen Hamilton in the first instance on [email protected] to discuss your event requirements in New Zealand.

New business wins for ICMSA

In-between a record operational year for ICMSA in conference management, there has been plenty of new wins for the company. Since our last correspondence, ICMSA has been confirmed as PCO for the Association of School Business Administrators for their Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Northern Territory conferences in 2024, is working with the Cloncurry Shire Council on the inaugural Meeting of the Mines Conference in September 2023, and was appointed and has already delivered the Women Deliver 2023 Melbourne Regional Convening Event (pictured above).

ICMSA has also been confirmed as PCO to manage the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute 2023 Symposium. And in news hot off the press, ICMSA has been contracted to work with the Australian Dental and Oral Health Therapists Association Ltd (ADOHTA) and Dental Hygienists Association of Australia Ltd (DHAA) who will be the joint host bodies of the National Conference planned for Sydney in October 2024. Up to 900 attendees, sponsors and exhibitors are anticipated.

Further announcements are to be made shortly, with business now secured beyond 2027.

ICMSA and our clients in the news

ICMSA continues to make the news in business Event industry publications and, in the past month, to the wider news sector, with ICMSA Owner and Managing Director Emma Bowyer appearing across platforms in Queensland’s capital, including ABC News Brisbane.

Emma was interviewed by the ABC just prior to the start of the 26th World Mining Congress (WMC 2023), describing the mega event as “the Olympics of mining”.

Managing the high level of media interest in WMC 2023, with coverage secured across all major Australian newspapers including the Australian Financial Review, The Guardian and the Canberra Times, television news outlets, prominent websites, and national and international mining publications was done in conjunction with the Science in Public team.

The Director’s Cut: Radhika Kulasekera, Financial Controller

In the fifth in our series on ICMSA Directors, we talk to Radhika Kulasekera on her role and what advice she has for those among us who aren’t great with numbers.

When Experience Matters

ICMS Australasia manages projects from concept through to final audit, providing expertise in attracting delegates, sponsors and exhibitors; budget and cash flow control, business and scientific program development; information, presentation, communication and staging technology, creation and delivery of social and recreational activities and accommodation. From idea generation to post event evaluation we provide expertise, creativity and a healthy respect for the financial bottom line.

If you are interested in bidding for an event or need help with an event already confirmed, pick up the phone or send us an email.

Our experience will matter.

Please feel free to call or email Emma Bowyer now.