The Association of Australian Convention Bureaux (AACB) stands strong as all 17 convention bureau members are retained throughout the coronavirus pandemic, a level not seen for almost a decade.
At its Annual General Meeting on Friday, 27 November, AACB President, Michael Matthews, stated that through prudent financial management, AACB was able to maintain its effectiveness while also being in a position to support the bigger picture through the Business Events Council of Australia.
The Treasurer’s report, presented by Brett Fraser, highlighted that the Association’s strong balance sheet pre-COVID-19 provided the foundations to get through the immediate impacts of the pandemic – allowing the AACB to offer timely support to members into 2020/21.
During the meeting, the specific office holder positions of Vice President and Treasurer were up for election. The resulting new appointments included:
- Brett Fraser, CEO of Brisbane Economic Development Agency, steps up to Vice President after two years as Treasurer.
- Julia Swanson, CEO of the Melbourne Convention Bureau, joins the leadership team as Treasurer.
AACB President, Michael Matthews said, “I welcome Julia Swanson to the Executive team and look forward to leveraging the Board’s expertise from around the country as each convention bureau tackles recovery for their respective destinations.”
“The Board’s composition will rely on the experience and counsel of past presidents and longstanding Executive members in Lyn Lewis-Smith, CEO at BESydney, and Damien Kitto, CEO at Adelaide Convention Bureau.”
AACB’s renowned leadership will continue to reinforce the Association’s national voice, representing a business events community of more than 1,800 tourism and events operators across Australia.
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