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Company Profile
ConventionWorks is a global consulting group which specializes in the areas of destination marketing and convention and exhibition facility development. It is a select team of individuals with internationally recognized expertise in the meetings and exhibitions industry. Its members collectively offer in excess of 100 years experience spanning every facet of the fiercely competitive convention market. They are the only group of their kind that can combine global perspective with an in depth, practical, working knowledge of how the industry operates in the various regions of the world. ConventionWorks delivers a unique capability that is based on knowledge, experience, leadership, know how and the comprehensive information reach available throughout its partners’ extensive networks.
Profiles
Gary Grimmer - Chairman
With 22 years experience in the convention industry, Gary served most recently for eight years as CEO of the Melbourne Convention & Visitors Bureau, in Melbourne, Australia. Prior to that, he was CEO at bureaus in Portland, Oregon and Albuquerque, New Mexico USA. He began his convention bureau career in Boston, Massachusetts, first serving as Director of Communications and later as Vice President of Administration.
Gary has served in various industry leadership positions, as Chairman of the International Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus (IACVB), and as Chairman of DOME, the convention industry’s international research foundation. He was an original founder of BestCities, the industry’s first convention bureau alliance, and served for 8 years on the board of the Australian Association of Convention Bureaux (AACB.)
Currently serving as the CEO of Gary Grimmer & Company, an international meetings industry management firm, Gary is based in Melbourne, Australia. Projects include his service as CEO of DOME and managing the strategic planning and development process for CVBInc. He was also recently appointed to the commission which is responsible for making recommendations on the proposed development of a new international convention centre in London.
Gary’s background provides a global perspective and a strong knowledge and contact base throughout the world’s meetings industry, particularly in North America and Australia.
Tom Hulton – Vice Chairman
Tom is the former CEO of the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA) the world’s leading organization for the global meetings industry. During his eight year term, he placed ICCA on a sound financial basis and considerably raised the image and profile of the organisation. He is also the former Secretary General of the International Hotel Association. During Tom’s 9 year service as Managing Director of Supranational Hotels - the reservation and marketing hotel consortium –he developed it into the 3rd largest in the world with over 1,200 hotels in its portfolio.
Tom is currently CEO of International Meeting Venues, a consultancy and full service marketing company dedicated to providing realistic and cost effective solutions and business opportunities. IMV is based in the UK. Tom is also a consultant to IMEX – Frankfurt, one of the world’s leading meetings industry tradeshows.
In addition to his global leadership credentials, Tom is broadly recognized as one of the most knowledgeable experts on the meetings industry throughout the world, and especially in Europe.
Amy Chan
Amy is the former Executive Director of the Hong Kong Tourist Association and Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Convention & Incentive Travel Bureau.
A former Board Member of the International Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus, Amy is also the former Secretary General and Chair of the Asian Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus (AACVB.)
As CEO of World Project International in Hong Kong, Amy is currently Senior Consultant for the Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administrative Commission, and serves as Honorary Professor at the School of Hotel & Tourism Management at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Amy’s depth of knowledge and over 30 years experience in destination marketing and management makes her one of the most respected authorities on the global meetings industry, and delivers particularly strong expertise and contacts in Asia, and especially in China.
Mohamed S. Al Geziry
Mohamed is a former member of the International Marketing Committee of the Leading Hotels of the World and the former General Manager of Dutco Hotels (now known as Jebel Ali International Hotels.)
A founding member of the Dubai Commerce and Tourism Promotion Board, Mohamed was also the lead consultant to the government of Dubai on the establishment and organisation of the Dubai CVB. He represents the government of Dubai on the 5 Star Hotels group Hotel & Hotel Apartment Committee, the Special Needs Tourism Task Force, the Dubai Environmental Tourism Task Force and the Hotel Classification Committee.
Mohamed is currently the Chairman of Mohamed Al Geziry Consultancy in Dubai and has substantial knowledge of the Arabian Gulf and its market complex needs with over 29 years experience in the region. His consulting practice specializes in all aspects of hotel development, operations and management, tourism development and strategic planning, convention bureau development and operations, and regional and international marketing. He serves as Tourism Marketing Representative to the Government of the Seychelles Tourism Marketing Authority and is currently consulting the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing – Government of Dubai.
In addition to his many commitments, Mohamed is a member of the Rotary Club of Dubai, Conseiller Culinaire of the Dubai Baillage, “Chaine des Rotisseurs”, member of the Skål Club in Dubai, member of the International Congress and Convention Association, member of SITE, MPI and the Hotel & Catering International Management Association.
His broad industry background has earned Mohamed acknowledgement as one of the Middle East’s leading experts on the world’s meetings and visitor industry as well as on the industry in the Middle East itself.
David Hall
David is the former CEO of the Adelaide and Gold Coast CVB’s in Australia, and the former CEO of the Regional Development Council – South Island, New Zealand.
With 35 years of industry experience, David is one of the very few individuals to be elected to both the boards of the International Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus (IACVB) and the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), David also served on the boards of the Asian Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus (AACVB) and the Australian Association of Convention Bureaux (AACB.) David was the author of the Governmental Submission on Construction of the Adelaide Convention Centre, and was the consultant on the start-up of convention bureaus in Jakarta, Istanbul and Cape Town. David was also an advisor and representative to the Royal Cliff Beach Resort Thailand, and their new Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall (PEACH.) He is a regular guest speaker at meetings industry seminars in the Asia/Pacific region.
Currently serving as CEO of David Hall & Associates in Adelaide, Australia, David’s current projects include providing meetings industry liaison services to the global education entity “Le Cordon Bleu.” In this role he is lead advisor on the development and launch of the world’s first “Masters of International Meetings Industry Management” qualification, to be delivered on line by the University of South Australia. He is also Chairman of the internet based company “onlineregistrations PTY Ltd” which provides a secure and sophisticated meetings registration service throughout Australia.
David is respected as one of the world’s most broadly experienced and widely consulted authorities in relation to the meetings industry in Southeast Asia, Australia and other parts of the world.
Suzanne Denbak
Suzanne is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Tourism Whistler, the organization responsible for the global market and sales efforts of the internationally renowned resort destination of Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. Prior to this position, she was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Canada’s largest convention facility and ranked 14th in North America based upon exhibit space.
Suzanne has served on the Board of Directors of the International Association of Convention and Visitors’ Bureaus and was one of the founding Board members of the Vancouver/Whistler Olympic Bid which successfully secured the Winter Olympic Games in 2010.
With over 20 years of experience, Suzanne brings a unique and complimentary perspective to the ConventionWorks team – she has personally led the design and construction of a $200 million convention centre expansion project through all phases of design concept, local government approval, construction tendering and facility opening. This hands-on experience managing a large convention facility construction project and then operating the facility post-opening brings an unprecedented level of realism and the ability to deliver results for her clients. Within Whistler, she led many resort wide initiatives including the development of a comprehensive resort branding strategy,
the establishment of an economic model for measuring the value of the tourism economy and the development of a responsive, results oriented destination marketing organization.
Suzanne brings destination marketing and sales experience that is relevant to smaller urban centres and resorts as they strive to secure a share of both the leisure and the meetings and conference market. Her clients include many smaller destinations seeking to enter the tourism industry and her advice regarding unique selling proposition and branding in these destinations has created a strong platform for successful and sustainable tourism economies. Recent clients include the Province of British Columbia, who through a Resort Development Task Force, commissioned the development of a Best Practices Guide for Resort Development and Operation including all aspects of destination branding, marketing and sales.
As an ardent advocate for the importance of sustainable tourism, Suzanne was one of the leaders of the community wide introduction of the Natural Step framework into Whistler.
She has spoken at numerous conferences regarding sustainable tourism.
Denbak's experience in land use planning and development is also extensive. Responsible for approvals, permitting, design and construction of both the Metro Toronto Convention Centre expansion and the renovation of the Whistler Conference Centre, her marketing background and passion for sustainability create unique design features that provide distinct competitive advantage while her financial skills ensure on time and on budget project delivery.
ConventionWorks Contacts:
Northern Asia including Japan
Amy Chan
Telephone: + 852 6088 2829
Fax: + 852 2550 3998
Email: NorthernAsia@ConventionWorks.net
Middle East & Africa
Mohamed Al Geziry
Telephone: + 971 4 2865586
Fax: + 971 4 2865589
Email: MiddleEast-Africa@ConventionWorks.net
Australia/NZ/Pacific Island - S.E. Asia and the Sub-Continent
Gary Grimmer
Telephone: + 613 9502 0655
Fax: +613 9521 8005
Email: Australia-SEAsia@ConventionWorks.net
David Hall
Telephone: + 618 8332 0081
Fax: + 618 8332 0181
Email: Australia-SEAsia@ConventionWorks.net
UK / Europe
Tom Hulton
Telephone: + 44 1243 372 940
Fax: + 44 1243 372 940
Email: Europe@ConventionWorks.net
North America
Suzanne Denbak
Telephone: + 604 938 3348
Fax: + 1 604 357 1384
Email: NorthAmerica@ConventionWorks.net
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