Sue Wilkes - Business Events Sydney

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Business Development Director, Europe

"In the 1980s there was no such thing as an event management course so I went to Edith Cowan University and did a Bachelor of Business, majoring in marketing, which was the closest thing to event management.

"I always thought event management would be an interesting career. I enjoy interacting with people from a variety of different backgrounds and, in this profession, that comes as a package deal.

"I have had a variety of jobs, mostly in events and event management. Some of these include Director of Sales and Operations at Global Events and Conferences, Event Manager at Harvey Events Group and most recently, Manager, NSW and ACT for ICMS Pty Ltd.

"I am also a diving instructor, a skill that has taken me to many wonderful places and opened up many opportunities. One of the most challenging and satisfying was managing the Uepi Island Resort in the Solomon Islands. I increased the guest return rate by 50%, increased annual takings by AUD$200,000 in the first 12 months, and trained the first two Solomon Islanders to become scuba diving instructors.

"I joined Business Events Sydney (BESydney) as Business Development Director United Kingdom/Europe in mid 2008. Although I don’t live in Sydney anymore, I believe I have the next best thing; I promote my home city, while living in London, to my fellow Londoners and as many Europeans as possible!

"The challenging part of my job however is convincing the decision makers in the UK and Europe that Sydney isn’t that far away! Just some well earned sleep, some food and drinks and a couple of movies...

"I enjoy doing any outdoor activity especially sailing, scuba diving, snorkeling, camping and cycling. Although the British weather doesn’t always make these activities possible, the wonderful playground of Europe is just on my doorstep."