Meet the Judges

Leonie Ashford

Leonie is dedicated to advancing the Business Events industry in New Zealand, as well as across the Asia Pacific and globally.

Tourism New Zealand

  • Since joining the Tourism New Zealand Business Events team in 2011, she has served as a key leader and currently contributes as a Business Events Special Advisor, focusing on delivering strategic projects. Leonie's skills in storytelling, cultural identity, and environmental stewardship have played a pivotal role in driving the success of New Zealand's business events sector.

    On an international stage, Leonie represents the Asia Pacific region as a member of the ICCA (International Congress & Convention Association) Board of Directors. In this capacity, she is committed to championing the region's diversity and intelligence, ensuring they are recognized and celebrated in shaping the industry's future.

    Leonie’s unwavering dedication to fostering collaboration and building meaningful partnerships ensures she is always ready to connect, share, and contribute to the industry’s growth and success.

Scott Callaway

Christchurch Airport

Scott Callaway is General Manager Tourism & Trade at Christchurch Airport.

  • He has led the airports relationship with airlines and tourism and trade bodies within New Zealand and offshore for the past ten years.

    Scott is a proven tourism executive with an extensive range of national and international experience, having worked previously with Air New Zealand, Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools & Spa, the AJ Hackett Bungy Group, and for international advertising agencies Carat Inc., and The Event Group, both in New Zealand and the United States. Scott began his career in tourism in Christchurch with the Mount Cook Group, responsible for the company’s resort areas including snow sports operations in 1985.

Anabel Darby

Recreational - Communications Partner

Anabel has over 30 years’ experience working in media and public relations in New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong and Canada.

  • She is now based in Christchurch, working with her husband Simon and daughter Kate in their communications and design company, Recreational Studio.

    With her background in tourism and event PR, she was instrumental in the pre- and post-earthquake communications for tourism and business events in Christchurch.

    Anabel has developed a niche focus on business events, and for the past 15 years, she has run media and communications for Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA), including managing the media centre at MEETINGS every year.

Sally Davenport

Wellington School of Business & Government

  • Her PhD was in Chemistry but on her return to VUW in 1991, she moved to study technological innovation strategy and policy, commercialisation of science and industry/academic research collaboration. She has organised numerous conferences and other events both in New Zealand and overseas and is a Fellow of the International Society for Innovation Management.

Sally Davenport is Professor Emeritus at Wellington School of Business and Government.

Air New Zealand

Jason Dawson

Jason Dawson is of Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Whātua descent and currently Regional Affairs Manager for Air New Zealand.

  • Jason has extensive experience working in the business events and events sector, as well as tourism and economic development. He has been a strong and passionate advocate for the business events sector and its people through education, business support, mentoring, marketing and business development.

Tātaki Auckland Unlimited (TAU),

Annie Dundas

Annie Dundas is Director Destination at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited (TAU), the region’s cultural, events and destination agency.

  • In her role, she leads the major events, business events, tourism and screen teams responsible for the attraction of major and business events, destination marketing of Auckland as part of the Destination Partnership Programme and the management of Auckland as a visitor destination. Prior to joining Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, Annie was the General Manager: Tourism for Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Whai Rawa and before that, General Manager of Hawke’s Bay Tourism for eight years. Annie also had a long tenure at Tourism New Zealand – her last role as Regional Manager North America.

University of Technology, Sydney

Carmel Foley

Professor Carmel Foley is an internationally
recognised expert in the study of business events.

  • High impact research projects include the Beyond Tourism Benefits Series for Business Events Sydney and the global Value of Meetings Case Study Project for the Joint Meetings Industry Council. Her research has influenced public policy and redefined how business events are valued and measured globally. Carmel is lead author of the Goodfellow textbook, Business Event Legacies.

    Carmel's expertise in developing economic and social impact measurement methodologies has been applied in a range of contexts. Her current projects include The Conference Legacy Project Powered by Christchurch NZ, Social Impact Stories and Measurement for Business Events Sydney, and the SXSW Sydney Impact Study. All of Carmel's work is underpinned by a mission to support the economic, social and cultural prosperity of our global communities.

Kiri Goulter Consulting Ltd

Kiri Goulter

Kiri pioneered one of New Zealand’s first sustainable tourism programmes in Northland in the early 2000s, supporting more than 80 businesses to embed sustainable practices.

  • Since then, she has been central to advancing sustainability through destination management, authoring New Zealand’s Destination Management Guidelines and supporting RTOs nationwide to put sustainability at the heart of their plans. She has also contributed to the Aotearoa Circle’s Climate Adaptation Roadmap, the Tourism Industry Transformation Plan (Environment) and RTO Climate Champions programme with The Travel Foundation. Kiri is internationally recognised for her leadership in sustainability and stewardship, sharing New Zealand’s journey at global forums in the USA, Europe, Chile, and the Pacific.

Destination Marlborough

Anna Hayward

Anna Hayward brings over 20 years of experience in sales and marketing across the tourism and hospitality sectors.

  • Her career spans local government, regional tourism organisations, international hotel groups, luxury lodges, public relations, and the oil industry.

    For 14 years, Anna led the Auckland Convention Bureau, a division of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, where she played a pivotal role in establishing and growing the bureau. Her leadership highlights include:

    •Managing a trans-Tasman team, including two Australia-based business development managers

    •Developing Auckland’s first regional Strategic Business Events Plan

    •Launching the Auckland Advocate Alliance, New Zealand’s first business events ambassador programme

    •Establishing the Auckland International Business Events Advisory Group

    Anna has also served as Chair of the Convention Bureau of New Zealand and was honoured with the Business Events Industry Aotearoa Outstanding Achievement Award in 2018.

    Currently, Anna holds multiple roles within the business events sector:

    •Senior Associate – Business Events at Tourism Talent, specialising in recruitment for business events organisations

    •Business Events Development Manager for Business Events Marlborough, supporting regional growth and strategic development

    Driven by a passion for helping the business events and tourism sectors thrive, Anna maintains a broad and influential network across New Zealand and internationally, including strong relationships with a wide range of venue providers; and provides consulting services to organisations across New Zealand’s business events industry.

Francois Hecquart

Toitu

Originally from Lille, France, Francois has over 20 years experience in the hospitality industry.

  • Francois started working in Environment back home in the late 90's before spending more than 20 years in hospitality or hospitality related industries (including owning a couple of cafes). Proud Wellingtonian, in a full circle kind of thing, he have now been working for more than two years at Toitū where he is the Sector Manager for Public Sector and Finance.

Volpara

Ralph Highnam

Dr Ralph Highnam, founder/CEO of two successful medical device companies.

  • Based in Wellington, and a keen believer in the need for innovative events to bring people together for face-to-face interactions.

Tourism Industry Aotearoa

Rebecca Ingram

Rebecca Ingram is the Chief Executive at Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA).

  • TIA is New Zealand’s only independent association that represents all sectors of New Zealand’s large and diverse tourism industry. Representing 1200 member businesses from small owner/operators to large publicly listed tourism corporates and international hotel chains, TIA is striving for New Zealand to be world-leaders in ‘next generation’ tourism – tourism for good. Tourism that brings value to those who travel here and to those who live here.

    Prior to joining TIA, Rebecca spent seven years at Tourism New Zealand (TNZ), where she held various roles including General Manager of New Zealand and Government Relations. She was previously responsible for TNZ’s PR and Major Events, leading a global team across 10 markets in highlighting the best of what New Zealand has to offer to visitors.

    Rebecca has 20 years of leadership, marketing and communications expertise, with proven experience delivering successful business strategies, engagement and advocacy programmes and leading complex transformation in her time at both Spark (then Telecom) and Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand.

Creative HQ

Catherine Jones

Catherine Jones is Chief Executive of Creative HQ, New Zealand’s leading hub of entrepreneurship.

  • Since 2018 she has spearheaded programmes that have helped ventures reach a combined valuation of over NZ $1.5 billion and employ more than 1,500 people. With a background in investment banking and law, Catherine brings strategic and commercial expertise to growing high-impact ventures. Under her leadership, Creative HQ has won the 2024 Hi-Tech Award for Best Contribution to the Tech Sector, the Supreme Wellington Gold Award and has just been named a finalist in the 2025 Best Places to Work awards.

Ngati Mutunga, Ngati Tama, Ngāti Toa and Te Atiawa

Sandra Julian

With over 25 years in the business events industry, she carved a unique path as the only Māori Approved Professional Conference Organiser (PCO).

  • As founder of Auaha, she built a thriving agency known for weaving cultural values into world-class events, before successfully selling the business. Along the way, she has dedicated eight years as a BEIA Mentor, sharing her expertise to grow the next generation of industry leaders.

    That entrepreneurial spirit continues to drive her today. As a certified business coach and mentor, she partners with Indigenous and female service-based business owners who are ready to step out of the hustle and into sustainable growth. Her work blends strategy with cultural integrity, helping wāhine reclaim their time, amplify their impact, and create businesses that not only succeed but leave a lasting legacy.

Lynda Keene is the Chief Executive of the Tourism Export Council of New Zealand.

Tourism Export Council of New Zealand

Lynda Keene

  • The Tourism Export Council is the leading voice on international tourism and trends and advocates and represents the interests for NZ inbound tour operators and tourism suppliers.

    Lynda has extensive experience in tourism across a range of sectors including the inbound sector, business events, regional marketing, education and consulting work in Cook Islands, Vietnam and South Asia.

New Zealand Events Association

Elaine Linnell

Elaine discovered her passion for events early on and has built a career spanning corporate conferences in London to some of New Zealand’s largest sporting and cultural occasions.

  • These include the 2011 Rugby World Cup, the World Masters Games, and the British & Irish Lions tour. With experience across events, sponsorship, and marketing, she has spent the past three years as General Manager of the New Zealand Events Association, supporting and advocating for the industry. She firmly believes that once you find yourself in the events world, you never really leave, and that’s something to celebrate.

Sarah is an experienced food and drink, tourism and events professional having worked across the sectors for over 25 years.

Food + Drink New Zealand

Sarah Meikle

  • She started her career at Tourism New Zealand working in Wellington, India and London, before returning to New Zealand to the role of General Manager, Marketing for Positively Wellington Tourism (now WellingtonNZ), where she led a team marketing Wellington to local, domestic, Australian and International audiences. It was here that she co-founded Visa Wellington On a Plate.

    After running the festival for five years within WellingtonNZ, Sarah became the Chief Executive of the Wellington Culinary Events Trust in 2014. The following year, Sarah led the acquisition of Beervana. These events and festivals were all developed with the principal objective of "promoting Wellington city and region as the premium New Zealand food and beverage destination" focused on attracting out-of-town visitors and developing further opportunities to support culinary activities 365 days per year.

    In 2020, Sarah created a consultancy, Food + Drink New Zealand, established to provide assistance, advice and guidance to destinations, events, food operators and the wider food sector on how they can better leverage food + drink tourism opportunities nationally and internationally. With her extensive connections in the food sector in New Zealand – chefs, producers and commentators, as well as a growing network internationally, Sarah left the WCET in 2024 to grow Food + Drink New Zealand. She also returned to her roots and launched a new company, All India Permit Tours, a small, luxury travel company hosting small-group, curated tours to India from New Zealand and Australia. Sarah now spends up to six months a year in India.

    Sarah is extremely committed to helping the wider food tourism and events sectors and is very focused on building her growing governance portfolio. Sarah is a Board Director of Palliser Estates Wines of Martinborough; Board Member of the Economic Development Agency and Regional Tourism Organisation for Rotorua, RotoruaNZ; a trustee of charity, Good Bitches Baking; a Board Member of the New Zealand Events Association; and a founding member of Women in Food and Drink New Zealand.

Gillian Monahan

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Gillian has more than 20 years' experience working in strategic marketing and communications roles across tourism, cultural institutions, and events sectors in Aotearoa and globally.

  • As the founder of a New Zealand-based consultancy, she works with destinations, event organisers, and tourism stakeholders to empower the industry to thrive responsibly. Jessica’s approach goes beyond sustainability, championing the regenerative mindset.

David has over 25 years of corporate, public sector and governance experience in New Zealand’s tourism and business events sector.

Tākina Commercial Development

David Perks

  • Following a decade with Millennium Hotels David has led multiple parts of Wellington’s tourism system – marketing, entertainment venues, and most recently the development of the Tākina Convention and Exhibition Centre.

    Amongst other governance roles David is a board member of Business Events Industry Aotearoa and has chaired Regional Tourism New Zealand and been board member of Tourism Industry Aotearoa.

Tourism x Design

Brad Rowe

Brad is an award-winning tourism development expert with a track record of turning innovative ideas into successful businesses.

  • His journey in tourism has taken him all around the world to create new experiences, build successful businesses and advise in public sector roles. With a bias for action, he now focuses a lot of his time as an independent consultant to support progressive tourism ideas and businesses.

Tourism Talent and Central Otago District Council

Dylan Rushbrook

Dylan is an experienced leader in tourism, community development, and strategic planning.

  • Currently serving as Group Manager – Community Vision at Central Otago District Council, Dylan oversees key portfolios including economic development, tourism, strategy, and community engagement.

    Before joining local government, Dylan spent over 20 years in the commercial sector, holding senior roles with SKYCITY Entertainment Group and Heritage & CityLife Hotels. He also served as General Manager of Tourism Central Otago, where he led the region’s destination management and marketing efforts.

    Dylan is a director of Dunedin Venues Management and a founding partner in Tourism Talent, a specialist executive search agency with a presence in NZ, Australia and Japan. He was a founding board member and the former chair of YoungTEC NZ, supporting emerging tourism professionals.

    Since relocating to Central Otago in 2018, Dylan has been deeply involved in shaping the region’s future, balancing growth with community values and long-term sustainability.

Tourism New Zealand

Penelope Ryan

Penelope is the Global Manager Business Events for Tourism New Zealand.

  • She honed her strong commercial background in global FMCG marketing working on some of the world's most recognised brands before moving into the travel and tourism sector with Tourism New Zealand. Her time with Tourism New Zealand has allowed her to work across the Australian market, New Zealand domestic market and more recently in global roles for business events. The ripple effect that happens when great people come together to share their knowledge drives Penelope's love of business events and she is constantly seeking new and innovative ways to achieve and push targets.

Sooz has worked in and around Business Events for over 25 years: in regional bodies, for central government, and now as an independent business owner.

Daylight Ltd

Susan Sawbridge

  • She has advised on business event strategies at home and overseas and been a BEIA Mentor for several years. Guided by an industry stakeholder group, Sooz led the writing of Pīata Mai, the national statement of strategic direction for New Zealand's business events sector.

Director of Conference Innovators, a professional conference organising company that has been shaping New Zealand’s business events landscape for more than 30 years.

Conference Innovators

Tracey Thomas

  • With extensive experience delivering major national and international conferences, Tracey is enthusiastic about the power of business events to connect people, drive knowledge exchange, and create lasting economic and social impact.

Jessica is an experienced sustainability
practitioner and impact consultant, with a career spanning over 19 years in the Asia Pacific region.

The Tenth Letter Consulting

Jessica Vandy

  • As the founder of a New Zealand-based consultancy, she works with destinations, event organisers, and tourism stakeholders to empower the industry to thrive responsibly. Jessica’s approach goes beyond sustainability, championing the regenerative mindset.

Fresh Info

Shane Vuletich

Shane Vuletich is the founder and
Managing Director of Fresh Info.

  • He has over 25 years of experience designing research and evaluation frameworks to measure the impacts of events.

With more than 18 years of experience in the event and incentive industry, Jenny Walsh has established herself as a leader in creating memorable, results-driven experiences.

Motive Events

Jenny Walsh

  • She began her career at Flight Centre’s Cievents, quickly progressing through the ranks to General Manager, where she became known for delivering events that consistently exceeded expectations and delivered strong ROI.

    Her career then took her to the UK, where she successfully led a high-performing team before returning home to New Zealand in 2017. In 2020, against the backdrop of a global pandemic, Jenny and two business partners took a bold leap of faith and launched Motive Events—believing in the enduring power of events and travel, and the opportunities they would bring once the world reopened.

    As Managing Director, Jenny has guided Motive into a flourishing agency, specialising in corporate incentives and national and international conferences. Under her leadership, the team thrives on a “fly high” mentality—balancing creativity, strategy, and adaptability to deliver truly exceptional outcomes.

    Jenny’s vision is clear: to cultivate bold, heartfelt, and lasting client partnerships while redefining what outstanding event management looks like in New Zealand.

Maverick Tourism Marketing

Zac Watson

Zac is an accomplished leader within the
visitor economy, with experience spanning
both public and private sector roles.

  • Passionate about the future of our industry, Zac's people-first approach to leadership, strategic mindset and highly collaborative way of working all drive stunning outcomes for the Maverick Tourism team and the organisations they partner with.

Troupe Event Agency

Tanya Wick

A seasoned leader in incentive travel, conferences, and events.

  • Tanya has spent over 25 years designing and delivering programs that inspire, connect, and achieve results. She is the current President of SITE Australia & New Zealand and leads Troupe, an event agency based in Melbourne.

Hospitality New Zealand

Megan Williams

Megan Williams has been leading sustainable tourism and destination stewardship programmes for over 20 years.

  • Megan Williams has been leading sustainable tourism and destination stewardship programmes for over 20 years. She’s worked nationally to support businesses on their sustainability journey, and locally in Otago to build community resilience through environmental and social projects.

    Megan has founded a number of community Trusts. She’s also a tourism business owner, a governance advisor, and a judge for numerous awards.