“We are delighted with the calibre of applicants that we were able to attract, especially from outside the business events sector,” said Business Events Adelaide’s CEO, Damien Kitto.
In addition to a round of fresh appointments to the team, a number of existing staff have switched roles.
Marcia Mudge has been promoted to director of national bidding and events, after joining the team in 2023 as director of events and services.
The domestic team has three new business development managers in Rechelle Hatcher, who will look after New South Wales, Mark Burns, who will look after Victoria, and Paul Shaw, who will manage the rest of Australia in addition to New Zealand.
The international team has two new faces in Marc Leopold and Jessie Yu. Edgar Navarro-Perez has also moved over to the international team from the domestic side.
The former manager of business development, Mark Phelps, has been promoted to director of international bidding.
Meanwhile, Andrew McKenna has joined the team as research manager and Courtney Wilkinson has joined as business development associate.
“We felt it was really important to find the right people that will propel our business forward and fit seamlessly into our Team Adelaide culture, and that is exactly what we have done,” said Kitto, while also acknowledging those who had been promoted.
“It is pleasing to be able to reward the strong performance of Marcia, Mark and Edgar, and to help them take the next steps in their careers.
“Promoting quality people from within allows for continuity for our members and clients, and a strong foundation from which our new team members will thrive.”
The appointments come with the end of another strong year for Business Events Adelaide.
“Whilst we don’t yet have final numbers, FY24 was extremely strong,’ said Kitto.
“We know how desirable Adelaide is as a business events destination, and there are significant opportunities for growth, especially internationally.
“With greater aviation access likely, future-proofing our international business development and research efforts will help us make the most of these opportunities.
“I’m confident with the new team now in place and quickly getting up to speed, we can continue getting strong domestic results and aim even higher globally.”
