Petrina Maxwell and Tony Clendon founded Agent 86 Experiences in Byron Bay in 2018, offering event management and incentive services for clients looking for experiences in Australia and overseas.
With strong relationships and a love of the Byron Bay region, the pair are now offering a variety of destination management services to those looking to host their events in Byron Bay, from accommodation and venue sourcing to booking VIP experiences.
“Anyone who has worked in events knows that things can change in an instant,” says Maxwell.
“That’s when our connections with local suppliers become crucial for delivering exceptional experiences.
“When plans are cancelled at the last minute, we can secure and curate new options and our local experts make it seem effortless.
“When you have strong working relationships, the result is always greater than if either party had done it on their own.
“Further, it’s an absolute privilege to use local providers after what has been a tumultuous few years for the events and hospitality industries, and to showcase how slick Byron Bay and the surrounding area is to the wider community, Australia and the world.
“Whether it’s a bespoke music festival, total buyouts of exclusive and secret properties in the Northern Rivers Hinterlands or private surf lessons with a world-class Big Wave surfer – we bring the vision to life to create an event that is memorable for all the right reasons,” she said.
“This corner of Australia is such a special spot and provides the most incredible blank canvas for events.
“We have a deep commitment to understanding our clients and their audience; we invest in thorough research to connect people with the destination, each other and the curated experiences we offer.
“Guests could have been to Byron Bay a handful of times before – but they’ll never have experienced it like this, because each event is tailored with precision for the specific audience.”
The business has already begun offering its DMC services and the feedback is positive.
“Agent 86 Experiences were our DMC supplier for a hugely successful event recently, bringing over 100 people together over three days for a programme that included an entirely bespoke mini-festival,” said Amanda Coffey, the executive general manager of marketing at Coverforce.
“It was a seamless experience from start to finish.
“The team go above and beyond, finding unique touchpoints and letting us in on local secrets to make everyone who attended feel like they truly saw the best of Byron and Northern Rivers. What I particularly appreciate about working with the team is there is no ‘one size fits all’ – they work dynamically with our own team to ensure nothing falls through the cracks and can effortlessly pick up elements of event organisation outside of a strictly DMC scope, such as registration, accommodation and collateral.
“Regardless of whether they were pivoting plans due to weather changes, packing in an event, liaising with local suppliers or coordinating activity days, the team were incredibly professional but not without a sense of humour.
“The key to pulling off any successful event is a blend of experience, creativity, problem-solving and attention to detail – something Agent 86 Experiences has in spades.”
