Keen has been at the helm of the convention centre for 12 years. His last day is set for September 30.
During his time in charge, he has held two other roles for Spotless which manages PCEC: he is currently state manager and director of hospitality for Western Australia and, between 2014 and 2018, he was state manager for leisure, sport and entertainment for WA.
Keen also sits on the board of both Business Events Perth and the Australian Business Events Association – positions which he will vacate when he leaves the convention centre in September.
“I look back at my time at PCEC with great pride and many fond memories,” said Keen.
“However, I believe my greatest achievement has been rebuilding the business to its best levels of event activity and delegate numbers in the venue’s 20-year history, especially after the challenges of 2020 and fostering a strong team culture with Kendra [Naidoo, PCEC’s general manager of venue operations], that leaves the venue in excellent shape for the future.”
Keen will now focus on Keen2Connect, which he founded in mid-2023, which delivers exhibitions and events.
The company manages Careers Expo in Perth and is set to launch another event, Sidestep in November 2025.
“Both these events help connect individuals to opportunities in education and training or directly into new employment, so my next goal is to inspire others to transform their thinking to achieve their version of success,” Keen wrote on LinkedIn.
He hands over the reins at PCEC to Naidoo, who is coming back from maternity leave in October and will be working part time.
“Working alongside Nigel for many years has been a rewarding experience, I’ve learnt so much from his leadership,” said Naidoo.
“Along with the great team at PCEC I’m confident we will continue to build on the strong foundation Nigel has built and continue to grow the business events industry in WA.”
