Board and Team

Colette is the Founder & CEO of The Conference Room and Australia Conferences & Incentives, a global multi award-winning, full service business event agency renowned for innovative design of incentive travel, conferences, special events, and Australian destination management. Blending creativity with strategic precision since 1997. Colette's extensive industry experience includes international wholesale travel as well as airline operations.

She is an active member of the business events community, having served as President of the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence, Australia & New Zealand (SITE ANZ) from 2020 to 2022. Her contribution to industry achieved global recognition, most notably with the Kevin Forde Spirit Award in 2023, awarded by her SITE peers.

Her agency has garnered international acclaim, winning the prestigious SITE Crystal Award in 2021 and the ADMEI Award for Best Event in 2025. She holds qualifications as a Certified Incentive Travel Professional (CITP) and is celebrated as Australia's first Destination Management Certified Professional (DMCP). Her memberships reflect her commitment to industry and include the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE), Association of Destination Management Executives International (ADMEI), and Australian Marketing Institute (AMI).

Cindy-Lee Bakos brings 25 years of experience across business events, association management and the not-for-profit sector.

She has held senior executive and governance roles, including CEO and Board Director positions, and has led major national and Asia Pacific event projects through her work with MCI Australia.

Angie Becker is the Chief Sales and Customer Experience Officer at Victorian Convention and Event Trust, overseeing Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre and Nyaal Banyul, Geelong Convention and Event Centre.

With over two decades of experience in hotels, hospitality and events, she previously held Senior Leadership positions at Crown Melbourne and Hyatt International Hotels, where she led transformational initiatives that delivered multi-million-dollar growth. Angie is recognised for her expertise in revenue optimisation, customer experience enhancement, and building high-performance teams.

Rocky Bruzzano, Managing Director of Exponet, brings over 30 years of dedicated experience to the exhibition and hire industry. With a deep commitment to corporate governance, sustainability, and innovation, Rocky has shaped Exponet into a thriving business recognised for its excellence and forward-thinking approach.

Starting his career in Exponet’s accounts department, Rocky advanced to the role of Chief Financial Officer, where he played a crucial role in strategic acquisitions and demonstrated his financial acumen. Today, as the owner and Managing Director, he leverages comprehensive expertise in financial, logistical, operational, and general management to lead the company with distinction. The sustained growth and success of Exponet is a testament to his effective leadership and insightful management.

Leo is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Surrey in the UK and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University, as well as Director of Tourism and Business Events International that specialises in assessing the economic impact and legacy of business events.

For over 25 years Leo has been actively involved in the evaluation of business events having undertaken projects for a range of international organisations including the UNWTO, JMIC and ICCA. He was the Chair of the Business Events Council of Australia (BECA).

Leo has been the Director of government and university research centres in Australia and the UK over the past 30 years, including three years as the inaugural Chief Economist and General Manager of Tourism Research Australia. He is a member of the Association of Australian Convention Bureaux (AACB) Hall of Fame and received an OAM in 2016 for contributions to tourism and education.

Nick Jeffrey brings more than 30 years’ experience in finance, governance and the business events sector, including over 16 years in executive and strategic leadership roles.

As General Manager of the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre (GCCEC), Australia’s largest regional convention centre, he oversees the delivery of world-class conferences, exhibitions and events that drive significant economic and social impact for Queensland.

Nick’s career spans senior positions across tourism, hospitality and property development, both in Australia and internationally. Known for his strategic vision, collaborative leadership and people-centred approach, he is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of industry leaders.

A Fellow of CPA Australia (FCPA) and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD), Nick is recognised for his governance expertise, financial stewardship and ability to lead high-performing teams.

In late 2021, after more than 11 years at Tourism Australia, Penny left executive employment to become the managing director of her family’s wine company and build a portfolio of complementary non-executive directorships. Beyond graduating from the AICD, her governance experience spans NFP, government and the private sector. She is currently a non-executive director of Racing SA and Adelaide Venue Management Corporation (AVMC).

As the Executive General Manager, Events at Tourism Australia, Penny headed two distinct divisions: Business Events and Industry Events. She led the Business Events team in executing global marketing and distribution activities in key markets within a $35B sector. She also drove the strategy for the Industry Events division to showcase Australia’s tourism offering, including the Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE), an event that generates up to $8.5B in sales to Australia’s tourism industry. Notably, she solidified the $12M Bid Fund Program launched by the Hon. Steven Ciobo, MP (then Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment) in 2018 following extensive lobbying. The program positioned Australia to capture new international business events, with 40+ event wins totalling $400M+ prior to the pandemic.

Dan Londero, CEO and co-founder of Turnkey Event Solutions, brings 30 years of global business experience across Australia, China and UK. He has successfully led joint ventures in emerging markets such as China, India, and Turkey, and launched multiple startups in Australia and China. As an experienced board member, Dan has served as director and chairperson on various boards internationally, bringing strategic insight and governance expertise to his roles.

A dedicated Executive Mentor, Dan is known for his ability to connect with people and foster their success. His passion for talent development, leadership, and stakeholder engagement drives his approach to employee engagement and coaching. As a voluntary Director with the Australasian Exhibition and Event Association, he led the rollout of the Emerging Leaders Program, continuing its expansion with the Australian Business Events Association in 2023 and 2024.

A passionate advocate for Western Australia and the business events sector, Gareth is the CEO of Business Events Perth. Proudly calling Perth home, Gareth has been with the organisation for more than 16 years, promoting WA as a leading destination for business events.

Appointed CEO in 2019, he has a strong focus on working collaboratively with key stakeholders, clients and member partners to drive strong outcomes for the business events sector. Gareth’s spare time is spent with his family creating memories on new adventures exploring WA and its vast natural landscapes.

Matt is the CEO and co-founder of Talk2 Media & Events. Talk2 ME is a boutique event organiser that has owned and run a variety of trade and consumer exhibitions throughout Australia. Every year Talk2 ME worked with some of Australia’s best brands as partners on exhibitions that attracted almost 200,000 highly engaged visitors through their doors.