Exterior Image of ICC Sydney's Convention Centre on a blue day.

CEO Update – July 2024

29 Jul 2024

Bujari Gamarruwa (Greeting in the language of the Gadigal People),

I would like to take this opportunity to honour the memory of ICC Sydney’s cherished community partner, Margaret White who sadly passed recently. Affectionately known as Marg, she served as a pillar of the Variety Children’s Charity and was one of the longest serving members of the Ladies of Variety – a group responsible for organising the annual Variety Children’s Christmas Party at ICC Sydney.

Many members of our team, our broader ASM Global and industry networks will remember Marg for her unwavering kindness, compassionate spirit and her great dedication to enriching the lives of vulnerable and disadvantaged children and their families. We extend our deepest condolences to Marg’s family and all those who knew her and collaborated with her over the many years of our treasured partnership.

At the heart of our world class services is our talented and caring team of events professionals and this month, we showcase how we continually invest in the development of our people to ultimately support your event delivery success.

Gabriella Alberici recently travelled to Costa Rica to participate in the International Association of Convention Centres’ AIPC Future Shapers program leading her FutureForce team to victory in the competitive pitch with their innovative talent management platform concept. Our investment in upskilling and training our team members such as Gabriella, coupled with her ingenuity ensures that ICC Sydney remains at the fore of event management and can best support your event’s success.

ICC Sydney continue to invest in the development and celebration of our people’s contributions through our annual Extraordinaires Awards this month. From rewarding Service Excellence to Innovation and Creativity, a Star of the Future, our Unsung Hero, Culture Hero, Role Model and to our Best Leading Role and a range of departmental stars – your event needs are in the capable hands of our passionate and dedicated Extraordinaire award-winning team members.

One of the most significant occasions of the year for our community partners is NAIDOC Week. Every year, as part of our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) commitments, our team strives to broaden our cultural awareness and deepen our engagement with First Nations Peoples by participating in a NAIDOC Week activity with our First Nations community partner KARI. Event organisers can engage with KARI to celebrate and acknowledge First Nations Peoples at events with the KARI Singers, an Acknowledgement of Country, a traditional Yarning Circle or with cultural awareness training. For more information about KARI and our Legacy Program partners, see: ICC-Sydney-Legacy-Program-Guide-1.pdf (iccsydney.com.au).

Our recent survey of UK and Europe based event organisers booking international events has revealed that sustainability has never been more important – with 88% compelled to enhance attendee experiences with an integrated approach to sustainability, diversity, and inclusion. Read the media release to discover how ICC Sydney is already meeting this demand with best corporate social responsibility practices, here: Sustainability: How ICC Sydney supports this non-negotiable for event organisers | ICC Sydney

Our team looks forward to partnering with you to forge connections through sustainable events.

Geoff Donaghy 
ICC Sydney CEO and Group Director – Convention Centres, ASM Global (APAC)