Caroline Blanchfield has been appointed group marketing manager of GCH Aviation Group.

Kerry Myers has been appointed general manager - sales and marketing at Southern Discoveries, based in Queenstown.

Gillian Officer has been appointed director of sales for Te Pae, Christchurch Convention Centre. Starting this week, her new role will be to secure events for the opening of Te Pae from late 2020 onwards. 

Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) has restructured the Auckland Convention Bureau (ACB) team into two divisions: marketing and business events services; and business development.

Maureen Brennan has been appointed business events manager for Business Events Sunshine Coast (BESC).

Tracy Martin has been appointed national director of sales for EVENT Hotels and Resorts New Zealand and director of sales and marketing for Rydges Wellington.

Martin immigrated with her family from South Africa to New Zealand in 2008 joining Mirvac Hotels and in 2012, following an acquisition by Accor Hotels, she transitioned into the Accor sales team as director of sales for corporate.

Nicole Carvell has joined the Dunedin Convention Bureau as business events tourism advisor. 

Carvell has previously held roles with Dunedin Venues and The Cancer Society, and has a wealth of conference sales and fundraising, marketing and event coordinating experience.

Veronique Delattre is the new general manager for Pullman Auckland, effective as of April 2018. Originally from France, Delattre’s hotel career spans 20 years, including major international stints  working for AccorHotels in United Kingdom, Russia, Poland, Vietnam and Malaysia.

The company behind industry trade shows such as PAICE and the regional-focused Australasian Convene series have welcomed Charlotte Allen as its new event and administration assistant.

Allen comes to Convene Group after graduating from AUT where she majored in event management/marketing and public relations.

Archana Kawatra is the new sales and marketing manager at the Amora Hotel Auckland. Kawatra has recently moved to New Zealand after 12 years in the United Arab Emirates.

She has previously worked as director of sales and marketing at the Sofitel Abu Dhabi Corniche and the Grand Millennium Abu Dhabi. Having worked with Hyatt International prior to being director of sales - MICE at the

Lindsay Wallace is the new business development manager for boutique conference management company, VMS Event and Conference Logistics.

Lorena Marshall has joined Auckland Conventions, Venues & Events as business development executive. 

Her most recent previous position was at Rydges Auckland for two years and before that she was at Rydges Queenstown.

Angela Beardsmore is the new consumer marketing manager at Tourism Bay of Plenty.

In her role, Beardsmore is responsible for domestic and international consumer marketing, and international media files and will work closely with business events.

Emily Drummond is the new business development manager at AccorHotels Wellington.

Shashita Nand is the new director of sales at Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort and Spa on the Coral Coast.

Prior to joining the resort Nand was the director of sales and marketing at the Nanuku Auberge Resort Fiji and has an extensive international career in senior marketing roles in Australia, Fiji and Thailand.

Marion Bausse is the new director of conference and event sales at Cordis, Auckland.

Jabez Lobo is the new business development manager at Jet Park Hotel, and will be dealing specifically with conference and MICE enquiries.

Lobo grew up in India and ventured into the hospitality industry as a planned move to come to New Zealand to pursue his career.

Porters Boutique Hotel in Havelock North has welcomed two new faces to its team in 2017, Kylie Fernandes, general manager, and Carly Evans sales and conference coordinator.

Fernandes has been working in the industry for 20 years in four- and five-star hotels in both New Zealand and Australia.

In 2015 was the property manager of the Navigate Seaside Hotel.  

Four Points by Sheraton Auckland is slated to open in March 2018, and has already appointed its new director of sales and marketing, Richard Dodds.

‘New Zealand has a current shortage of hotel beds and Four Points by Sheraton Auckland, with its signature comforts and authentic service, great location and views, will be a welcome addition to the Auckland CBD,’ says Dodds.

Berjaya Hotels & Resorts, has a new GM of MICE, Business Development and Marketing, Alphansa Kumarie.

With over 28 years experience, Kumarie has held roles in other Malaysian companies such as The Sunway Group, Meritus Hotels & Resorts and the UOA Hospitality Group.

‘I am thrilled to be working with Berjaya Hotels and Resorts and am looking forward to working with all of our business partners here in Malaysia and overseas to increase MICE business into our properties,’ she says.

Marija Gecan is the new general manager, sales, for Auckland Conventions Venues & Events.

Gecan will be responsible for sales team leadership, driving revenue as well as strategic client management and general management responsibilities with a primary focus on proactive and reactive sales.

Leon Thomson is executive assistant manager – sales and marketing for Marriott International’s Fiji Complex, including Sheraton Fiji Resort, Sheraton Denarau Villas, The Westin Denarau Island Resort & Spa and Sheraton Resort & Spa, Tokoriki Island.

Hamilton & Waikato Tourism have appointed Jody McGinity as business events coordinator. McGinity hails from a relationship management role at MBIE in tenancy services, and prior to that was a wedding and events coordinator at Ohaupo’s Windy Ridge Function Centre.

Lauren Newbery is the new marketing and events coordinator for Conventions and Incentives New Zealand (CINZ), based in Auckland.

Prior to accepting this new role, she was events coordinator at the New Zealand Planning Institute, organising professional development events and large conferences.

Sarah Croskery is the new director of sales and marketing for James Cook Hotel Grand Chancellor and Hotel Grand Chancellor Auckland City, replacing current DOSM Judy Chen, who finishes at the end of the month after 12 years with the Hotel Grand Chancellor Group.

Kate Vautier is events coordinator at Alexandra Park, reporting to Ketaki Bhave-Khotkar, Alexandra Park’s events sales manager.

The New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) has appointed two sales managers - Brooke Campbell from Melbourne and Kenneth Pereira from Wellington, to join the team.

Kelly Hird is the new Christchurch based event coordinator with Exhibition Hire Services & Displayworks.

This is Hird’s first foray into the events industry. She previously had a product manager role in the building industry.