Gary Grimmer, CEO

Gary has 27 years experience in the convention industry. His current projects include consulting Oman, Macau, Daejeon and Serbia on the development of their convention and meetings industries, consulting Oman on the development of a new convention centre and serving as international consultant to iDSS, a US company providing sales management and database systems to the convention industry. He is also the regular moderator of ICCA’s annual Association Expert Seminar at IMEX in Frankfurt, Germany and the “Asia for Asia Summit” in Bangkok, Thailand. In addition, Gary currently serves as Chairman of ConventionWorks, a global convention industry consulting network with offices in Dubai, Hong Kong, London, Melbourne, Adelaide and Vancouver, and as Chairman of the Board of Alpine Resorts Tourism, in Victoria, Australia. Recent projects include his service on the London International Convention Centre Commission. Gary was an original founder of BestCities, the industry’s first convention bureau alliance. Prior to starting Gary Grimmer & Company, Gary served for eight years as the CEO of the convention bureau in Melbourne, Australia. While he is both Australian and American, he is originally from the United States where he was CEO at bureaus in Portland, Oregon and Albuquerque, New Mexico and Vice President of the Boston, Massachusetts bureau. Gary is a former Chairman of the Board of the International Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus (now DMAI.) Gary received the Asia Pacific IMEX Academy Award for 2007.

How Gary Grimmer Got his Chinese Name, Qi Hao Wen

Mike Williams, Senior Consultant

Mike joined Gary Grimmer & Company as Senior Consultant in February, 2007. Prior to that he served as General Manager Sales for the Melbourne Convention + Visitors Bureau in Melbourne, Australia where he led the community’s bid teams to secure major international and national business events for the city. He also oversaw strategic planning and marketing programs within the Bureau. Mike has been involved in international sales and marketing in both the leisure and business events industry for over 26 years, including over 12 years with the Australian Tourism Commission (now Tourism Australia) working in the UK/Ireland and South East Asia leisure markets. Mike developed the first consumer campaigns for the Australian Tourism Commission in South East Asia as well as travel industry loyalty and educational programs in the UK/Ireland. He played a major role in the development of the world’s first global alliance of convention bureaus known as Best Cities and in the development of the Asia Pacific’s largest business events trade show – AIME. Mike has held several industry leadership positions including Chair of the Best Cities Global Alliance, National President of Meetings and Events Australia (MEA), Councilor on the Business Events Council of Australia, Chair of MIAA (Meetings Industry Association of Australia) Victoria, National Conference Chair for the MEA Conferences in 1999 and 2005 and held a position on the Operations Committee for the Association of Australian Convention Bureaux. Mike is also an Associate Fellow of Meetings Events Australia (AFMEA).

Deng Minjuan (Joanna), Associate

Minjuan has been working as an Associate of Gary Grimmer & Company since February of 2006. She has worked in the international tourism industry for over 9 years in China, Germany and Australia. Prior to moving to Melbourne, Minjuan worked for ATR (Asia Tourism Relations) in Shangahai as a Market Development Manager providing sales representation to a number of Australian companies seeking to increase their business from China. Prior to that, she worked for German based FTS (Favor Travel Service) providing sales support in Shanghai for a number of European travel companies. She also worked for FTS in Frankfurt helping to manage their Chinese inbound operations. Minjuan began her career working in sales and product development for the Chengdu Overseas Tourism Company, focusing on Japanese, SE Asian and domestic markets. With her extensive knowledge of the Chinese outbound travel market, Minjuan has provided consultation and training to a number of major Australian and European companies, including both private tourist attractions and State Travel Organisations in relation to marketing, program development and tour operations. Minjuan also serves as Managing Director of her own company, AccessChina Tourism Consulting which she formed when she moved to Australia in 2004. AccessChina specializes in sales and marketing strategies for companies seeking to develop their Chinese markets. Minjuan holds a Masters degree in Tourism Management.