Considering an Event in Western Australia?

Western Australia is an outstanding destination for conferences, incentive programmes, association meetings and corporate events.

Perth offers a sophisticated business events environment. It has strong venues, hotels, hospitality and professional services.

Beyond Perth, destinations such as Fremantle, Rottnest Island, the Swan Valley, Margaret River, Busselton, Bunbury, Albany, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Karratha, Port Hedland, Broome, Cable Beach, Exmouth, Ningaloo and the Kimberley offer distinctive settings.

These locations can work beautifully for conferences, retreats, incentives and corporate programmes.

From major conferences in Perth to leadership retreats in Margaret River, WA offers extraordinary range. It can also support regional forums in Bunbury or Albany, resources events in Kalgoorlie, Karratha or Port Hedland, and incentive experiences from Fremantle to Cable Beach.

But the strongest events are not built by destination alone. They are shaped by the right partners, the right programme and the right people in the room.

For organisers considering Western Australia, three layers of support are worth understanding early: destination support, professional conference management and talent.

Considering Western Australia as your event destination?

If Western Australia is on your shortlist, Business Events Perth is an important resource to know about.

As Western Australia’s official convention bureau, Business Events Perth works with event organisers, associations, corporates, incentive planners and appointed PCOs. Its role is to help bring business events to the state.

Depending on the event, Business Events Perth may be able to assist with destination advice, venue and accommodation options, supplier connections, bid support, funding opportunities, local knowledge, delegate experience ideas and guidance on how to position Western Australia as a host destination.

You may choose to speak with Business Events Perth directly. Your PCO or in-house event team may also manage that conversation as part of the broader planning process.

Working with a Professional Conference Organiser

For many conferences and business events, a Professional Conference Organiser, or PCO, plays a central role.

This is especially true for association conferences, medical meetings, government forums, corporate conferences and complex multi-day programmes.

A PCO may manage the event from the very beginning. That can include destination research, venue shortlisting, budgeting, registration, sponsor management, programme coordination, supplier liaison and onsite delivery.

The organiser does not always need to manage every step directly. A PCO can often coordinate conversations with the destination, venue, suppliers and other event partners on your behalf.

They may also manage the event budget, supplier contracts, delegate communications and the overall delivery timeline.

A good PCO can help with event strategy, budgeting, registration, sponsorship, venue and supplier management, abstract or speaker management, programme planning, delegate communications, onsite delivery and post-event reporting.

For many organisations, the PCO becomes the central project manager for the event. They help bring together the destination, venue, suppliers, programme and stakeholders.

Looking for a PCO?

If you do not yet have a Professional Conference Organiser, a useful starting point is the Professional Conference Organisers Association, known as PCOA.

PCOA represents professional conference organisers, event managers and conference specialists across Australia, New Zealand and the broader region.

When choosing a PCO, it is worth checking whether they are connected with PCOA. You may also want to check whether they are listed as a certified PCO or certified company.

This can give you greater confidence that you are working with an experienced conference organiser who understands the complexity of business events.

Once your programme committee is formed

Once your programme committee is in place, the conversation usually shifts from destination and logistics to content, audience engagement and outcomes.

Many programmes will naturally include speakers from within the organisation, association, industry or host committee.

These may include board members, senior leaders, researchers, technical experts, sponsors, members, customers or sector specialists. Their value comes from their role, knowledge or connection to the event.

Your programme committee may also manage the call for abstracts, review submissions, shape concurrent sessions, identify technical presenters and build the core education programme.

That is an important part of building a credible event. It ensures the programme reflects the sector, the audience and the purpose of the conference.

But every strong programme needs more than content. It needs structure, energy, pace and moments that bring the event together.

That may include a strong opening keynote, a polished MC, an external perspective, a professional facilitator, a skilled panel moderator, or entertainment for a gala dinner, awards night, community event, staff celebration or remote workforce event.

This is where ICMI can help.

Why work with a speakers bureau?

A speakers bureau does not replace your programme committee, abstract process or industry experts.

It helps identify the professional talent that will lift the programme, connect with the audience and support the event’s objectives.

For more than 40 years, ICMI has worked with conference organisers, corporates, associations, government departments and event professionals. The focus is always on connecting the right talent to the right brief.

That might include a keynote speaker to open or close the conference with energy, relevance and authority.

It might be an MC to guide the event and keep the programme flowing.

It could be a facilitator for leadership sessions, workshops or strategic discussions, a moderator for panel conversations, or entertainment for a gala dinner, awards night, community event, staff celebration, remote workforce event or mining camp activation.

The value is not just in knowing who is available. It is in understanding who will work for the audience, the format, the event objectives and the moment.

A high-profile name is not always the right answer.

Sometimes the strongest choice is a specialist voice, an experienced facilitator, a sharp MC, a sector-relevant expert, a comedian, a musician, a cultural performer, a sports personality or an entertainer who can connect with the audience and deliver the right experience.

That is where experience matters.

ICMI’s experience in Western Australia

ICMI’s experience in Western Australia is not theoretical.

Over the past ten years, ICMI has placed talent into more than 1,000 events across WA. This includes speakers, MCs, facilitators, comedians, musicians, performers and entertainers.

That work spans many industries and event types. ICMI has supported mining and resources, energy, government, health, emergency services, property, construction, education, finance, professional services, associations and community organisations.

The events have been just as varied. They include gala dinners, leadership forums, awards nights, workforce events, safety days and major business events.

ICMI’s WA event history includes work with organisations and event partners such as Rio Tinto, Mineral Resources, Perenti, WesTrac, Sodexo, Compass Group ESS, St John WA, local councils, state-based associations, the Property Council of Australia, the Urban Development Institute of Australia, the Master Plumbers and Gasfitters Association, Diggers & Dealers Mining Forum, Brownes Dairy and the Goldfields Aboriginal Business Chamber.

Entertainment across WA

Entertainment is a major part of the WA event landscape.

In some cases, the brief is for a seasoned performer at a gala dinner, awards night or corporate celebration.

In others, it may be a comedian for a conference dinner, a musician for a staff event, a sports personality for a charity auction, or a cultural performer for a community programme.

For mining camps, regional sites and remote locations, the need can be different again. These events are often about morale, connection and giving teams a memorable experience outside the working day.

ICMI’s WA history includes comedy nights, gala dinners, quiz events, band nights, line dancing, hypnotist shows, sports auctions, cultural performances, drag bingo and remote site entertainment.

Recent WA activity has included entertainers, comedians and performers such as Hot Dub Time Machine, Red Earth Rhythm, Drag Bingo, Dave Hughes, Vince Sorrenti, Dave O’Neil, Jimeoin, Lawrence Mooney, Akmal Saleh, Peter Rowsthorn, Matt Hale, Chris Murphy, Chris Murphy and The Side Hustle Trio, Sports Auction Show, Rock v Sport, Adam & Selina, Dynamite, Jetpack, The Struggling Kings, Monty Cotton, Baker Boys Band, Wadumbah Dance Group, Cherry Steppers Modern Line Dancing and Isaiah Firebrace.

This breadth matters. Entertainment for a Perth gala dinner is very different to entertainment for a mining camp, a resources workforce event, a regional community night or a corporate celebration in Broome, Kalgoorlie, Karratha or Port Hedland.

Supporting WA’s business and community calendar

ICMI’s WA work also reflects the nature of the business and community calendar.

Across Western Australia, organisations regularly need talent for key calendar moments. These include International Women’s Day, NAIDOC Week, R U OK? Day, Movember, ANZAC Day, Reconciliation Week, Pride Month, safety days, EOFY events and Christmas celebrations.

These moments often need more than a standard presentation. They need the right person, tone and format for the audience.

That audience may be in a Perth ballroom, a regional conference venue or a remote site.

Across these events, ICMI has connected WA delegates and audiences with a wide range of speakers, MCs, facilitators and entertainers.

Talent has included Mick Colliss, Simon Griffith, Dianne McGrath, Emily Joy, Di Darmody, Michelle Cowan, Peter Rowsthorn, Mathew Pavlich, Adam Gilchrist, Tim Gossage, Mitchell Johnson, Gus Balbontin, Craig Challen, Neryl Joyce, Johannah Grace, Nick Marvin, Brant Garvey, Jelena Dokic, Fiona Wood, Rabia Siddique, Justin Langer, Dean Boxall, Joe Hockey, Steve Sammartino and Michael Crossland.

Local WA knowledge, backed by a national team

This depth of experience matters.

ICMI understands the WA market, the venues, the industries and the audiences.

The team also understands that different event formats need different talent strategies.

A leadership forum in the Perth CBD is not the same as a gala dinner in Fremantle.

A regional conference in Bunbury or Albany is different again.

So is a resources event in Kalgoorlie, Karratha or Port Hedland, or an incentive programme in Broome, Margaret River, Rottnest Island or the Kimberley.

ICMI’s WA team, led by Brad Hopes, is closely connected to talent already living and working in Western Australia.

That local knowledge is backed by ICMI’s national consultant network and Talent & Partnerships team. Together, they can source local, national or international talent depending on the brief.

So whether the programme needs a WA-based MC, a recognised national keynote speaker, a specialist facilitator, a strong panel moderator, a comedian, a musician, a cultural performer or entertainment for a remote workforce event, ICMI can help identify the right talent for the audience, format and event outcome.

The right talent supports the event outcome

At ICMI, we see talent as part of the event strategy, not an afterthought.

The right speaker, MC, facilitator or entertainer should support the purpose of the event.

They should understand the audience, respect the organiser’s objectives and contribute to the delegate experience.

For a conference in Western Australia, that might mean choosing a speaker who can connect national themes with local relevance.

It might mean bringing in an external voice to challenge thinking.

It might mean appointing an MC who can manage pace, transitions and tone across a multi-day programme.

For a regional event, it may mean selecting someone who understands the location, the industry and the audience.

For an incentive programme, it may mean choosing entertainment or a host who can make the experience feel polished and memorable.

For a mining, resources or site-based workforce event, it may mean sourcing entertainment that can travel, connect with the audience and deliver in a very different setting to a traditional ballroom.

For an association conference, it may mean balancing respected sector voices with external talent who can bring energy, perspective and connection.

The right mix often includes both: trusted voices from within the industry and professional talent who can elevate the overall event experience.

The right support makes the event stronger

Planning an event in Western Australia does not need to start with a blank page.

Start with Business Events Perth for destination support.

Bring in a PCO if you need professional planning and delivery.

When the programme needs a keynote speaker, MC, facilitator, moderator, comedian, musician, entertainer or performer, ICMI can help identify the right talent for the brief.

Whether your event is in Perth, Fremantle, Margaret River, Bunbury, Albany, Kalgoorlie, Karratha, Port Hedland, Broome, Cable Beach or somewhere else across Western Australia, the right talent can make the programme stronger, more engaging and more memorable.

That applies across conferences, gala dinners, leadership forums, safety days, International Women’s Day events, NAIDOC Week programmes, R U OK? Day activations, Movember fundraisers and remote workforce celebrations.