First Asia Pacific region executive to lead Intl. Association of Convention Centres

Senior AEG Ogden executive, Geoff Donaghy, has become the first Asia Pacific region representative to be elected President to lead the peak association for convention centers worldwide.

Mr. Donaghy was elected President of the International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC) at its annual meeting in Cape Town, South Africa.

Brussels-based AIPC comprises more than 170 of the world’s leading facilities across 55 countries with a network of 900 active senior management-level executives.

A board member for the past 8 years and Vice President for the past 6, Mr. Donaghy succeeds outgoing President, Mr. Edgar Hirt, from Hamburg, Germany, and is joined by directors from the UK, Europe, USA, and Singapore.

As AEG Ogden’s Director of Convention Centres (now numbering 8 under management), Mr. Donaghy has been a strong advocate for encouraging and recognizing excellence in venue management.

Mr. Donaghy said from Cape Town that the association is in a very sound financial position with a stable and clearly-defined global membership.

“So we are now able to further advance the important role convention centers play in economic, academic, and professional development while expanding on education, training, and networking programs for our members.”

Mr. Donaghy will also assume the CEO position of the new US$1 billion International Convention Centre (ICC) Sydney project at Darling Harbour which commences construction in December this year.

He said while it was a great honor and privilege to be recognized by his global peers, the appointment was equally a recognition of the profile, even at this early stage, of the ICC and the Darling Harbour Live project’s role in establishing Sydney as Australia’s global city.