Organisers

Producers, Managers
and Convenors

The Conference Collective Podcast Series 4

Welcome to the ‘The Conference Collective’ Podcast, celebrating the best in innovation and leadership from those who are creating a positive change in the business events industry. A podcast brought to you by the Professional Conference Organisers Association Inc. and hosted by Libbie Ray from Connected Event Group. This podcast provides listeners with behind the scenes access to some of the key innovators in our industry as they share their honest and raw insights. It highlights how collaboration, innovation and resilience are at the core of the events industry and the reasons we have managed to survive through the most challenging time our industry has faced. Get ready to learn more about the brave new world of the business events industry.

This season of ‘The Conference Collective’ Podcast was primarily recorded live at the PCOA24 conference, in Connected Event Group’s portable recording studio. We will be back recording new episodes at PCOA25, so please reach out to The PCOA if you are interested in starring as a guest for next season!

Episode 5

Events as a Catalyst for Change with Karen Bolinger

In this episode, Karen Bolinger shares her journey through the events industry and discusses how events can be more than just a good time - they can be a catalyst for intellectual and social impact. She talks about the importance of educating government bodies about the long-term value events bring to communities, how bold thinking from other industries can inspire the event sector, and how sustainability measures will impact the future of events.

About Karen Bolinger:

Karen Bolinger is an innovative, outcome-driven C-suite executive with over 30 years of experience across government, commercial, public-private partnerships, and not-for-profit sectors in the Visitor Economy. She has held senior roles in convention bureaus, hotels, and major events, including developing some of Australia’s largest trade shows. Karen’s strategic leadership has transformed businesses in highly contested markets, delivering results beyond traditional measures.

Karen’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-bolinger/
Website: https://goldcoastevents.com.au/

Connected Event Group

Thank you to our webinar and podcast partner for 2025 – Connected Event Group