Blair Graham Email & Phone Number

Tauranga

The Historic Village is a Tauranga City Council (TCC) owned property asset. The property is 5.5 hectares of land located on 17th Avenue West and has 60 buildings arranged in a Village like format complete with cobbled streets, native bush, gardens, indoor function spaces and a range of outdoor spaces. There are 60 tenants with Licence to occupy (LTO) agreements of which 50% are community groups and Not for Profit (NFP) organisations. The rest are a mix of retail and commercial organisations. There are also five function venues, which accommodate up to 200 people and a further five green spaces able to accommodate events up to 5000 guests. I have three direct reports who co-ordinate leases and administration, venues and events and building and grounds maintenance. Key projects and achievements:In 2015 facilitated the sale of 1 acre of land to TECT for the development of The Kollective, which opened in 2018.Since 2015, The Historic Village visitor numbers have increased from 127000 to 257000 people (July 2019). During COVID-19 (20FY) this dropped to 213000.Over the last five years we have invested $5.5m to revitalise and improve the capacity of The Village through a capital expenditure program of 23 individual construction and infrastructure projects.Completed The Historic Village Strategic Review in 2020, which included community engagement and a new strategy (2020 – 2030) adopted by Council.

Auckland New Zealand

AUT Hospitality Services is a department within the Estates Division of Auckland University of Technology (AUT).We offer full catering, audio visual and event management services to internal and external clients of AUT as well as out-catered events at offsite venues. Check us out at www.hospitalityservices.aut.ac.nz.I’m leading a team of seven consisting of three conference co-ordinators, three event co-ordinators and an administrator and our offices are located in AUT’s City Campus.Our turf includes the award winning Sir Paul Reeves Building (WG) home to a range of unique function spaces, conference rooms and lecture theatres, the City Conference Centre located in the WA Building of the City Campus as well as facilities located at the AUT North Campus and AUT Millennium Institute over on the Shore and facilities at AUT South Campus in Manukau.

Auckland - New Zealand

Professional Conference Organiser (PCO) and corporate event management company. Key projects to-date: ITNZ National Company Conference, Wellington 2012.90 delegates attending 2 nights, 3 day event. Managed accommodation, design of event branding and merchandise, AV Specs, presentation development and opening video, conference and workshop sessions, formal Awards Dinner(170pax), budgets and reports.• ITNZ Business Roadshow 2012Retail Education and Product Launch Road Show run over 3 weeks. Budget $250K. Audience was approx 800 customers throughout New Zealand. tasks included, creative, themeing and staging, venue selection, accommodation, AV Specs and tech, presentation development, catering, budgets and reports.• ITNZ National Company Conference, Queenstown 2011.80 Delegates attending 2 nights, 3 day event. Managed all aspects of the conference including, destination and host venue research & selection, famil trip, registrations, accommodation, design of event branding and merchandise, AV Specs, presentation development and opening video, all flights & ground transfers, conference and workshop sessions, formal and informal dinners, team building & social activities and budgets and reports.• Coca-Cola Careers Expo - Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin – 2008, 09, 10, 11 & 12Annual expo attracting 150 – 200 exhibitors and 45,000 attendees. • Pump Round the Bays Corporate Marquee 2008, 09, 10,11 & 12 - Corporate marquee for 200 CCANZ staff made up of 150 runners and 50 volunteers. Out-catered breakfast and lunch. • Coca-Cola Amatil NZ Ltd Business Road Shows 2008 & 09Bi annual road show, visiting 12 venues across NZ, 1600 CCANZ employees with the CEO and his SLT to give a state of nation update in person. Managed all aspects including presentation development and execution, AV specs, venues, catering and budgets, itinerary and event manuals.

Coca-Cola Careers Expo is an annual expo series run in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, attracting 150 – 200 exhibitors and 45,000 attendees. I managed all aspects of the exhibitor sales and liaison including accounts, venue layout and design, sales and website.

Auckland - New Zealand

Key Projects• Chevron New Zealand Retailers Conference 2006Design and direct the conference opening and launch of Caltex Star Cash Card. • Challenge Independent Dealers Conference Paihia, Bay of Islands, 2006 80 Delegates, 2 nights, 3 days. Responsibilities included, destination and host venue research & selection, client famil trip, accommodation, design of event branding and merchandise, AV Specs, presentation development, opening video and product launch, ground transfers, conference and workshop sessions, formal and informal dinners, team building & social activities, budgets and reports.• Project K ‘Celebrity Dinner Debate’ Auckland and Wellington 20072 formal dinners, each hosting approximately 400 guests and included a celebrity debate and auction as a fundraiser. • Fonterra National Sales Conference, Rotorua 2007200 delegates 2 nights 3 days. Commissioned to develop and manage conference theme and branding, conference opening, AV Spec, informal and gala dinners and team building events.• PricewaterhouseCoopers ‘Partner’ Conference 2007, Gold Coast 200 delegates, 2 nights, 3 days. Sheraton Mirage and Palazzo Versace Hotels. The first time PWC NZ had taken this group off shore.• Red Circle Group Conference 2007, Gold Coast280 delegates, 4 nights 5 days. Seaworld Resort. Red Circle Group is a co-op of FMCG retailers who receive an annual rebate cheque at conference. We managed all aspects of the conference except flights which were on own arrangements.• Challenge Independent Dealers Conference 2007, Gold Coast 30 Delegates, 4 nights, 5 days. Seaworld Resort.

Rotorua - New Zealand

Destination Rotorua is a Division of the Rotorua District Council and is charged with marketing this iconic region as a Tourism Destination. My responsibility was the Business Tourism Sector both domestically and internationally. The rate payer funded budget for the role was around $80k which spreads fairly thin on its own so my key task was to develop a realistic sales and marketing activity plan made up of joint venture marketing initiatives and then seek partners (local tourism operators) to participate. The role had one direct report.Key tasks and achievements:• management and development of Rotorua C&I sales and marketing strategy• manage media relations relating to C&I including:• media releases / feature articles / Interviews, familiarisation tours• member of Rotorua C&I Portfolio Group• development of all conference and incentive marketing collateral including 74 page C&I Trade Directory / Planner• management and development of sales and marketing activity plan which included, media and web marketing, annual exhibiting in NZ, Australia, Asia and Europe• Annual road shows in NZ and Australia.• produce monthly news letter to marketing partners and stakeholders• development and management of WDMS, a Web based destination sales & bidding data base system• develop and Manage Rotorua Convention Bureau Website• Winner of Best group stand at “Meetings 2004”• Chairman - NZ Convention Bureau Group

Rotorua - New Zealand

Founding partner of small website development company. Having developed a passion for all things relating to technology and identifying a need for a web tourism portal, my business partner and I developed an idea which we presented to Tourism Rotorua Marketing, landed the contract to develop www.rotoruanz.com and Webtrenz was born.

Rotorua - New Zealand

AVT is a small AV production company with a big reputation. I came to know the team at AVT through their work on my conferences and events with the Sheraton and Novotel Hotels. I also identified the AV sector as an important part of event management and having a solid grounding in this area has helped my career extensively.Key projects included:• Telecom New Zealand’s National Conference (2 years, 650 delegates)• Harcourt’s Real Estate National Conference (2 years, 800 delegates)• New Zealand Radio Awards (2 years, sole responsibility)• Holden New Zealand product launch of new SS Commodores• Toyota New Zealand’s product launch of Echo and Celica• Bluewing Honda product launch of 4 new bikes• First National Real Estate’s International Conference in Fiji • BNZ Roadshow (30 days on the road throughout NZ)• Auckland and Rotorua House of the year awards (2 years each)• New Zealand Sharemilker of the year Competition, a 40 day road-show around the country with the finals being the highlight (2 years)• APEC, third senior officials meetings• Millennium New Years Eve Celebrations in Rotorua (televised concert & fireworks display)

Rotorua - New Zealand

Royal Lakeside Novotel Hotel, Rotorua, 3 months in banquet department, 14 months Conference Sales Co-ordinatorThe Royal Lakeside Novotel Hotel Rotorua was built and opened as I was completing my training so I was fortunate enough to gain employment as part of the opening team. I spent 3 months supervising staff in the banquet department before being promoted into the sales team. Key achievements:• Developed market share in Rotorua in just 7 months, a record at the time for Accor Hotel Chain• Was one of 2 properties in Accors Chain where food and beverage revenue occassionaly exceeded room’s revenue• I personally managed 45 conferences in the 11 months I was in the sales team.

Rotorua - New Zealand

Working in various departments in the hotelAs part of my training I was required to complete 7000 hours of practical experience split up into all the various departments within a hotel. We studied by day and worked at night.• Day-to-day management of the office• Supervise banquet and conference events• Manage staff / Roster shift workers• Manage food and beverage control and stock take systems• Cash management and audit duties• Elected staff union representative

Diploma In Hotel And Catering General Management

Education record