ConferenceNational

What ConferenceNational does

ConferenceNational is an Australian privately held event management company, operated under Shortlead.com.au Pty Ltd, that delivers end-to-end conference and event management services to associations, corporates, not-for-profits, and franchise networks across Australia, New Zealand, and select international destinations. Its core offering combines professional event management (planning, onsite secretariat support, sponsorship and exhibition management) with a free venue-sourcing service that aggregates buying power across 50,000 to 100,000 conference venues globally. The company serves clients running conferences of 100 or more delegates, with a visible customer base concentrated in healthcare, education, justice, and government verticals.

The company's underlying technology is a cloud-based event management platform comprising PCI-compliant online delegate registration systems with tailored forms and live tracking, branded conference websites, dynamic conference mobile apps with attendee search, live polling, sponsor lead capture, and gamification, and customised accommodation booking portals. Under the ConferenceNational umbrella, two core operating subsidiaries extend this surface: Accommodation Link, a free-to-use accommodation booking platform with access to 150,000+ rooms, and ConferenceDeals.com.au, a self-service venue comparison portal. Distribution is anchored by dedicated Account Managers across six offices (Wollongong HQ, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Gold Coast, Auckland), supported by phone, email, RFP forms, and digital marketing.

ConferenceNational earns revenue through a hybrid model: professional services fees for event management on quote-based, typically multi-year event contracts; referral and affiliate commissions from venues and accommodation providers on successful bookings routed through its sourcing and Accommodation Link platforms; and technology services including setup and licensing for branded registration, app, and website solutions. The venue-sourcing service is offered free to clients, monetised via venue commissions. New clients are incentivised with $2,000 vouchers toward technology or free flights and accommodation for venue selection visits. No external investment, M&A, or acquisition activity is disclosed.

Name

ConferenceNational

Legal name

Shortlead.com.au Pty Ltd

Website

https://conferencenational.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ConferenceNational is an Australian privately held event management company providing end-to-end conference planning, venue sourcing, accommodation booking, and event technology for associations, corporates, not-for-profits, and healthcare and education organisations across Australia, New Zealand, and international destinations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Management Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Meeting & Conference Planning & Coordination (HSACADAA)

Keywords

• Event management services
• Venue sourcing
• Accommodation booking
• Conference technology platforms
• Delegate registration systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Wollongong

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional Event Management Services: Full-service event management for conferences including planning, execution, onsite support, sponsorship management, and secretariat services. Delivered as customisable packages tailored to client needs.
2. Venue Sourcing Referral: Free venue finding service operating on a referral model similar to travel agents. Earns commissions from venues when clients book through sourced venues. No charge to clients for venue sourcing services.
3. Accommodation Booking Commissions: Accommodation Link platform provides booking services for conference delegates with negotiated group rates. Generates revenue through commissions on booked accommodation. Offers savings up to 30% on accommodation rates.
4. Event Technology Services: Technology services including online registration systems, conference apps, websites, and accommodation booking portals. May include setup and licensing fees for branded solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ConferenceNational provides end-to-end event management, venue sourcing, accommodation booking, and event technology services for conferences, meetings, and incentive events of 10 to 5,000 delegates. Its offering combines free venue sourcing across 100,000+ venues, an Accommodation Link booking platform, registration systems, mobile apps, conference websites, and on-the-ground onsite secretariat support, delivered as integrated service packages rather than à la carte.

Product overview

ConferenceNational operates as a comprehensive event management company offering a unified platform of integrated products and services for conference and event organization. The core offering combines Event Management services (covering full event lifecycle from planning to on-site execution) with a proprietary Event Technology platform that includes Online Delegate Registration Systems, Conference Websites, Conference Mobile Apps, and Accommodation Booking Portals. Under the same umbrella, Accommodation Link provides a specialized conference accommodation booking platform with access to 150,000+ accommodation options globally. Venue Sourcing and ConferenceDeals.com.au offer free venue finding services leveraging extensive venue network coverage. Destination Expertise rounds out the portfolio with consulting for domestic and international conference locations. The company also provides ancillary services including Exhibition Management, Sponsorship Management, Travel Coordination, and Onsite Secretariat Support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Accommodation Link: A free-to-use accommodation booking platform designed specifically for the conference market, offering savings up to 30% on accommodation rates.

Products and services

• Event Management End-to-end professional event management service covering venue sourcing, accommodation booking, registration, programme design, theming, food and beverage, entertainment, and onsite secretariat for conferences, meetings, incentives, and product launches of 10 to 5,000 delegates, delivered to associations, corporates, not-for-profits, and franchise networks across Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific.
• Accommodation Link Proprietary venue and accommodation booking platform providing access to live inventory of 100,000+ venues and accommodation options worldwide, used by ConferenceNational's event team and licensed to external event bookers in the MICE industry.
• Event Technology Platform Integrated suite of event technology products including online delegate registration, conference mobile apps, conference websites, and exhibition and sponsorship management, built on a proprietary API (ICE) that integrates with client CRM, finance, and payment systems.
• Online Delegate Registration Systems Online registration system for delegates with secure PCI-compliant payment processing, tiered pricing, integrated data capture, and reporting, used by conference and event organizers.
• Conference Mobile Apps Mobile applications for conference delegates providing real-time programme, speaker, sponsor, and exhibitor information, networking and engagement features, and live updates.
• Conference Websites Custom conference websites with content management, sponsor branding, delegate registration integration, and lead-capture forms.
• Accommodation Booking Portals White-label accommodation booking portals for individual delegates, integrated with Accommodation Link inventory and the conference registration flow.
• Venue Sourcing Free venue sourcing service that identifies, negotiates, and books venues for client events across 100,000+ venue options, recovering cost through accommodation referral commissions.
• Destination Expertise Destination management services covering Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, New Caledonia, Tahiti, Bali, Singapore, Thailand, Vanuatu, and other South-East Asia locations, including local supplier coordination, theming, and on-the-ground logistics.
• Onsite Secretariat Support Onsite staffing and secretariat service providing registration desk management, delegate support, speaker coordination, and live event operations.
• ConferenceDeals.com.au Self-service online platform that allows event organizers to compare and book conference venues and accommodation deals, supported by the company's venue inventory and pricing data.
• Exhibition Management Exhibition management service covering floorplan design, exhibitor sales, booth allocation, logistics, and on-site exhibition operations for conferences and trade shows.
• Sponsorship Management Sponsorship management service covering sponsor prospectuses, sales, fulfilment, on-site recognition, and lead capture, integrated with conference registration and mobile app technology.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 30% savings on conference and accommodation rates
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Eventbrite: Large self-service event ticketing and registration platform. Overlaps with ConferenceNational's online registration and ticketing capability, particularly for smaller events not requiring full-service management.
• MCI Group: Global events and association management company operating PCO services worldwide. A larger established competitor in the association and corporate conference market that ConferenceNational serves in APAC.
• Cvent: Global enterprise event management platform that dominates registration, venue sourcing and event-marketing software. Competes with ConferenceNational's technology stack and venue sourcing offering for larger enterprise clients.

Direct peers

• HelmsBriscoe: Global venue-sourcing company specialising in meeting and event venue procurement on a referral/commission basis. The most direct competitor for ConferenceNational's free venue sourcing value proposition.
• ICMS Pty Ltd: Australian Professional Conference Organiser delivering association and scientific conferences across Australia and internationally. Closely comparable Australian PCO with overlapping healthcare, scientific and academic client verticals.
• Arinex: Leading Australian Professional Conference Organiser running association, government and corporate conferences. Operates in the same vertical specialisation as ConferenceNational with comparable enterprise association clients.
• Bizzabo: Enterprise event experience platform offering registration, mobile apps and onsite solutions used by corporate event organisers. Direct competitor for ConferenceNational's conference mobile app and registration system business.
• EventsAir: Australian-headquartered event management software platform serving conferences and association events globally. Closest direct competitor with overlapping customer base of associations, PCOs and corporate event teams across Australia and APAC.
• Rainfocus: Enterprise event platform serving large corporate and association conferences with registration, content and data products. Competes for the same enterprise event technology layer that ConferenceNational packages with its PCO services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/conferencenational
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/conferencenational

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ConferenceNational