Conference Design

What Conference Design does

Conference Design is a Hobart-based, founder-owned professional services firm founded in 1990 by directors Ben Thiessen and Penny Archer, specialising in full-service conference and event management for associations and professional organisations across Australasia. The company delivers end-to-end conference lifecycle services — bid assessment, planning, content and abstract management, speaker program development, registration, marketing, financial management, sponsorship and exhibition management, web and app development, and post-conference reporting — across state, national and international events in both face-to-face and online formats. Its core technology stack is the EventsAIR event management platform with the OnAIR online delivery system, supplemented by integrations with Zoom, GoToWebinar, YouTube, Vimeo and Twilio for virtual session delivery.

The firm operates through three sub-brands: Conference Design (core conference management), Association Design (retainer-based association management and administrative services), and Conferences.com.au (registration services and digital platforms). Revenue is generated through professional service fees on a quote-based model tailored to individual client needs, with no standardised public pricing. Distribution is direct-to-client, sales-led enterprise field sales targeting associations through experienced conference managers who manage the relationship throughout the conference lifecycle. The company maintains an 18-person full-time team (including six conference managers) and reports partnerships with more than 600 Australasian organisations accumulated over 30+ years. There is no external institutional funding; ownership remains with founders and family (including Phoebe Thiessen as Office and Association Manager). During COVID-19 the firm pivoted to virtual delivery and managed over 70 conferences in 2020-2021, normalising to 36 conferences in 2022 as the industry recovered.

Name

Conference Design

Legal name

Conference Design

Website

https://conferencedesign.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Conference Design is a Hobart-based, founder-owned conference management firm founded in 1990 that delivers end-to-end conference lifecycle services for 600+ associations and professional organisations across Australasia through three sub-brands and the EventsAIR/OnAIR platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conference Management Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Meeting & Conference Planning & Coordination (HSACADAA), Corporate Meeting & Conference Planning (Internal/External) (THAHACAB), Virtual/Hybrid Conference Production & Platform Management (THAHACAM), Conferences & Conventions Operations Services (Registration, AV, Logistics) (MPAGAGAM)

Keywords

• Conference management services
• Association management services
• Event management
• Online event delivery
• Conference registration platforms

Headquarters

HQ city

Hobart

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Conference Management Services: Full-service conference management for associations and professional organisations. Services include bid assessment, planning, content management, registration, abstract management, speaker and program development, marketing, financial management, web and app development, sponsorship and exhibition management, and post-conference support. Revenue is generated through professional service fees for managing the complete conference lifecycle.
2. Association Management Services: Management and administrative services provided through Association Design subsidiary. Includes membership management, financial management, communication, day-to-day operations, and project management for associations looking to grow.
3. Online Events and Digital Platforms: Registration services, digital platforms, and financial solutions for conferences. Provides advice on registration processes, personalised digital platforms for collecting bookings and assisting delegates through the registration process.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Conference Design is a specialist conference management company that produces and delivers state, national, and international business events for associations and professional organisations across Australasia. The firm manages the complete conference lifecycle — bid assessment, planning, content and abstract management, speaker programs, registration, marketing, sponsorship, financial administration, web/app development, on-site delivery, and post-conference reporting. Complementary offerings include association management services (via Association Design) and conference registration, digital platforms, and financial solutions (via Conferences.com.au), with online and hybrid event delivery powered by the OnAIR platform.

Product overview

Conference Design operates as a unified conference management service with three distinct brands: Conference Design (core conference management), Association Design (association administration services), and Conferences.com.au (registration and digital platforms). The company utilizes EventsAIR as its primary event management platform, with OnAIR as its online/hybrid event delivery platform. Together, these products provide end-to-end conference services from planning through delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Association Design: Provides management and administrative services to associations looking to move to the next level, including strategic planning and business management.
• Conferences.com.au

Products and services

• Conference Design (Conference Management Service)
• Association Design (Association Management Services)
• Conferences.com.au (Registration and Digital Platform Services)
• OnAIR Online Event Delivery Platform

Named customers8 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Conferences.com.aucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConferences.com.au is part of the Conference Design group and provides registration services, digital platforms and financial solutions for conferences of all shapes and sizes. Provides advice on registration processes, personalised digital platforms for collecting bookings and assistance for delegates through the registration process.
• Association DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation Design is part of the Conference Design group and provides management and administrative services to associations looking to grow. Offers over 20 years of proven business management experience, skills in strategic planning and practical knowledge to deliver tangible results efficiently and effectively.
• EventsAIRcoreTechnology or IntegrationEventsAIR is the leading event booking system used by Conference Design for conference planning, promotion, and production. The platform features the OnAIR component for delivering structured online events including customised registration, speaker management, and comprehensive reporting.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Cvent: Leading event management technology platform that Conference Design's clients could partially substitute for self-service registration, abstract, and speaker management — adjacent enabling technology rather than direct PCO competitor.

Broad incumbents

• BCD Meetings & Events: Large global meetings and corporate events agency with full-service capabilities spanning strategy, registration, and on-site delivery — overlaps with Conference Design on registration and event logistics for association clients.
• MCI Group: Global meetings, events, and association management agency with a much wider portfolio spanning corporate events, associations, and incentives; overlaps with Conference Design on the association management and conference services side.

Regional players

• ATPI Griffinstone: ATPI's Australian event management operations providing corporate and association conference services across Australasia; competing regional PCO with broader corporate event exposure.

Emerging players

• TBA Events: Australian conference and event management firm with focus on association and not-for-profit events; comparable boutique PCO positioning though typically smaller and earlier-stage than Conference Design.

Direct peers

• Kenes Group: Geneva-headquartered international PCO specializing in association and medical/scientific conference management globally; competes for the international association events that Conference Design's clients sometimes require.
• ICMS Pty Ltd: Australian-based Professional Conference Organizer serving associations and scientific bodies across Australasia with full-service event management — directly comparable PCO competitor in the same geography and customer verticals.
• Conference Plus Inc: US-headquartered conference management firm serving associations, scientific societies, and medical organizations — comparable association-focused PCO model with geographic focus on North America.
• International Conference Services Ltd (ICS): International PCO delivering association and scientific conferences across multiple regions; comparable service breadth and similar target customer verticals to Conference Design.
• Arinex Pty Ltd: Long-standing Australian PCO managing medical, scientific, and professional association conferences with similar full-service offerings and Australasian footprint — directly competes for the same association clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Conference Design