Company Profile

Discover The Difference That Only International Experience Can Deliver!

Managing Director, Karen Hamilton has over 14-years management experience, gained in Australia, Canada, Caribbean, United Kingdom and New Zealand. This experience encompasses event management, sponsorship and exhibition management, sales and marketing, B2B relationship building, business development and venue management.

The formation of 360 Degree Events in January 2008 was the result of Karen’s entrepreneurial mind combined with her passion for relationship building and desire to deliver results which exceed strategic and operational goals. Karen has a solid understanding of what is required to deliver a successful project; from conception to completion, 360 Degree Events provides advice and management expertise to ensure that projects are delivered on time and within budget.

Karen moved to Christchurch from Canada in early 2007 and immediately took up the position of Event and Conference Organiser with Vbase – the management company responsible for Christchurch’s leading entertainment and business venues; The Christchurch Convention Centre, The Christchurch Town Hall for Performing Arts, Westpac Arena and AMI Stadium. In this role Karen was responsible for organising a wide range of events from cultural performance to rock concerts, exhibitions to sporting events and gala dinners to conferences.

The New Zealand Chapter

360 Degree Events has gone from strength-to-strength and the team is proud to be involved with some of the countries largest events and corporate companies. Highlights in the portfolio include: Recreation: The NZ Outdoor Adventure Expo, The Ellerslie International Flower Show, Beca Heritage Week, Earth Hour, Shirley Valentine Roadshow, Colgate Palmolive Sales and Marketing Conference, World Environment Day, The International Rodeo, The Annual Mustang Convention, Bikewise Month and Valde Training Group - personal and professional developement courses.

The Canadian Chapter

Prior to moving to New Zealand, Karen was based in Toronto, Canada where she worked for the World Trade Group, organising business summits for Fortune 500 companies and then later with National Event Management producing large scale consumer exhibitions with up to 32,000 attendees.

The Caribbean Chapter

Before the Canadian chapter Karen enjoyed a glimpse of the life of the rich and famous as the Chief Hostess on a Palmer Johnson Super Yacht based in the Caribbean - where everyday needed to be an event! Karen was responsible for organising on-board cocktail parties and gala dinners, shore-based excursions and photo shoots.

The Australian Chapter

Previous to this, Karen held Senior Management positions with Australia’s largest event & congress management company - ICMS Australasia (which later merged to become Event Planners Australia), for a period of three years. During this time she fulfilled the roles of Business Development Manager, Event Manager and Sponsorship & Exhibition Manager. Events under Karen’s management varied in size from 50 to 5,000 attendees.

The United Kingdom Chapter

Karen has also held a Senior Management role in the United Kingdom as the Deputy Manager and Acting Licensee of a 1,000 person capacity entertainment venue. This position incorporated the full array of managerial procedures including managing a staff in excess of forty individuals plus security teams to deliver an enjoyable and safe experience to patrons.

Industry Expert

Karen has been an invited speaker at numerous Meetings & Events Australia (formerly MIAA) conferences and professional development days; most noteable was her presentation "Best In Business" at the MEA National Conference in Perth, Western Australia in 2005.

Karen was also the Event Manager responsible for winning the prestigious Meetings Industry Association of Australia ‘Event of the Year’ award in 2003 for the NSW Premier's Forum on Spinal Cord Injury & Conditions.

Since the formation of 360 Degree Events, Karen has lead the team responsible for winning the New Zealand Association of Event Professionals award for 'Best Emerging Event 2008' for the planning and delivery of Step Up Canterbury.

Qualifications

Karen’s industry experience is supported by a BA Business in Tourism attained at Southern Cross University in Australia. As part of this degree Karen undertook an international exchange program to the University of Lincolnshire & Humberside in the United Kingdom; where she studied a BA of International Tourism.

Karen also holds an Advanced Certificate in Travel & Tourism from the Riverina Institute of TAFE in Australia and a Standards for Training, Certification and Watch-Keeping (STCW) from Blue Water Yachting in France.