Australia’s premier family-owned, independent Australian Business Events company has today announced a number of changes in structure and promotions in a move that underpins the future of the business.

Effective immediately, Zac Fitz-Roy has been made General Manager and will lead the company’s day to day operations.

In announcing the move, Gary Fitz-Roy, the company’s founder said, “To a large extent, especially during the last passage of time, Zac, like all of us, has had to perform a number of cross over responsibilities so this is natural progression and makes way for him to take over the running of the business.”

“Whilst I intend to remain in the business, technology and the ways of working have increasingly changed and having a young energised manager can only be a good thing especially as we look towards the future,” continued Gary.

Expertise Events is one of the only exhibition organisers to have a father and son working in the business and a clear plan to “keep it in the family.”

Gary Fitz-Roy continued about the announcement, “We are a family. Values are passed on from generation to generation, whilst each new leader will have their own take which meets the changing market.

“Whilst our staff are family so too is the industry we are part of, whilst we may all not agree to what and how things are managed through the good, the bad, the ugly and special occasions, but we should always support and respect one another.

“As a family business our succession is being consolidated and cemented with our oldest son, with Zac taking the lead to assume the running of the business. We continue to celebrate the positives and despite being kicked due to the pandemic, we remain focussed and committed to rebuild and ensure our family legacy lives on for many generations to come,” continued Gary.

With an already established board of directors, with an independent chairperson and representatives to ensure the business is kept on track, ensuring independent outside advice on strategy can be provided and that the company remains focused, Gary Fitz-Roy added, “we have always had an outside board but, during covid, we dropped it. The board meetings have been held all year every month ensuring we drill down and remain focused. It has been an invaluable part of our recovery and moving forward. I attribute the process for our ongoing momentum. Even I am kept on my toes!”

As part a the organisational changes, clear role progressions have been identified for staff to grow and new titles have been released to better position the staff and the future needs of the business including Accounts and Administration being relabelled Business Success, Sales is now Business Multiplier, Event Coordinators called Success Planners and Marketing is now titled Brand Representation.

Both the Managing Director and General Manager roles are now known as Brand Custodians, along with their respective title. Gary Fitz-Roy said, “It’s about changing the mindset of, not our staff, but our clients. We want to connect differently and demonstrate that we see how things are changing and that we are changing with it.”

Through 2021 and 2022, Expertise Events have led the return of business events and was one of a few to run events in 2021. Up until this week, through the pandemic they have delivered in excess of 20 events across QLD, NSW, ACT, VIC, SA and WA, which is no small feat when you consider state lockdowns.

The company attributes its success to many partners that work with the company in the successful delivery. They are part of the company’s extended family and together we are stronger for it, whether it is PR and advertising, building and signage, rigging and freight, to venues and the services within most of them, have all had long term relationships with the company.

Gary Fitz-Roy closed by saying, ”During my management, I have never run the business as a popularity competition. We make decisions that are best for our clients and partners and if this includes calling out industry peers so be it, we tell exhibitors in our training to have an opinion within the sector they work and stand by it. It will draw key people closer and, if it doesn’t, they won’t be a client in any case. We learnt over the past two years this is true of our sector too.

“I think, being family and an independent Australian business, means we were prepared to give more and fight more. In so many respects, the last two years have made us stronger and positioned us for growth but always anchored to our family values that can’t be copied. The industry has numerous headwinds ahead but we are ensuring we have the right foundations and vision to continue to grow” concluded Fitz-Roy.

Expertise Events was established in 1990 and runs events such as The International Jewellery Fair, Oz Comic Con, Craft & Quilt Fairs, Australasian Quilt Convention, Gift & Lifestyle and new events such as AUSjet to name a few.