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CVE CORNER Perth, Australia.


 in certain areas of the business.


You have already achieved your CVE and are currently an active member on the IAVM Certification Board. Why did you choose to pursue the CVE designation? Did you learn anything about yourself while completing the processes? I had seen a number of Australian industry leaders receive their cer-  industry. This drove me toward achieving my CVE. I initially lacked the minimum points required to qualify for the program, which in itself made me focus on what I could do to further develop myself and im- prove as a venue manager.


With the small number of CVE recipients in Australia, it was also a designation which positioned me as a leader in the local industry as well as being recognized internationally.


Which facilities you have worked for in our industry in your ca- reer, and what attracted you to this industry in the first place? I kind of fell into the industry by accident. I did a Sports Science degree out of school and always had an interest in sports. I started out in com- munity recreation centers and developed from there. It was probably after about 10 years that I realized that there was a career in manag- ing venues, and it wasn’t just a hobby. Growing up in Sydney, I coveted working in what I considered to be amazing venues, which looking back, were small in comparison to where I landed!


I have been fortunate to have had the chance to chase and be chased for opportunities around Australia. I have held leadership roles in some amazing venues including stadia, arenas, horse racing, showgrounds (fairgrounds), and am currently the general manager at Perth Motor- plex – a unique multi discipline motor sport venue in Western Australia.


Are there any differences in the way managers/operators in Australia may differ from their American counterparts as far conducting business? I had the wonderful opportunity of being a guest lecturer at Oglebay in 2015, and that reinforced to me that we work in a very small world, albe-  than the U.S. By comparison, our respective land mass is comparable, but the population of Australia is less than that of Texas! Whilst we have several world leading venues in Australia, we do not have the volume.


Australian venue managers are developed to be skilled very broadly. I found that the U.S. structures had a number of team members who   market tends to spread responsibilities a little broader. Again, I think this speaks to the volume proposition, whereby more events, with greater pa-


From a personal point of view, it pushed me to put myself on paper, and demonstrate what I had achieved in my years in the industry. Com- pleting the various stages leads you to question yourself, but in parallel, reinforces just how well versed you are in a range of industry areas.


  am a superstar!


Many candidates have found some of the steps in the CVE pro- cess to be demanding and challenging. Did you find this to be so? Would you encourage others in the industry to pursue their own designation? Why? The process is demanding and challenging, not so much because there are tricks and traps in it, but more so because it requires commitment  environments. You know when you have milestone dates that sit months away, and then wonder how the date crept up on you? That is what the process can be like! This is made even more challenging for someone who has not studied or undertaken formal learning for some time.


You also can feel quite exposed, as you put yourself on paper, then have      Board are interested in people achieving, not failing!


Like so much in business, I prepared a plan and milestones for various stages of the process. Breaking it down into smaller pieces made it much easier for me to remain focused and get through it. I also found the   guidance and experience with the process is a great asset and should be utilized by anyone undertaking the process.


IAVM 13


By John Meyer, CVE


Mark Zundans, CVE is General Manager of the Perth Motorplex at VenuesWest in


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