Message from the CEO

Chris Ridd
Chris Ridd
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    I am excited to announce that I have accepted the role as the CEO for EventsAir. Since leaving Xero in 2016, I have worked with a broad set of technology startups and scale up companies including investments in the technology space. This appointment signals my move back into a full-time operational role after having spent the last 5 years overseeing a diverse portfolio of interests as advisor and director on several boards.

    As I reflect back on the past 30 years, I have been involved with events of all sizes from the very beginning. These include overseeing TechEd and many other large marketing events at Microsoft during the 2000’s. As CEO of Xero in Australia, I helped architect the Xero roadshow series as well as the very first Australian Xerocon in 2011, one of the most iconic technology events in the Southern Hemisphere. With a recent injection of capital and the industry shifting back to in-person events, this feels like the ideal time for me to be jumping into the CEO role. The events industry has been through a great deal of turmoil and challenge over the past 2 years, and I think the combination of our longevity and track record of innovation means that EventsAir is well positioned to capitalize on the opportunity long term.

    EventsAir was founded 30 years ago by serial entrepreneur Trevor Gardiner who set about creating a unique desktop-based event management platform. The business has seen many changes in both technology and in the events industry overall. Most notable was the enormous impact of COVID on the events industry leading to the immediate shift from in-person to virtual events. EventsAir established itself as a leader through agile cutting edge technology. Producing over 350,000 events worldwide, EventsAir is a leader in the events industry servicing world leading customers in the associations, professional event organizers, corporate, government and education sectors. 

    I’m very much looking forward to embarking on this exciting journey in what is an ever changing and exciting industry. 

     Chris Ridd, CEO EventsAir

    Press Release