The Conference Shop
Conference Venues You’ll Fall In Love With!
The Conference Shop finds conference venues to suit every event and organisation from thousands of destinations across Australia and overseas. Our free venue finding service will match your companies objectives, theme and preferred locations with a list of suitable conference venues from the many we regularly review and have first-hand experience of.
We are well known for delivering practical, objective and honest advice when it comes to finding you a venue for your next event as we are not affiliated with any hotel chain or destination.
How We Source Conference Venues
Our key strength lies in our relationships with our clients and our ability to listen to their needs. Communicating every step of the way to deliver on their brief and providing the best outcome at all times is what we pride ourselves on, and what has made us Australia’s premier conference venue finder.
If you are a large organisation seeking a venue for a launch, conference or Christmas party or a small business retreat, we work in partnership to ensure our clients are supported during this process and all of your needs are met.
We understand events. Our team boasts a diverse range of experience in the events arena – between us we have 40 years’ experience in the industry including in hotels, event management and travel agencies – enabling us to provide the best solution for our clients.
The Conference Shop is excellent at locating hotels, venues and event spaces for company conferences and corporate meetings. They have provided excellent service to our organisation over many years.
I highly recommend Carla and her team!
Meet the team
Carla Offord
CEO & Founder
With over 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Carla Offord knows venues. She has worked in hotels across multiple departments including Business Development, ran her own destination management company; Southern Highlands Corporate Events, which was then rebranded into The Conference Shop in 2014.
For the past twelve years, Carla and her team have been connecting corporate clients with the perfect venues for everything from incentive trips to conferences, board meetings, executive retreats and seasonal parties. What started out with a focus on regional Australia has now expanded into an international venue-sourcing business.
Considered a thought leader in the industry, she leads from the front and this, combined with her work in the events services industry, Carla is often invited to share her wealth of knowledge and experience at MICE industry events. A former Telstra Australia Business Woman of the Year nominee, Carla is absolutely passionate about building economic viability and prosperity in regional destinations, through business and collaboration.
E carla@theconferenceshop.com.au
P 02 4861 5973
Lorna Greenland
VENUE SOURCING SPECIALIST
Chris Offord
DESTINATION RESEARCHER
Following more than 25 years as a business owner in the sales industry, Chris decided it was time for a change. Having had experience in Southern Highlands Corporate Events for five years and being involved in the change over to The Conference Shop, it made sense that Chris should become a permanent fixture of the team.
Chris is responsible for researching new venues that come onto the market, and ensuring that all of The Conference Shop’s venue information is up-to-date. Chris is passionate about the growth and development of such a user friendly resource for conference organisers and looks forward to expanding The Conference Shop’s national and global network of outstanding venues.
E christopher@theconferenceshop.com.au
P 02 4861 5973
Mary-Jane Wardrop
VENUE SOURCING SPECIALIST
Mary-Jane, or MJ to her friends and family is a Venue Sourcing Specialist at The Conference Shop. MJ has a wealth of knowledge and experience within the hospitality industry. As a hospitality specialist her career spans many years in Sales & Marketing, Conferences, Events and Management. MJ has worked with hotel brands such as Sebel and Peppers. She has held the position of Director of Sales & Marketing in multiple venues. The last 8 years MJ has worked within the Not-for-Profit sector in mental health.
She is a leader who takes the time to get to know you and holds exceptional relationships with clients, partners, venues, team members and her local community. MJ has an incredible passion for conferences and events and successful events for her clients is her aim. When she’s not venue sourcing for her clients she’s relaxing by a campfire down the south coast with her partner, daughter and pug.
E mary-jane@theconferenceshop.com.au
P 02 4861 5973
Larni Cain
SOCIAL MEDIA CLERK
