Conference Director joins IPEd

Energetic Conference Director joins IPEd Board

by Kate Tilley

Admiration for editors and their skills was one driver behind IPEd Conference Director Tania Goodacre’s decision to apply for the role.

Working in the event management industry for more than 20 years, Tania has seen the benefits a good editor can bring to myriad documents, turning an author’s words into ‘amazing copy’.

She also has a lot of energy and, despite a demanding role as Manager — Events with the Minerals Council of Australia and serving on two other boards, Tania was seeking another board role when she saw IPEd’s advertisement.

She is a director of a Canberra-based transport skills centre and a member of the Asia–Pacific regional advisory board for the Professional Convention Management Association.

Tania’s years in event management have included working with other member representative bodies, like the Australian Trucking Association and the Australian Medical Association.

She will assist the IPEd Board to ensure its biennial conferences align with the goals of the institute’s strategic plan.

Tania has a wealth of experience in strategic planning; stakeholder relations; leadership and member representation; program development; staff, destination, budget, resource, travel, volunteer and project management; marketing and sales; website development; administration systems; and designing delegate experiences.

She loves event management because ‘no two days are the same’. When she spoke to Gatherings, Tania had already managed a strategic planning meeting and designed branded belly bands for chocolate bars.

‘I need to do something different all the time,’ she said.

Tania says the secrets to her high-energy level are exercise — Pilates twice a week and two fitness sessions with a personal trainer — and getting a good night’s sleep. Meditation helps her enjoy restful nights.

She’s also very disciplined. In the month before a major event, Tania is conscious of not doing anything risky, even avoiding hiking in case she sustains an injury; eating healthily; and getting that all-important sleep.

‘I need to look after myself so I can look after others [before an event]. Most people turn their minds to an event a week beforehand. But I need to have the bulk of my work done well before then so I’m available for troubleshooting and to ensure everyone gets a really good delegate experience.’

So, organisational tasks are completed well in advance to enable Tania’s time to be available to respond to delegate, sponsor and media inquiries.

With IPEd’s 2021 conference going virtual, Tania and the conference committee will work hard to facilitate what many IPEd members consider the best element of a conference — the networking.

‘A lot of editors work alone so they really value the networking experience. Those serendipitous moments, like meeting someone standing in line to go into a session, we’re hoping to replicate in the digital environment,’ she said.

A conference brings people together who share a common interest and Tania wants to achieve that for editors so they can see eye to eye, even if they can’t meet face to face.

Tania and her husband Neil are keen travellers, although COVID-19 has curtailed their international adventures. However, the couple has booked eight days in South Australia’s Barossa Valley for their Christmas holiday break.

Her leisure activities include reading and sewing. Tania’s current tome is Mary’s Last Dance, by Mary Li, Queensland Ballet’s ballet mistress and wife of artistic director Li Cunxin, which she says is really good.

Her sewing skills include specific requests. For example, she made her Gold Coast-based mum a long dressing gown with pockets and buttons. For a work colleague, she created an A-line skirt with pockets.

Tania and Neil are pet parents to Nero, a 10-year-old, food-obsessed blue oriental shorthair cat. His hungry habits meant he was destined to be returned to the RSPCA by his former owner, but the Goodacres kindly gave him a new home and plenty of food — controlled portions, of course.