Laureen Venter
Summary
Dedicated professional focused on detail and customer satisfaction, with a proven track record in managing relationships with suppliers and clients for successful project outcomes. Expertise in visualizing end results during early project development fosters proactive problem-solving and innovation. Committed to delivering exceptional service while cultivating lasting professional relationships internally and externally. Solid background in customer service and logistics ensures adaptability to diverse industries, enhancing overall operational efficiency.
Overview
34
34
years of professional experience
Work History
Admin Executive
Comic Con Africa
01.2025 - 09.2025
- Contract assignment to assist the GM with admin duties, working from home 3 days a week and 2 days in office.
- Assist on site at the venue during exhibitions days, build up and breakdown
MICE & Project Specialist
Amazing Africa
03.2024 - 10.2024
MICE Incentive Account Manager
Dragonfly Africa
02.2023 - 10.2023
- Work remotely with 1 day dedicated day per week to going into the office in Bryanston
- Design programs for current and new clients
- Remain in constant contact with clients, suppliers, hotels, lodges and agencies
- Maintain good relations with clients and agencies and ensure continued support
- Be creative, design ideas and programs based on given briefs and budgets
- Create client proposals and powerpoint presentations
- Travel and lead site inspections or program, with or without the client
- Book all services, suppliers, hotels and lodges based on itineraries
- Source relevant information with regards to room-gifts, activities, amendments, re-costs and make any necessary additions / changes
- Travel with groups as the lead Account Manager and/or assist with on-site coordination where a group requires more than one Account Manager
- Draw up contracts between the company and client and ensure all required documents are signed
- Client invoices to be issued in a timeous manner and ensure timeous payments are made by the client
- Ensure payments are made timeously to suppliers
- Final reconciliation, invoicing and payments must be managed correctly
- Attend all relevant and required company meetings, as well as attend meetings with suppliers, hotels and client
Executive personal assistant to Global Director & Office Manager
AxxonSoft Southern Africa & SADC
03.2021 - 01.2023
- Assist Managing Director with matters relating to AxxonSoft as well as the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation, South Africa
- Plan and organise Golf Day at Dainfern Golf Course
- Assist sales personal - Manage duties pertaining to the office
- Assist Director with personal matters
- Exhibitions: Book and liaise directly with exhibition organiser as well as exhibition stand builders, manage the complete process
- Work with external Marketing company
Events Manager, MICE Events and Incentives Manager
Walthers DMC
07.2017 - 06.2020
- Office based in Fourways
- Groups: Conference and Incentive travel for inbound clients Events, group bookings & conferences:
- Manage more than one project at any given time
- Each project is deadline driven as each event / group travel / conference is date specific
- Once the client is confirmed by the Marketing department, the file is handed over to me and the entire programme is organised and co-ordinated by me from start to finish
- Group sizes ranged from 30 to over 500
- Conference sizes ranged from 800 to over 1000
- Managed budgets ranging from a couple of thousands of rands to over R5 million
- Before an event / group arrival / conference:
- Client, hotel and supplier contract negotiations
- Management of monies (received from the client and paid out to suppliers timeously)
- Direct contact with end client and relevant suppliers to each specific project
- Site visits, with and without clients
- Hotel rate negotiations if applicable & meetings with the hotels
- Suppliers meetings and bookings (ie but limited to restaurants, coaches etc)
- Book events and activities
- Source and confirm gifts and branding
- Book flights if required
- Conference venue negotiations, meetings and bookings. Be onsite for the full duration (including pre and post days)
- Source temp staff if required
- Once group / clients / conference delegates have arrived in the country: (Johannesburg / Cape Town / Zambia / Zimbabwe):
- Responsible for executing the itinerary for each groups required specifications
- Travel with the group if required and handle on site logistics. On site support for the full duration of the event / travel / conference
- If travel is not required, 24 hour support via email and cell phone
- Make contact with the various hotels and suppliers to ensure everything is ready before the group / clients / conference delegates arrival
- Once the event / group travel / conference delegates have departed:
- Debrief meetings with relevant hotels and or suppliers
- Close off final budget and ensure all monies are collect and or paid
- Reason for leaving is due to being retrenched. The company had to down scale due to COVID affecting the company financially.
Exhibition Manager
Mall of Africa & Purple Plumm
10.2016 - 05.2017
- Based at Mall of Africa, Midrand
- Duties included, but not limited to: handle all queries, bookings, communication, site visits with clients, weekly discussions with accounts regarding budgets and payments
- Ensure sales targets are met
- Handle on site logistics
- Reason for leaving is due to being retrenched. The Marketing company called Purple Plumm
Project Manager
Decorex
10.2009 - 10.2016
- Office based in Bryanston
- Project Manager: Decorex Durban, Cape Town & Johannesburg
- Started with Decorex (under the Thebe brand) in October 2009 as PA to Sales GM
- Managed various responsibilities under the Sales GM, including inter office communication as well as external client communications
- Promoted to Senior Co-ordinator in November 2012
- Reported to Events Manager
- Co-ordinate logistics of special feature areas and events with events manager
- Departmental responsibilities:
- Sponsorship's, Accounts, Marketing & PR
- Working directly with suppliers
- On site logistics
- Awards evening (organize certificates, trophies & engraving)
- Promoted to Project Manager in March 2014.
- Additional responsibilities included
- Weekly meetings with the Director
- 3 regional budgets and sponsorship's
Events Manager
SJ Capital Group
01.2007 - 10.2009
- Office based in Sandton
- Started with the company as the Sales Secretary to the CEO
- Secretarial duties to the CEO, organising functions, as well as support to the Sales department
- Assist the Director with exhibitions, including research and venue bookings
- Promoted to Events Manager in April 2007
- Manage my own department
- Research venues and shopping centres for suitable areas to exhibit company product
- Liase directly with exhibition venues and shopping centres, handle all logistics including co-ordinating events with suppliers
- Project management from start to finish including co-ordinating staff travel arrangements
Assistant to Sales & Marketing Manager
Dynamic Promotions (Brand Activations)
03.2005 - 12.2006
- Office based in Bryanston
- PA duties to Sales and Marketing Manager
- Interview and employ promoters
- Train promoters
- Liason to clients when Sales & Marketing Manager not available
- Office duties including assisting accounts and office staff where required
- Monthly reports for clients
- Store bookings for promoters to do activation's
- Store visits
Virgin Atlantic Airways
07.1996 - 02.2005
- July 1996 - Reservations agent, head office in Bryanston
- September 1998 – Ticketing and Customer Services, OR Tambo International Airport
- April 2002 – February 2005 – Sales & Marketing, head office in Bryanston
- Reservations Agent duties:
- Worked on the reservations system in a call centre and became fully trained in ticketing, customer services, executive transfers and ticket & fares
- Moved to OR Tambo International Airport to gain further experience:
- Assist team in handling arrival flights, meet & greet passengers
- Assist arrivals passengers where necessary in arrivals hall
- Customer services desk during departure flights
- Issuing / re-issuing of air-tickets
- Fare re-calculations
- Fare quotations to customers
- Flight reservations with direct clients
- Training completed:
- Customer service & care
- Dealing with complaints
- Communication (international and external clients)
- Shares fares 1 & 2Flying Club (loyalty program)
- Flying Club (loyalty program)
- Emergency Training
- Shares Automated Fares & Ticketing
- World Tracer Basic Course
- SFD2 (shares conversion course)
Reservations & Ticketing Consultant & PA
Air Seychelles
01.1993 - 04.1996
- Office based in Johannesburg
- PA duties to Management
- Daily office duties
- Telephonic customer bookings
- Accounts
- Liaise with head office in Seychelles
- Airport duties: Handle in coming and out going flight in co-ordination with SAA (ground handler)
Junior Travel Consultant
George Rennie Travel
08.1991 - 12.1992
- Office based in Benoni
- Customer service
- Accounts
- PA duties to Manager
Education
Advanced MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint & Email -
Quest Computer Skills Centre
02-2001
Microsoft Office - undefined
Cambridge Computer School
06-1998
Travel and Tourism Certificate - undefined
Rapid Results College
01-1991
Senior Certificate & National Certificate N4 - Accountancy & Typing Course, Computer & Accountancy Course
Benoni Technical College
01-1991
National Senior Certificate - undefined
Benoni High School
01-1988
Skills
File organization
Verbal communication
Document management
Scheduling appointments
Timeline
Admin Executive
Comic Con Africa
01.2025 - 09.2025
MICE & Project Specialist
Amazing Africa
03.2024 - 10.2024
MICE Incentive Account Manager
Dragonfly Africa
02.2023 - 10.2023
Executive personal assistant to Global Director & Office Manager
AxxonSoft Southern Africa & SADC
03.2021 - 01.2023
Events Manager, MICE Events and Incentives Manager
Walthers DMC
07.2017 - 06.2020
Exhibition Manager
Mall of Africa & Purple Plumm
10.2016 - 05.2017
Project Manager
Decorex
10.2009 - 10.2016
Events Manager
SJ Capital Group
01.2007 - 10.2009
Assistant to Sales & Marketing Manager
Dynamic Promotions (Brand Activations)
03.2005 - 12.2006
Virgin Atlantic Airways
07.1996 - 02.2005
Reservations & Ticketing Consultant & PA
Air Seychelles
01.1993 - 04.1996
Junior Travel Consultant
George Rennie Travel
08.1991 - 12.1992
Microsoft Office - undefined
Cambridge Computer School
Travel and Tourism Certificate - undefined
Rapid Results College
Senior Certificate & National Certificate N4 - Accountancy & Typing Course, Computer & Accountancy Course
Benoni Technical College
National Senior Certificate - undefined
Benoni High School
Advanced MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint & Email -
Quest Computer Skills Centre