I’ve had the pleasure of working with Marleen and Jaime at Icon Conference and Event Management on the "Taste of Ingram" event for Ingram Micro over the last two years, and I can't speak highly enough of their incredible talent and professionalism. From the moment we started collaborating, it was clear that they have a genuine passion for what they do, and their attention to detail is second to none. Marleen and Jaime have an exceptional ability to bring a vision to life, turning ideas into unforgettable experiences. Their creativity, combined with their meticulous planning and seamless execution, made the "Taste of Ingram" event a standout success year after year. They handle every aspect with such ease and grace, allowing us to focus on enjoying the event rather than worrying about the logistics.
What truly sets Marleen and Jaime apart is their commitment to excellence and their ability to make the entire process enjoyable. They are not only incredibly skilled at what they do but also a joy to work with. Their positive energy, can-do attitude, and unwavering dedication to delivering top-notch events make them an invaluable partner. I highly recommend Marleen and Jaime at Icon Conference and Event Management to anyone looking to create a memorable and impactful event. They are simply the best in the business.
Simon Gault, Celebrity Chef and Entrepreneur
Marleen, Jaime, Dean, and team
I am writing to you all to express my deepest gratitude for the exceptional event delivery provided during Taste of Ingram Micro 2024 last week. Your professionalism and successful event execution made a significant difference.
Your attentiveness and dedication to the success of the event were truly comforting. I am profoundly thankful to you all for making Ingram Micro New Zealand look amazing. We have received overwhelmingly positive feedback thus far from partners.
Please extend my appreciation to your team who were equally remarkable last week, ensuring our attendees had a wonderful time.
Jessica von Sperl, Event Manager ANZ - Ingram Micro Pty Ltd. Taste of Ingram 2024
Thank you Dean for a fantastic conference. I was getting compliments across the board for how smoothly it all ran. Appreciate your expertise and proactive efforts. A pleasure working with you, as always.
Saum Vahdat, Managing Partner - Bridgewest Ventures. Impactful Innovation Conference 2024 Convenor
I compliment your teams incredible support of myself as a speaker. I could not feel more welcome and supported.
ATSNZ Disability Expo Speaker, Lois Brown
Tēnā koutou I write this testimony of support for ICON Events and Management. I worked with ICON in October 2022 in my capacity as Cultural Advisor for a tribal opening event at Te Arai Links. The engagement was for Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust. The ICON team created a wonderful setting for our Trust members to enjoy the occasion in classic style and natural ambience. I fully support Marleen and her team in their future endeavours with other tribal entities.
Nāku noa Nā
Mereana Ngātai, Cultural Creative Consultant, Te Uri ō Hau, Ngāti Whatua, Ngapuhi, Te Arawa, Ngāti Ruanui
The team at Icon events and Total Event were absolutely incredible and delivered what was initially thought to be an impossible event with simultaneous live streaming across the globe, Live crosses between the Melbourne and Singapore events and over 150 projectors delivering a fully immersive environment for our live venue in Melbourne and unrealistically short time frames. Marleen, Cal and Malcolm went above and beyond to make our event success, often working long days, nights and weekends to bring our vision to reality and without them the event simply would not have been possible. I can’t thank the team enough for everything they did, the event was such a huge success and the feedback has been amazing. I’m so grateful to have found Icon Events and Total Event and it was an absolute pleasure working with them. I would not hesitate using this team again for any event, large, small or seemingly impossible. You just won’t find a better event partner.
Georgia Swanson, Head of Strategy and Growth, NCS next
On behalf of the team at Microsoft NZ, we’d like to say a *huge* thank you for all your help and leadership with the GovTech Futures event in Wellington. It was a tremendous success and generally agreed to be our best ever. We look forward to working with you again.
Peter Haigh, Customer Success Account Manager, Microsoft
Working with Dean was an absolute pleasure. He ensured all the venues had all the information they needed, before they asked for it. He is very responsive and not afraid to pick up the phone - a rarity these days! Dean used his connections with existing suppliers to ensure we received competitive quotes and value for money. Onsite, his team were friendly, engaged and across all the details. Thank you for ensuring our event was a smashing success!
Raewyn Tse, Manager, Programme Office, Science for Technological Innovation - National Science Challenge
It has been a real pleasure working with you Jaime. Right throughout the planning and execution stages of this event you have delivered everything that has been thrown your way with a smile on your face. You have been attentive and available and even though I am sure you have a number of events on your card you responded and delivered in a very timely manner which makes us feel very valued.
Some of our surgeons commented on your professionalism, communication style and manner.
Thanks again - it’s been a real pleasure working with you on this.
Catherine O'Leary - Stryker
Thank you so much for all your amazing work and support for NANZ, it was completely seamless from my perspective, top job, well done. Congratulations to Icon for organising the hybrid meeting, my experience was 100% perfect quality and really easy to connect with.
NANZ Meeting Sponsor
Marleen and Wendy were simply epic in ideating, managing and execution our NZ Microsoft Partner Awards. The Icon team were genuinely committed to the success of the event and pulled through great ideas to make the event truly spectacular. The creativity and detail in the event execution was breath taking and beyond the brief. They simply went beyond what was asked. For a big program that spanned 5 months the awards night was the final part of the puzzle to bring our partners together and the feedback was overwhelming; coined as ‘the best awards ever’! Icon are the BEST event team I have ever worked with and highly recommend Marleen and the team.
Pip Simeon (Partner Marketing), Helen Davies (Events Lead) – Microsoft
Our event managed by Icon was a resounding success, thanks in no small measure to all the hard work and long hours that the team poured into it. Every detail was well thought through, planned and executed to perfection. No doubt there were some challenges on the day that I didn’t hear about because they go out of their way to make it all look seamless and perfect. The mark of true professionals.
Kim McKay, Channel Marketing Manager – HP
We have been working with Icon for many years on a large number of projects and events. Every event Icon manage is well executed and our expectations and high standards are always exceeded. The Icon team are continually coming up with creative ideas and suggestions to improve our events. Marleen and the team are very solution-orientated, when you hit a roadblock they are always ready with an alternative approach and will go the extra mile to find a solution to delight us, our partners and our customers. Without a doubt they are a key part of the success of our marketing and events team.
Cedric Edwards, Channel and SMB Director – Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Marleen Goedhart and Icon Conference and Event Management Ltd are experienced in event management and exceptional in venue knowledge when selecting our venue location. The professional relationship with our sponsors and exhibitors are a huge benefit. Marleen and the staff of Icon Conference and Event Management Ltd have made our conference successful for the past 9 years and we have ensured that they continue their services for our conference next year. Marleen and the staff at Icon Conference and Event Management Ltd provided us with support, commitment and excellent delivery to service to ensure our conference was a success. We received some overwhelmingly positive feedback from everyone as Marleen Goedhart made a point of speaking to our suppliers, exhibitors, speakers and delegates during the conference.
Clive Keylard, President, IT Service Management Forum – NZ (itSMFnz)
ISACA Auckland Chapter and Wellington Chapters we’re responsible for running a three-day Oceania-wide conference at SkyCity. ISACA has a long history of working with Icon for organising large scale conferences as they take a personal interest in making them a huge success. This time was no different, Icon were easy to work with and secured multiple top tier sponsors, and also worked well with ISACA International to meet and oftentimes exceed their expectations. If we organise another conference in the future Icon will be the natural choice.
Rishad Smartt, Convenor – Oceania CACS Conference 2019
I have worked with Marleen and the team at Icon Event Management for a few years now on several high-level events. The professional approach the team have, make these events run smoothly and ensure a great outcome for both ourselves and our delegates. I would not hesitate to recommend Icon.
Marilyn McMurtrie – Spark New Zealand
Marleen and the team at Icon orchestrated an incredible residential CXO level executive customer event on behalf of us, and our partner and co-funder (an IT multinational with very specific branding and execution requirements).
Icon took care of all of the details including invites, branding, hotel accommodation, registration, audio/visual, entertainment, food & beverage, proof of execution for co-funding, customer communications and follow-up. Planning an event like this takes months.
Throughout, Icon managed to keep us all on task to execute a highly successful and highly regarded customer event. We received excellent feedback from our internal stakeholders and speakers, our partner, and most importantly, our customers.
We will certainly be keen to use Icon to organise our next CXO customer event.
Robert Monteith - Spark
Whilst I was CEO of the Early Childhood Council Incorporated, we retained Icon Event Management to help develop and manage our annual conference. Given the success of Icon’s management, we utilised the service over a nine-year period.
The ECC conference became the sentinel event in the early childhood sector for childcare centre providers and in one memorable year attracted almost 1,000 delegates.
Marleen and her team were excellent in their organisation leading up to, during and post the event. Their professionalism and attention to detail were consistent, going the extra mile to provide our members with a memorable event.
Our conference was also extremely popular among trade suppliers, many of whom were regulars because of the success of the event.
We certainly endorse Icon to any similar organisation looking for a professional event management company to help them run a successful event.
Peter Reynolds, Previous CEO - Early Childhood Council Incorporated
I have worked with Marleen Goedhart, Director of Icon Events Management, for many years on tertiary education conferences.
In 2017 Icon was engaged to manage THETA (The Higher Education Tertiary Agenda) a biennial event curated under the direction of CAUDIT (Council of Australasian University Directors of Information Technology), CAUL (Council of Australian University Librarians) and ACODE (Australian Council on Open, Distance and E-Learning). This was held at the Aotea Centre in Auckland, co-hosted by the University of Auckland and AUT.
The conference brings together more than 600 professionals within Higher Education and Research from Australia, New Zealand and around the world. These include CIO’s, CDO’s, Librarians, Open, Distance and eLearning practitioners, IT Directors, IT professionals, Telecommunication professionals, eResearch specialists and Information Management specialists.
Marleen and her team were professional, experienced, and easy to work with over the 12 months we worked with them to deliver the conference. It was a busy programme with 7 concurrent streams, digital posters, featured speakers and VIP’s from overseas.
Icon also managed the sponsorship for the conference, producing the sponsorship prospectus, managing all contact and relationships, and organising the onsite spaces and set up. Icon also managed the conference dinner and evening entertainment.
The event, held in May 2017, was over 3 days and the Icon team were friendly, helpful and provided an amazing service to the attendees, VIP’s and guests.
I have also worked with Icon on 3 other occasions for the TICT (Tertiary ICT) annual event, of which Marleen has been involved for over 15 years.
I would highly recommend Icon, Marleen and her team, to manage events.
Lynda Clements, Communications Manager – Digital Services - The University of Auckland
Thanks Marleen for the great work you and your team put in to making Instant’s 50th birthday such a success. The attention to detail was amazing with nothing being too small – from the major event theming to the colour of the cutlery and furniture in the pre-event area being matched with stunning effect. Working with your team was an enjoyable experience and one we hope to replicate in the future.
Maureen Parkinson, GM - People and Culture - Instant Finance
We have worked with ICON for several conferences most recently the NANZ meeting in 2021. The ICON team is a highly professional conference organiser and they went the extra mile when facing challenging meeting requirements during COVID.’
Anna Ranta - NANZ Meeting Organising Committee
