Tomorrow’s Talent Winner 2023: Malcolm Farrell-Mitchell

A fascination with travel and tourism from a young age led Malcolm Farrell-Mitchell to take a degree in tourism at Murdoch University in Australia. As senior business development manager, UK & Europe Business Events Perth, Malcolm now represents Western Australia as a destination for business events out of Europe.

What does it mean for you to be named as a winner of Tomorrow’s Talent 2023?

I love this industry and seeing the other winners it gives me a great deal of pride to be included in this group of incredible professionals. Business events may be a little ‘out there’ as a profession but the flow on effects have real meaning, particularly when we talk about science, research and collaboration. To be recognised for my work in this area is humbling and I’ll remember it fondly.

What does a typical day look like for you?

Most of my clients host large international conferences and I get the great fortune of deep diving into their world, learning about what it is they do and seeing if my beautiful state might be a place to host their event. I’ll be talking to a marine biologist in the morning, to a paediatric oncologist at midday and finishing off with a lawyer in the afternoon. As the saying goes ‘ variety is the spice of life.’  

What’s your best event moment so far?

As my role is to work on international conference bids, there are very few feelings as exciting as securing an international conference and knowing what that means for your local conveners and the local industry. We were fortunate enough to secure a large international marine mammal conference for Western Australia a few years back and I had the great joy of working with some passionate, fundamentally good people who love what they do and care about the unique animals we have in Australia. I’ve never expected to be the smartest person in the room, but being able to help the smartest person in the room is just as fun.

What’s your biggest challenge so far and how did you overcome it?

I think sometimes the greatest challenges we face are the every day setbacks. I know that many people responding to this will say COVID-19 and don’t get me wrong, it was tough, but often the daily challenges are equally as hard when seen as a whole. In my early twenties, I was often dismissed as being too young and too naïve for serious conversations in this industry which I think is a shame. I’m relatively confident in saying that the other people in this illustrious group of winners have probably experienced something similar. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been extremely lucky, but I fear that there are people who conflate age with professionalism and that’s not always true.

If you could go back and give yourself some advice when you were first starting out in the industry, what would it be and why?

Success comes in all different forms. Success will come in the incredible colleagues that you get to work with every day. Success will come not from your salary but from the incredible travels that you get in this job. Success will rarely come from the quick wins but from the long plays. Lastly, enjoy it. You’re doing fine. 

What are you most excited for this year?

As I am every year, I am always the most excited about the opportunity to travel. I make absolutely no apologies for the incredible joy that I get to be able to see some of the world with my job. 

What are your future ambitions?

I have been blessed to get this role, representing my home state overseas and I look forward to whatever the future holds and how I can be involved in the betterment of Perth and Western Australia. Personally, last year, I set up a representation and consulting business and I can’t wait to see where this takes me also.