Who We Are

Regional gatherings with special purpose

We're not your run-of-the-mill event planners.

We specialise in events that convey a special purpose, atmosphere and culture. Events that require high levels of creativity, planning and communication, organisation and collaboration.

Our team has decades of experience pulling off inspiring and successful events. We're famous for our professionalism, friendliness, creativity and reliability.

We know how much work goes on behind the scenes and the level of attention to detail required. From event concept to final acquittal, we do it all. And we love every moment of it!

We do much more than dropping off the portaloos and organising the sound guy. We work with you to minimise your stress and maximise your event, connecting head and heart to create cohesion and inspiration.

Denis Ginnivan
Director and Founder

Denis has over 20 years’ experience organising events big and small, from community celebrations to musical festivals and everything in between. From 1998 to 2014 he was the head of logistics and community liaison for the Yackandandah Folk Festival.

Within highly energised campaign teams, he had key logistics and strategy roles in three successful federal election community independent candidate campaigns of Cathy McGowan (2013,2016) and Helen Haines (2019). He is a founding member and past president of Voices for Indi, a community grassroots democracy group. He stepped down in 2019 to develop the ‘Voices For Australia' project, which focusses on the emergence and development of community groups, in other electorates, which are seeking to find ways to engage and participate in positive change within our Australian democracy.

Denis knows country communities. Apart from three years in Melbourne earning his Bachelor degree in Social Work, he’s lived in regional Australia his entire life. Born in Benalla, he and partner now live on a 200- acre farm in Indigo Valley in North East Victoria, where they raised three daughters, survived a couple of bushfires and retires at night after busy days of planning, networking, and contributing to the social fabric of the region.

Denis has extensive experience as rural professional. Before founding Events That Matter in 2012, Denis worked in the rural health sector for 22 years as a social worker, farm debt mediator and as the Director of a NSW government rural brain injury rehabilitation service for over two decades.  Prior to this he had worked as a rural financial counsellor in the Wimmera-Mallee region of Victoria; was National Project director supporting the roll-out of the National Rural Counselling Program. His Churchill Fellowship focussed on development of the Farm Debt Mediation Scheme, which now exists in four Australian states. He has been appointed to two Ministerial advisory councils, presented at many conferences, and advised the Rural National Health Alliance in the rural implementation of the NDIS.

Learn more about our community events

Learn more about our corporate events
 

Events that Matter is a business unit of Koan Strategies Pty Ltd ACN 147 598 721.
We are located at 80 Dicksons Road, Indigo Valley Vic 3688 Australia