Business Retreats Australia

The inception of Business Retreats Australia in 1992 saw the birth of Australia’s first ever conference venue booking agency. We continue our tradition as Australia’s premier venue booking agency, with a well-recognised brand that specialises in bookings for the residential conference market.
Business Retreats Australia is an independent booking agent. We are not owned by a venue and are not a venue-member organisation, which means our experienced consultants work with solely the clients' interests in mind - matching the perfect venue to our clients' conference needs is top priority.

What we believe

Our ethos at Business Retreats Australia is based on fulfilling your needs and simplifying the venue finding process for you. Our team is dynamic and driven - everyone at Business Retreats Australia possesses a genuine enthusiasm for the conference and incentives industry, and a deep commitment to our clients. We pride ourselves on the professional and personalised service that we offer, and on repeat business from loyal and satisfied clients.

Business Retreats Australia works hard to serve the needs of our clients first and foremost. We believe in a cheerful and professional approach to business, in building lasting and authentic relationships with our clients and in encouraging mutual open communication in all our business dealings.
We also play hard! All BRA team members pursue happy, healthy and active lifestyles, which we believe only adds to our enthusiastic approach to our careers.

Meet the team:

Katarina arrived in Australia under refugee status from Bosnia in 1994 and in 1998 completed a Bachelor of Arts in Tourism at RMIT University. She then commenced her career in the exhibition industry in a sales and organisational capacity for Expo Hire, Australia's major exhibition building company.

In 1999, Katarina took up a managerial position with the Tourism Council of Australia and was in charge of organising the 2000 Victorian Tourism Awards. In 2001, a position with DeakinPrime (incorporating Business Retreats Australia) was considered too good to refuse. A series of rapid changes provided Katarina and her husband Rod the opportunity to purchase Business Retreats Australia the following year. The company has been running under their successful management since July 2002.

During the last six years, Katarina has gained broad experience in the tourism industry and is a specialist in all things conferencing. The general consensus at the BRA office is that she is the Venue Queen, and possesses a special knack for matching client's conferencing needs with the extensive database of Australian conference venues and services.

He who holds the purse strings… Rod brings a background of Human Resources, Sales and Financial Services to the Business Retreats Australia mix. He holds a double degree in Business Management and Psychology from Monash University and is a Certified Financial Planner and a member of the Financial Planning Association.

As a Director of Business Retreats Australia, Rod oversees the financial management of the company and acts as a sounding board for Marketing and Operational initiatives.

Steve immigrated over to Australia from the UK in November 2005 after completing his BA Honors Degree in Travel and Tourism Management at the University of Derby. He moved over to be with his Aussie partner, Brooke. During the 2+ years since Steve moved to Australia, he gained valuable experience whilst in a contract role for the Melbourne Commonwealth Games, 2006. From 2006-07, Steve was employed by Macquarie Leisure Operations in a Business Development role focused on the management of corporate events for entertainment venues located at the Crown Entertainment Complex.

Prior to moving to Australia, Steve worked as an Account Manager for In Business Reservations – a conference and venue finding company (similar to Business Retreats Australia) in his home town of Derby. Here Steve was an account manager for many large corporate accounts and gained a valuable insight into the role, processes and procedures of the conference and events world.

Steve has an ardent passion for travel. Prior to him moving permanently to Australia to live, he has worked and traveled through North America and most of Europe, traveled through parts of South East Asia, backpacked around Australia and New Zealand and island hopped the Yasawa’s and Coral Coast regions of Fiji.

Stephanie Werner has just completed her Bachelor of Business in Tourism Management and is excited about landing her first professional role in the industry with Business Retreats Australia!

During her university studies Steph won a 6 month scholarship to study in Sweden, a rich cultural experience that proved very stimulating and rewarding, igniting her passion for travelling and meeting new people! Since then she has taken every opportunity to continue this interest, recently exploring South-East Asia.

Coupled with this she has enthusiasm for volunteering for not-for-profit human rights organisations and a keen interest in international development. She will soon also be commencing a Graduate Diploma in Public Relations, which will further nuture her love of study and learning.

Whilst being a nature lover who enjoys hiking and bike riding, Steph is also enjoying the events and tourism industry, and the adrenaline rush of working in the vibrant BRA office!