Who we are

We’re driven by success - yours, not ours.

We narrow in on the details that matter, before you even need to know about them. And we know what works, and what can go wrong. We ensure your conference experience is personalised, seamless and completely bespoke.

Find out more below about the Professional Conference Organisers that will bring your event to life.

A man with glasses and a beard wearing a checked blazer speaking at a conference podium with a large screen behind him that displays logos for the New Zealand Society on Large Dams and ANCOLD. The stage is decorated with green plants.

Meet us

We blend the efficiency that comes after more than a decade in the industry with fresh ideas and a curiosity for new creative concepts. We know the questions to ask, the boxes to tick and the stones to turn to deliver an event that leaves its mark.

Arna and Nerida are backed by a team of event specialists and support ensuring our team is big enough to devote time and energy to you and always make you a priority.

Arna Wahl Davies, Director and Client & Communications Manager at Composition. A woman with blonde hair, smiling broadly, wearing a yellow hat and a white blouse with yellow floral patterns, sitting outdoors near a porch with white railings.

DIRECTOR, CLIENT & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Arna’s love for conference management starts with the long lead-in times that allow for careful preparation through to the excitement that increases exponentially as the opening day grows closer. It also includes the feverish yet organised buzz that occurs during the event; and finally, the satisfaction gained afterwards from knowing she has fulfilled her client’s expectations.
Arna has been involved in the hospitality, event management, and professional conference organising industry for over 20 years. After a career as a chef, she refined her event management skills within one of New Zealand’s largest professional conference companies, before stepping out on her own to bring a more personal, client-focused experience to the industry.
She sees her role as providing a path and a structure for her clients to build their event around. She is energetic, keeps things on track, is a leader when required and calls on her natural unflappability to find solutions to problems, quickly and professionally.

T 03 332 4537
M 021 519 145
E arna@composition.co.nz

Nerida Ramsay, Director and Operations & Logistics Manager at Composition. Smiling woman with blonde hair wearing a blue leopard print blouse, leaning on a white railing with a house and stained glass window in the background.

DIRECTOR, OPERATIONS & LOGISTICS MANAGER
Conference delegates generally dislike conference registration; the misspelt name badges, waiting for airlines to deliver misplaced suitcases, and worrying about whether the venue’s technology will talk to their iPad or not. Not on Nerida’s watch they don’t.
Calling on a broad background in marketing, Nerida embraced her talent for event management and gained considerable experience working for an internationally renowned event management company. Teaming up with Arna to start Composition in 2009 was an opportunity to put her to ensure clients receive a truly personal and professional service.
As the Operations and Logistics Manager for Composition, she raises the standard when it comes to executing on delegate experience. She also creates unique social functions, assists in preparing event budgets and project plans and liaises with sponsors and exhibitors at the conference, ensuring everything runs smoothly and according to plan.

T 03 332 4537
M 021 519 110
E nerida@composition.co.nz

Sara Joyce, Operations Manager at Composition. A smiling woman with straight brown hair standing in front of a house with horizontal siding, wearing a bright pink blouse and white pants.

Sara’s passion for events is driven by her enjoyment of meeting new people, always doing something different, and seeing the delight on delegates’ faces as all the hard work and planning comes together and the event comes to life.
Her prior experience includes marketing, advertising and media roles in both Australia and New Zealand. While her children were young she worked in schools as a teacher aide - honing the essential event skills of people and relationship management, building connections, clear communication, and keeping on her toes for all eventualities!
Sara has stepped back into the business world as Compositon’s informally titled ‘doer of all things’, or (Operations Manager) where her creativity and great eye for detail are deployed in all manner of day to day organisational and communication tasks. Her warm, welcoming personality and fresh perspective are highly valued as Composition grows its team and clientele.

T 03 332 4537
E sara@composition.co.nz

Lydia Mounter, Administrator at Composition.A woman with short brown hair, glasses, and wearing a navy blue top standing outside in front of a house with white siding and a decorated front door.

Lydia is Composition’s administrator and general ‘office whiz’. With a varied working background that spans from Christchurch Convention Bureau in the 90s to jobs in catering and event organisation, gift experiences, and working for both university and association organisations, Lydia has a vast depth of administrative experience across the events spectrum.
After balancing roles with being a mum and caregiver, she’s back to her true passion in the conferencing space at Composition, where she is looking forward to fun times and contributing to a successful team. A natural organiser and dependable team member, Lydia is happiest when clients are happy and enjoys seeing the behind the scenes work come to fruition in the delivery of an excellent event.

T 03 332 4537
E lydia@composition.co.nz

Jen Henshaw, conference and event management team member at Composition. A woman with shoulder-length brown hair smiling in a red blouse outdoors with a modern building in the background.

Business events industry stalwart. Jen has stepped back into an event management role at Composition, building on 25 years of experience in the sector.
Jen originally started in events as a PCO before working as in-house event manager for the then-named Conventions and Incentives NZ (CINZ).
She then took a foray into the destination space with a marketing role with Auckland Convention Bureau. Following a brief tenure back with Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA) on the MEETINGS show, she joins Composition from her most recent role in leading the Business Events team with ChristchurchNZ.
“My passion is people and delivering events is really exciting to me,” Jen says, noting that on day two of her new job she’d managed a conch shell blower, bagpiper, kapa haka group, and an MP all within 15 minutes.
“The breadth of skills that I have enable me to see projects from start to finish, and one of the most rewarding things is seeing your work come to life.”

T 03 332 4537 / 021 750 366
E jen@composition.co.nz

Kelly Benison, conference management team member at Composition. A woman standing in an indoor setting, smiling, wearing a light-colored patterned blouse, black pants, and an smartwatch.

E kelly@composition.co.nz

Sharon Williams, conference management team member at Composition. A woman with shoulder-length brown hair wearing large black glasses, a light-colored patterned blouse, black pants, and a smartwatch, smiling in front of a dark, blurred background.

Your conference is all about your vision.

We listen to understand. Then we make your goals happen in a way that reflects the values and vision of your organisation. We have the knowledge and networks to execute on ambitious ideas, and with a team that quietly keeps the cogs spinning, we ensure that every touchpoint speaks volumes for your brand.

We know it’s a big deal to put your brand in our hands, and it’s a responsibility we don’t take lightly. This trust and personalised service is what has kept our clients coming back over the past 10 years.

Accreditations and memberships