We catch up with co-founder of online ticketing platform TryBooking, Delma Dunoon, although she politely declined our invitation to an arm wrestle.

The great thing about my job is…

Working with such a huge variety of people and events! In my 10+ years at TryBooking, I’ve assisted so many event organisers – from large corporations such as airlines and telecommunications right through to individuals running fundraisers.

I strive to build genuine relationships with them that last through the years.

The greatest joy I get is when event organisers come to me with a fantastic idea or concept but aren’t quite sure on how to execute it. Our team lends them some experience and ideas on how to make their event better, or raise more for their chosen charity.

Whilst we may not be working for their organisation, we’ve definitely played a part in helping them to achieve their goals.

The challenge for industry is…

Keeping fees realistic. When we started TryBooking, ticketing fees were incredibly high and there were only a few options available.

We launched with the lowest fees in the industry and our mantra was to make online ticketing affordable for everyone and for anything.

In this industry we have to be especially mindful of keeping prices low whilst growing the value of our service.

We don’t want to impact the community negatively with high fees, we want event organisers to have more money to invest back into their events, and we want them to have access to the best features.

That means staying on top of new developments in technology, being in tune with what our clients need and keeping it accessible for everyone.

​My greatest achievement is…

Being part of a start-up that has now turned over more than one billion dollars in ticket sales and in doing so, staying true to our original goals of keeping fees low.

We’ve been doing this for 10 years without needing to change our fees.

The biggest thing in MICE this year will be…

Providing value at two levels and doing more for less. Funding and sponsorship is becoming increasingly difficult to get, so it will be interesting to see how the industry innovates around that.

I try to relax by…

I struggle to sit around and do nothing, so relaxation to me is often just changing my thought process or looking at things from another angle.

I love attending client’s events – this helps me to better understand their needs and connect what we do to real situations.

When I’m not at TryBooking, I’m usually volunteering with my kid’s activities.

I don’t understand why…

There aren’t more businesses and corporations encouraging employees to get involved in the grassroots community. If we all contributed just a small amount of energy to the local causes and projects happening around us, the difference would be quite remarkable.

I would love for more employers to foster community involvement from the top-down. That would cause a great shift in perspective, that’s for sure.

My favourite venue/event is…

Port Fairy Music Festival. We’ve been involved with the Port Fairy Folk Festival for the past 8 years and the town is incredibly picturesque.

Moreover, the festival is run almost entirely by volunteers and is a major fundraiser for the community, with grants and funds raised going back to all the community groups who volunteer.

I’ve always wanted to travel to…

​Micronesia, which I hope to be able to do next year.​

I am scared to death of…

My husband is a very adventurous man and an avid ocean sailor, my greatest fear would be being caught in similar weather conditions to what he experienced during the Port Fairy Yacht Race 2012 – raging seas and wind… being a hero once in a lifetime is enough for anyone!

I can’t live without…

My friends and family. Also, I get to bond with clients every day at work and I’m lucky to call many of them my close friends now. It’s this special group of people that keep me inspired each day.

I really wish I had…

​More time in a day.​

If I could invite four people to a dinner party, they’d be…

Michelle Obama – she’s been an inspiration for women and has been a great supporter of her family and husband. Adele – she seems humble but also quite a character, let alone that amazing voice!

Glenn McGrath – his fundraising and dedication to his late wife is just incredible. And lastly, Hugh Jackman – for his homegrown talent, and he would also be a compliment to the looks around the table.

For anyone starting out in the industry one piece of advice I’d give would be ….

Set your goals early, stay true to these and build the best relationships you can with organisations/suppliers. If someone lets you down or doesn’t follow your mantra, move on and focus on the people and companies who do.

And don’t forget to look locally – the most genuine relationships I’ve built are the local ones.