EventsAir
Chris Ridd
EventsAir
Chris joined EventsAir as CEO in September 2022 and has over 30 years’ experience in the IT industry including 5 years as Managing Director for Xero Australia and 15 years at Microsoft in various senior executive roles.
He led Xero’s expansion in the Australian market from a small startup to become the largest online cloud accounting software company, growing from seven staff and 4,500 customers, to 270 staff and 320,000 paying customers.
In 2015, Chris was awarded The CEO Magazine’s Financial Services Executive of the Year & Runner Up in Managing Director of the Year.
+ 61 1300 236 848
Eight Mile Plains, QLD
About EventsAir
For over 30 years, EventsAir has been developing innovative software solutions and services for the event management industry, creating one of the most comprehensive event management platforms that is trusted by event professionals around the world.
Designed by event planners for event planners, the EventsAir platform gives you the ability to manage your event, conference, meeting or function with ease. From the most important task to the smallest detail, every aspect is covered, including; Communications, Event Websites, Registrations, Travel & Accommodation, Onsite Tools, Mobile Attendee Apps, Speaker, Exhibitor and Sponsor Management, to Budgeting and Reporting. Built on the highly secure and scalable Microsoft Azure cloud-based platform, you have total control of your event anywhere anytime in real time across all devices.
Trevor Gardiner developed EventsAir to empower the event architect in you. “You are equipped with all the tools you will need to manage any event all in one place. Our platform has been designed with a security first methodology and offers PCI compliance plus a GDPR toolkit to assist with setting your data protection regulations”.
EventsAir has been used by professional conference organizers and event planners around the world supporting medium to large scale events including Industry Associations, Corporate Events, Government Conferences, University facultie.
From Microsoft to Xero to EventsAir: Transforming Business Culture and Innovation with Chris Ridd
What happens in this episode?
Chris Ridd is a seasoned business executive with over 30 years of experience in the IT industry, excelling across disciplines such as general management, sales, marketing, strategic planning, and people management. As the CEO of EventsAir, Chris is spearheading the company’s growth in a post-pandemic era, leveraging his extensive expertise to enhance the world’s most powerful event management platform.
With a distinguished career that includes 15 years at Microsoft and transformative leadership as Managing Director of Xero Australia, Chris scaled Xero from a start-up to Australia’s largest cloud accounting software, growing from 4,500 to over 320,000 paying customers in just five years. Recognized with accolades such as the Stevie Awards for Executive of the Year and Innovator of the Year, Chris is celebrated for his strategic vision, decisive execution, and ability to build high-performance teams.
Now at EventsAir, Chris applies his passion for technology and leadership to empower event planners worldwide. EventsAir, with its 30+ years of innovation, has redefined event management by providing cutting-edge solutions that deliver the WOW factor. Under Chris’s leadership, the company continues to transform the industry with bold initiatives like the OnAIR platform, which revolutionized virtual and hybrid events in response to global challenges.
With a strong focus on community, inclusivity, and customer-centric innovation, Chris Ridd and EventsAir are at the forefront of creating unforgettable event experiences. Whether it’s live, virtual, or hybrid, EventsAir enables event planners to break barriers and set new standards in the ever-evolving world of event technology.
