Since graduating with her Bachelor of Tourism Management degree in 2004, Kira Grantham has been making a path for herself in the Event Management industry. For over a decade, Kira has climbed her way up the ladder, as a receptionist with the National Convention Centre (NCC) in Canberra and now as their Senior Event Coordinator.

As the Senior Event Coordinator, Kira is critical in overseeing new events from start to finish. Whether it's setting up a small meeting for 30 people or coordinating a concert for thousands, Kira's dedication to her craft has earned her numerous awards, including a personal average of 4.5 out of 5 on the NCC customer satisfaction survey. Not only is Kira leading the way in event planning and management, she has also written the training guide for NCC event coordinators, now used on a daily basis.

Before taking her Senior Event Coordinator position, Kira broadened her horizons by working as a Booking and Promotions Manager with Warrambui Retreat & Conference Centre, in Murrumbateman. In this role, Kira not only booked events, but also performed human resource and accounting duties.

Although she was unsure how to jump start her career after graduating, Kira credits her Tourism Management degree as helping her get to where she is today. "The tourism management degree I undertook covered many aspects of the industry, and I think it helped me realise more of the areas I wanted to focus on. It helped highlight to me where my personal passions lay, and how I could step into these areas of events, communications and PR with the knowledge gained through my studies," Kira says. "The lecturers and tutors all had a passion and active interest in what they were teaching, which helped challenge me and give me something valuable to take away from each class."