IB Woman
Issue No. 28 - April/May 2006
Deal maker
Kali Hunter
by Penelope Herbert
Event management companies are common; exceptional event management companies are rare.
Business people attend many events annually ranging from gala dinners and cocktail parties to wine festivals, charity auctions and product launches, and there can be a tendency toward sameness — including the guest list.
And when Kali Hunter-Constantine and her husband, Luke, purchased the dilapidated Rymill House in 1998, an event management business was the farthest thing from Kali’s mind.
The once grand and beautiful house needed extensive renovations and with five children and the demands of restoration, the family was camping in a construction site.
“Luke was appalled that I would want to develop a business using Rymill House as a cornerstone,” says Kali, “but we were approached by a corporate business to rent part of the land for the Clipsal 500 in 1999.
“After approaches again the following year, I started to formulate a plan for a business that would provide meticulous and creative events for corporate clients. Kali Hunter Enterprises has now been providing the exclusive edge for over six years.”
With a background in clinical management, Kali is an observer of human behaviour who manages well different circumstances. But as a mother of five, she also pays attention to minute details, understands the nuances and personalities of her brood, has sharpened her perceptive skills and turned time management in to a virtual art form — all pre-requisites for a successful event manager.
However, Kali says that her business success runs much deeper than what is on the surface.
“Simply having a beautiful environment, exquisite food and award-winning wine does not make for a successful event,” she asserts.
“It requires what I call a ‘relationship transfer’ that builds the foundation for corporate loyalty and strengthens business relationships.
“I become very involved with my cli...
