One of Australia’s most influential figures in the venues, conventions and live entertainment industry, Harvey Lister AM, has announced he will retire after more than five decades helping shape the country’s major events landscape.
Lister will step down as President and Chief Executive Officer of Legends Global for the Asia Pacific and Middle East from 1 July 2026, before remaining with the business for the next 12 months in a senior advisory role to assist with the leadership transition and several major development projects. Long-serving Chief Operating Officer Peter Loxton will assume responsibility for the region, reporting to Legends Global Chief Executive Dan Levy.
Few executives have had a greater influence on Australia’s venue management sector. Since entering the industry in the mid-1970s, Lister has overseen businesses involved in the delivery of more than 40,000 events spanning sport, concerts, conventions, exhibitions and major international meetings.
His career has included leadership roles with organisations that managed some of Australia’s best-known venues, including the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Accor Stadium in Sydney, Suncorp Stadium, International Convention Centre Sydney, Cairns Convention Centre and Darwin Convention Centre, as well as a growing portfolio of venues throughout Asia and the Middle East.
Under Lister’s leadership, Legends Global has continued expanding across the Asia Pacific region, with the company now involved in venue management, premium hospitality and commercial services for hundreds of venues worldwide. He said the business was performing strongly and that the timing was right to hand over to the next generation of leaders.
“I was blown away by the first live show I ever saw,” Lister said, reflecting on a career that began with concert touring in Queensland during the 1970s before expanding into venue management, conventions and major international sporting events. He said he would use the next stage of his life to spend more time with his wife, Margie, who has been living with Parkinson’s disease.
Legends Global Chief Executive Dan Levy described Lister as one of the industry’s most respected leaders, crediting him with building a strong business and mentoring generations of venue professionals across Australia, Asia and the Middle East.
Although stepping away from day-to-day executive responsibilities, Lister will continue advising the company until June 2027, bringing to a close one of the longest and most influential careers in Australia’s venue, convention and live events indus