Colin Drake is a senior lecturer within the Victoria University Business School.

Colin joined VU in 2010 and is a teaching and research academic, specialising in tourism and event management and marketing. Currently he chairs the Event Management discipline in the Bachelor of Business program and supervises Honours, Master and PhD students. Colin has taught in Germany, Malaysia and the UK and was also the Director for the Business School’s MBA program (2015-2020).

He is a Churchill Fellow, a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and was awarded the Wallmans Lawyers MBA prize for E-Business in 2005 from the University of Adelaide.

Prior to entering academe, Colin spent 25 years in the corporate sector as well as establishing a successful event management company. Colin has held a range of management and marketing roles in the events, aviation, tourism and hospitality sectors in Australia, UK and New Zealand and has served on tourism and commercial boards.

Portfolios

Areas of expertise

  • Event management
  • Tourism
  • Marketing communications
  • Corporate social responsibility

Contact details

+61 (3) 9919 9551
[email protected]

Publications

Robertson, M., Drake, C. (2026) “Efficacy of the SDGs for business events: perspectives of leaders in the city of Melbourne” CAUTHE: Cultivating Cohesion and Connection Through Tourism, Hospitality and Events, Adelaide, 9 Feb 2026 - 12 Feb 2026. CAUTHE 2026: Proceedings of the 36th Conference. Council for Australasian Tourism and Hospitality Education, Adelaide

Blaer, M., Drake, C. (2026) “Namaste Westside: Indian diaspora and visiting friends and relatives in Melbourne's west” CAUTHE: Cultivating Cohesion and Connection Through Tourism, Hospitality and Events, Adelaide, 9 Feb 2026 - 12 Feb 2026. CAUTHE 2026: Proceedings of the 36th Conference. Council for Australasian Tourism and Hospitality Education, Adelaide

Natoli, R., Nguyen, V.K., Gamage, A., Pyke, J. de Lacy, T., Nguyen, TH, Drake, C. (2025) “The impact of organisational resilience and government communications on the well-being of SME tourism operators” Bottom Line 38(4):415-433 

Kitchen E, Goh E, Steriopoulos E, Harkison T, Drake, C., Robertson, M., Losekoot E, Waterston L. (2025) Studies in Higher Education 50(11):2448-2466 

Lockstone-Binney, L., Robertson, M., Drake, C., Lee, J. D. (2024) “An Investigation of the Rotation Patterns of International Association Meetings and Events, Event Management 

Aljabr, M., Garma, R., Drake, C. (2023) “Exploring Customers’ Attitudes and Behaviours towards using Mobile Marketing Before During and After Restaurants in Saudia Arabia” Journal of Business and Social Development 10(2) 1-18

View Colin's publications in Victoria University's Research Repository.

Professional membership