Business Events Australia Industry Update J anuary 2023

This month, Tourism Australia’s specialist unit, Business Events Australia attended 2024 PCMA Convening Leaders event in San Diego. During the program, Business Events Australia joined a session in partnership with Melbourne Convention Bureau to discuss the key learnings of Rotary International Convention (RINCON23), an event held in May 2023 that attracted 14,000 people from 120 countries to Melbourne and was supported by Tourism Australia’s Business Events Bid Fund Program. The session covered best practice from a city hosting a major business event, the challenges and learnings from delivering a large-scale conference and the sustainability efforts across the convention. For more information on RINCON23, visit the Business Events Australia website.

Tourism Australia was the major partner of the Australian Business Events Association (ABEA) Emerging Leaders Scholarship Program 2023. In December, 22 recipients received their awards at the ABEA Connect & Celebrate events held across the country, including at the International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney). Business Events Australia joined the industry panel discussion ‘What’s in store for 24’, which was moderated by Lyn Lewis-Smith, CEO of Business Events Sydney, and streamed across the events.

“It’s so important to support the ongoing development of our industry, to ensure Australia remains at the forefront in delivering high calibre business events and continues to be competitive as a business events destination internationally,” said Robin Mack, Tourism Australia’s Executive General Manager of Commercial and Business Events Australia.

Business Events Australia and airline partner Cathay Pacific attended the Distribution Times CEO Dinner, held in Beijing in December. Business Events Australia was the only destination in attendance and had the opportunity to share an Australia update with 35 CEOs and leaders of direct selling companies and distribution channels. Six business leads were generated for Australia during the event, with group sizes ranging from 500 to 1,000 people.

Results indicate Tourism Australia’s signature incentive showcase, Dreamtime 2023, was a great success, with delegates indicating in the post event survey they were 100 per cent satisfied with Dreamtime 2023 and 100 per cent more likely to consider Australia for groups. The event, held in partnership with Business Events Adelaide, from 7 to 9 November 2023, was a multifaceted event that included nine pre and post familisations across Australia, highlighting Australia’s unique offering and event capabilities to 77 international incentive planners and 14 media. A case study of the showcase, including a highlights video, information on Tourism Australia’s commitment to sustainability and feedback from attendees, is available on theBusiness Events Australia website. Save the date for the upcoming showcase, Australia Next, which will be held in Cairns/Gimuy from 8 to 11 September 2024.

Throughout the year, Tourism Australia offers the Australian business events industry opportunities to meet and do business with qualified international business events planners and decision makers. This includes delivering events exclusively for industry to attend, such as the upcoming Business Events Australia USA Roadshow, to be held from 4 to 10 March 2024. The Roadshow, which covers three cities (Salt Lake City, Minneapolis and Chicago), will provide industry with the opportunity to promote their offering to corporate/incentive and association business events planners in each destination, and concludes with attendance at the Successful Meetings University International (SMU) event in New York.

In addition to our own events, Tourism Australia provides a platform at trade shows such as, IMEX Frankfurt, Europe’s key exhibition for incentive travel, meetings and events, which will be held from 14 to 16 May 2024. Join Business Events Australia on the Australia stand and meet planners from the conference, convention and corporate events industries.

For more information on upcoming activity, visit the Business Events Australia website.