Friday, June 28, 2024
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Welcome to the Business Events Australia Industry Newsletter, which brings you the latest updates on Tourism Australia’s marketing and distribution efforts to support and drive demand for the business events sector in Australia.
We’re keen to hear about the latest happenings across Australia, so please keep sharing your news and updates. Feel free to contact us with any questions.
Australia next June edition
The latest edition of Australia Next magazine launched in June. This edition features the insights of an Aboriginal cultural expert on the world’s oldest continuous culture, a local guide to Melbourne/Narm and an international organizer’s perspective on Brisbane/Mianjin. Discover new destinations and places to stay, dream about sailing from Adelaide to Darwin on The Ghan, and explore Sydney with a three-day program pitch.
Designed for incentive business events organisers, this inspirational magazine is part of Tourism Australia’s strategy to increase awareness of Australia’s business events offering. It is distributed directly to consumers and promoted through trade media and paid social activities in South-South East Asia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and North America. Contact the Business Events Australia team to share your news for possible inclusion in future editions.
The Advance Program supports New Zealand Belly Lodge families
Earlier this month, Bayley Lodges hosted a select group of New Zealand’s inspiring event planners, showcasing two of Australia’s top luxury properties: the reopened Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island and The Louise in the Barossa Valley. Supported by Tourism Australia’s Advance Program, the family demonstrated why Australia is unmatched for business events.
Kangaroo Island impressed with its stunning landscapes, but it was the newly reopened Southern Ocean Lodge, the epitome of understated elegance, that really captivated the organisers. The tour continued to the Barossa Valley, where The Lewis showcased its large event space, and organizers experienced the region’s vineyards through a wine and culinary tour.
Sight International Board of Directors visit
In June, the Society of Incentive Travel Executives (SITE) International Board of Directors (IBOD) and global senior leadership team visited Sydney for their mid-year board meeting and co-hosted an industry forum with the SITE Australia and New Zealand chapter. Supported by the Advance Program, the visit allowed Tourism Australia to advocate Australia’s incentive products, with senior incentive buyers from North America and Ireland experiencing some of the country’s best opportunities. Tourism Australia also attended industry forums to gain insight into new research, trends and developments in artificial intelligence for incentive travel.
Asia activity highlights
In May, Tourism Australia demonstrated why there is nothing like Australia for business events at the China BT MICE Expo in Beijing. Joined by the Melbourne Convention Bureau and Business Events Adelaide, they held appointments with 30 MICE agencies from Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei. Tourism Australia also participated in a panel discussion on upcoming activities, including Australia Next, to be held in Cairns/Gimui in September. The tradeshow has already generated five business leads for Australia, with key industries such as insurance, automobiles and medical considering Australia as a desirable promotion destination.
Additionally, in May, the team hosted the Best Partner Program in Beijing, with Australia at the top for 20 corporates. In partnership with Bravolinks, Business Events Sydney and Singapore Airlines, guests enjoyed Australian wine tastings, dinners and updates on Australia’s business events offerings. The event generated five business leads, with group sizes ranging from 100 to 1,000 people.
Tourism Australia, along with eight convention bureaus and Singapore Airlines, held their 10th Business Events Australia seminar in Beijing. At the seminar, more than 80 buyers attended, providing the convention bureau with an opportunity to update their destinations. Insights revealed opportunities for large groups visiting Australia in 2025 and 2026, generating nine business leads with group sizes of 100 to 300 people.
National Awards of Meetings and Events Australia
Tourism Australia sponsored the Outstanding Contribution Award at the Meetings and Events Australia (MEA) National Awards at Ryges Resort Hunter Valley, presenting Scene Change co-founder Ian Whitworth with the award. Congratulations to all the winners of this year’s event.