AUSTRALASIA – Tourism Australia was one of the exhibitors making a big splash in Las Vegas at the second annual IMEX America trade show this week. Twenty stand partners attended this year, up from 16 in 2011 reflecting the importance of the US market to Australia’s MICE industry, which showed an 18 per cent increase in business in the year to July 2012.
“Australia is hot on the radar for US business events, and is committed to assisting US business event organisers to send their clients to Australia,” said Head of Business Events Australia, Penny Lion.
“We are seeing strong interest and confirmed busienss from the United States for Australia’s luxury incentive and large conference destinations. The market is definitely recovering from the impact of the economic downturn and, as we can see from the size of our presence at IMEX America, Australian suppliers are eager to invest in the United States,” Lion added.
Sue Hocking, General Manager of Venue Sales and Marketing at The Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland, introduced at a press conference on 10 October the new AU$59m (US$60.6m) Royal International Convention Centre project, which is set to open in March 2013. The RICC will give Australia’s ‘New World City’ its second convention centre.
Hocking said 120 events had already been booked in to the RICC ahead of the opening. The project, she added, was part of a $3bn regeneration programme in the city.
Eva Sorban of the Brisbane Convention Bureau (BCB) claimed also at IMEX America that Brisbane had “the fastest growing economy in the developed world”.
The city has set up a task force to prepare for the G20 summit meeting in 2014 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC), which is undergoing a $140m makeover.
The BCB also announced the launch of its Business Event Planner Directory and is also promising to equip planners with a new tool kit soon.
The refurbishments in the BCEC, says its Manager of International Convention Bidding, Alison Gardiner, mean it is now able to target smaller conferences for 200-600 delegates.
Gardiner confirmed 24 international scientific meetings had been confirmed since January 2012, with a further 12 in the pipeline.
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