The Caloundra Events Centre in the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, Australia, is to receive a AU$6m redevelopment. The work will include refurbishment of the foyer, box office, bars and function rooms, acoustic treatment for the theatre walls and ceiling, and also dividing walls between the main theatre and the Glasshouse Room. From CIM News Magazine…
Hospitality education institution Le Cordon Bleu is offering a convention and event management degree to students at its new school in Perth, Australia. The Bachelor of Business (Convention and Event Management) will include two six-month industry placements. 90 percent of Le Cordon Bleu graduates in Australia secure employment within six months of finishing their degrees. From CIM New Magazine…
While the meetings industry usually clusters around big cities, the New South Wales Government in Australia has just announced a new conferencing strategy to drive more business events to rural and regional destinations. The AU$6 million plan was launched in Tamworth, one of the smaller cities to benefit from the shift in thinking. From Association Meetings International…
A year ago the Perth Convention Bureau created a strategy to target corporate and incentive groups, and set itself a four-year goal of taking its market from ten percent to 32 percent. PCB CEO Paul Beeson now says this share has been achieved in just a single year, filling the city’s increased accommodation supply. From CIM News Magazine…
A new survey shows that skills shortages are heavily affecting the business events industry. The survey – coordinated by Meetings and Events Australia (MEA) in partnership with the Australian Association of Convention Bureaux (AACB) and the Exhibition and Events Association of Australasia (EEAA) – found half of respondents having trouble recruiting qualified professionals. From CIM News Magazine…
A South African dietitian has lodged a complaint with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission about a “bogus” medical conference she paid a considerable sum to attend. Elizabeth Fourie claims the Obesity and Endocrinology Congress in Melbourne presented research that was not properly analysed, and that nearly half of the speakers failed to turn up. From CIM Magazine…
The Laguna lifestyle development about to be built by George Group and Pointcorp in North Lakes above Brisbane is to feature a convention and events centre. The venue will boast five interconnected spaces and be able to host meetings of up to 720 delegates. The developers say its uniqueness will be as part of the wider Laguna community. From CIM Magazine…
The gleaming new ICC Sydney has just hosted the 2017 Annual Conference of the International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC). As well as being a prime example of what a modern centre should itself be, the entire Darling Harbour redevelopment precinct was also the perfect setting for a theme of “Transformation”. From CIM News Magazine…
“Transformation” was the theme of the 2017 Annual Conference of the International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC). The transformed meetings industry landscape of Sydney, Australia, was the setting… and at its heart the gleaming new venue of ICC Sydney. Among the speakers was Professor Greg Clark, whose city perspective was also a recent highlight of IMEX. From Boardroom…
The Cairns Convention Centre – which has twice been named “World’s Best Congress Centre” at the International Association of Congress Centres (AIPC) APEX Awards – is to receive AU$176m to fund an expansion that will make it a “state-of-the-art international venue”, according to Queensland Treasurer Curtis Pitt. He called the government money a “catalytic investment”. From CIM News Magazine…
The first of a series of high-level academic case studies investigating meetings legacies has been published on The Iceberg and Business Events World. The report has been prepared as part of the Joint Meetings Industry Council’s Case Study Program – see the video below – and adheres to strict academic criteria. It is research-based, includes valid measurable data, and…
This research by Business Events Sydney (BESydney) demonstrates that business events offer delegates unrestricted exposure to innovative ideas and opportunities to develop new knowledge and skills. Part of the Beyond Tourism Benefits series, the new study by the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) – Conferences: Catalysts for Thriving Economies – provides further evidence showing that…
The AIPC Annual Conference offers global insights on emerging issues and conditions with the specific experiences and insights of industry experts and member centres to create comprehensive, practical outcomes with both immediate and long term applications.
Australia has announced that two new temporary visas will make it harder to enter the country’s labour market. The current four-year 457 visa is being scrapped. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said jobs and Australians had to come first, amid concerns that key workers from abroad are crucial to the hospitality sector and wider tourism industry. From CIM News Magazine…
In an emerging economy, sometimes the most valuable role a convention centre can play is one that, while essential to its own success, is also a generator of transferrable skills that will support development in many adjacent areas of the local economy. Such is the case with the Borneo Convention Centre in Kuching, Sarawak, where…
The Association of AACB’s latest analysis of bids won, bids lost and the bid pipeline highlights that while its members have secured 360 international business events in the Forward Calendar (as at July 2016), 235 bids had been lost for the next decade. This lost business is estimated to be valued at AU$805m in direct…
Australia is missing out on AU$805m of convention business across the coming decade, according to the Association of Australian Convention Bureaux. The AACB says a national convention bid fund – and easier visa access – are key to future economic success. From CIM News Magazine (the report “Business Events: Delivering Economic Prosperity for Australia” is in our Research section)…
The AIPC Annual Conference offers global insights on emerging issues and conditions with the specific experiences and insights of industry experts and member centres to create comprehensive, practical outcomes with both immediate and long term applications.
As the Australian economy shifts from mining to services, it is becoming important to invest in other industries. Business Events Sydney Chief Executive, Lyn Lewis-Smith says Australia needs to increase investment so we can remain competitive and attract more global business events. If Australia means business when it comes to boosting the economy, connecting industry…
This report focuses on the economic value of international business events facilitated by Australia’s network of convention bureaux – this is a subset of the broader business events sector, which is referenced in early parts of this report for context and comparison. Australia’s International Business Events Sector: the Economic and Strategic Value Proposition
International business events play a significant role in building a stronger, more productive and more diverse Australian economy. Around the world, business events are being used as strategic tools for attracting trade, investment and global talent. Governments invest in and support the business event sector because they recognise the high yield and long-term benefits accruing…
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