Key facts
- Tourism Australia and a delegation of leading Australian tourism operators are in Barcelona to attend EIBTM, the leading global event for meetings, incentives and business events.
- Australia continues to be a destination of choice for European business event planners.
- Key European markets are showing encouraging signs of growth despite the economic environment.
Key quotes
- “Australia continues to be a destination of choice for European business event planners” Penny Lion, Head of Business Events Australia, Tourism Australia
Full story
2012-11-28 — /travelprnews.com/ — Tourism Australia and a delegation of leading Australian tourism operators are in Barcelona to attend EIBTM, the leading global event for meetings, incentives and business events.
“Australia continues to be a destination of choice for European business event planners,” said Penny Lion, Head of Business Events Australia – the specialist business events marketing arm of Tourism Australia.
“Key European markets are showing encouraging signs of growth despite the economic environment. We have seen an eight per cent increase in arrivals from the UK for instance, with close to 60,000 delegates coming to Australia for a business event in the year ending 30 September 2012,” Lion added.
With significant developments in infrastructure and services taking place throughout the country, the EIBTM Australian delegation – Business Events Sydney, The Star, Melbourne Convention and Visitor Bureau, Adelaide Convention Centre, Arinex, and Cairns Convention Centre – is joining forces to showcase Australia to delegates from over 150 countries.
Here are just some of the new developments from Australia that will be talked about at EIBTM:
Sydney goes ‘centre stage’ with world-class facilities
Sydney is cementing its position as a premier destination for major international events with the creation of the Sydney International Convention, Exhibition and Entertainment Precinct (SICEEP), a 20-hectare development that will offer world-class facilities for convention, exhibition and entertainment events.
The precinct will feature 40,000 square metres of exhibition space, flexible plenary spaces with a combined capacity of 10,000, and dedicated banqueting facilities for up to 2,000 delegates. Due to open in 2016, the site will also feature a new hotel along with retail, food and beverage outlets.
Sydney race goers get million dollar treatment
An A$150 million dollar upgrade to Sydney’s Royal Randwick racecourse will set a new benchmark for sporting entertainment in 2013. Featuring 18 bars and lounges, offering a range of dining style options, the new development will usher in a new era of post-race entertainment options.
The existing stands will be replaced with a state-of-the-art, five-level grandstand housing a selection of function spaces including a 1,000 seat ballroom. An adjacent outdoor amphitheatre set in a landscaped concourse will accommodate 4,500 people for concerts and live shows under Sydney’s stars. The new events venue will be complimented by a four-star, 170-room hotel with conference facilities and a pool deck with incomparable views of the track on one side and the city skyline on the other.
Construction underway at Sydney’s A$6 billion Barangaroo complex
Located on the western edge of Sydney’s central business district, Barangaroo is a 22-hectare former container port that is being transformed into an A$6billion extension of the harbour city.
Lauded as one of the most ambitious and significant waterfront greening projects in the world, Barangaroo will include an iconic landscaped Headland Park, multiple dining options, commercial office towers and apartments. The development will also feature a six-star resort and casino which is expected to welcome guests in 2018.
New events centre worth its weight in stars
Opening January 2013, The Star’s new multi-purpose events centre will boast breathtaking views of Sydney Harbour and the city skyline. Created by Sceno Plus, the venue will accommodate all types of events from meetings, seminars, trade shows and exhibitions to gala dinners and awards ceremonies.
The A$100 million facility will feature state-of-the-art technology and a magnificent glass structure designed by internationally renowned architects Fitzpatrick and Partners. It will be located on the rooftop of The Star above 20 signature restaurants, bars and cafes and the five-star boutique hotel and spa, The Darling which was recently awarded best international new hotel for design and construction at the International Hotel Awards.
Melbourne to host International AIDS Conference 2014
Melbourne has recently announced that it will host the International AIDS Conference 2014 – the largest medical conference ever held in Australia. The conference is expected to attract more than 14,000 delegates including those working in the field of HIV, policymakers, people living with HIV and others committed to ending the epidemic.
Melbourne was selected as host due to the city’s reputation as an international leader in medical innovation, especially in AIDS research, prevention and clinical care. The city was also selected as host thanks to its world class facilities and infrastructure including the award-winning Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
A $350 million dollar expansion puts picturesque Adelaide on display
Taking advantage of South Australia’s beautiful landscape, the Adelaide Convention Centre has opened four new function rooms overlooking the River Torrens. The expansion includes the Riverbank Foyer which opens directly onto the Riverbank precinct and provides the ideal location for cocktail functions, or as a pre-function space adjacent to new meeting rooms.
The design of the Centre is inspired by the South Australian landscape, in particular the layers, striations and colours of the cliffs, rock formations and escarpments of the Flinders Ranges. Three distinctly individual buildings seamlessly interconnect to host a single major event, or three separate events concurrently.
Arinex to manage International Conference for Tropical Medicine and Malaria
One of Australia’s leading specialists in conferences, events, incentives and destination management, Arinex, has been appointed to manage the International Conference for Tropical Medicine and Malaria. The conference will be held at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre in 2016 and will bring over 2,000 of the world’s leading tropical medicine experts to Queensland.
Cairns steps up for 2013
China Eastern Airlines has announced direct flights from China to Cairns, providing international delegates with additional options when travelling from Cairns to Europe, complementing existing European routes via Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Osaka and Auckland.
The Cairns Convention Centre is getting ready to host more than 12,000 delegates in 2013 which will result in 125,000 hotel bookings. Major events include the 11th World Convention of the International Confederation; the International Symposium on Plasma Chemistry and the International Society for Gastrointestinal Tumours (InSIGHT 2013). The venue has also been selected to host the 2014 Meeting of the G20 Finance Ministers.
The centre’s popularity is thanks to its accessibility, unique environmental design and proximity to natural wonders – the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest.
For any media enquiries or high res imagery, please contact:
Sophie Moll, Ogilvy Public Relations, +612 8281 3868, sophie@pulsecom.com.au
For information and ideas on holding business events in Australia visit www.businessevents.australia.com
Contacts
Tourism Australia
Kim Moore
Public Affairs Manager
P. 61 2 9361 1306
E. kmoore@tourism.australia.com
W. http://www.media.australia.com
###