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February CEO Update

01 Mar 2019

This February marked the release of our 2018 results, and confirmation of another successful year that surpassed our financial targets as well as economic and community contributions.

Delegate expenditure increased to A$820 million, generating more than 1.57 million overnight stays in Sydney by 1.3 million visitors to over 700 events. Our EY Sweeney-led delegate satisfaction ratings reached a near-perfect 99%, and our high employee engagement score is linked to our high client satisfaction rating, which hit 97%.

Beyond the numbers, we are proud to have also delivered meaningful impacts across the Sydney community. From being the first convention centre in Australia to launch a Reconciliation Action Plan, to enriching our multi-streamed Legacy Program and providing team members with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed.

I was privileged to present our second cohort of students from a First Nations pre-employment program students with their graduation certificates, a program delivered in partnership with Eora College and TAFE NSW. And I’m pleased to report all graduates have been offered roles and their on-boarding process is underway.

To be recognised by our industry is one of the greatest compliments, so we were thrilled to take home three awards at the 2019 NSW Meetings and Events Australia (MEA) Awards this week: Best Venue – capacity over 500, the Education and Training Award, and Event Manager of the Year, the latter being awarded to  Dewi Gutierrez. These wins are testament to the passion and expertise of our team and their commitment to driving success for our clients.

Warm regards
Geoff Donaghy