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Sydney Business Events Coalition Responds to NSW Government support for visitor economy

22 Oct 2021

Today’s NSW Government announcement of $530 million to turbocharge the local visitor economy has been well received.

The advocacy of the members of the Sydney Business Events Coalition across various government bodies, Ministerial offices, aligned association groups and all tiers of government has not gone unheard.

The specific mention of the need to support business events to boost activity in the city underpins the importance of the sector’s role in revitalisating the CBD.

While we are digesting the detail, there appear to be many elements of the overall plan that will benefit business events:

  • The Event Saver Fund will help kickstart shorter lead events that are able to run this Summer.
  • The Stay and Rediscover scheme supports overnight hotel stays for event attendance.
  • The $150 million for major events will directly and indirectly support our events through the potential for direct investment or increased viability of aligned events.
  • The Aviation Attraction Fund will help support the return of those high yielding international events and international delegate attendance.

More broadly this will stimulate activity and the increased marketing of experiences in Sydney that the entire visitor economy can benefit from.

Geoff Donaghy is the Chair of the Sydney Business Events Coalition, Deputy Chair of the Business Events Council of Australia, Group Director Convention Centres for ASM Global Asia Pacific and CEO of International Convention Centre Sydney.

Together with the Committee for Sydney and Business Sydney, the Sydney Business Events Coalition comprises Sydney based members of the key association bodies and organisations representing business events: Business Events Council of Australia, Exhibition & Event Association of Australasia, Professional Conference Organisers Association, Meetings & Events Australia, Accommodation Association, Tourism Accommodation Australia and the Association of Australian Convention  Bureaux.

Geoff Donaghy, Chair of the Sydney Business Events Coalition and CEO of ICC Sydney