New Business Events Australia team to join forces with industry at IMEX America

LAS VEGAS, NV – Exciting and unprecedented infrastructure developments in Australia will be showcased at IMEX America by Tourism Australia’s new, dedicated business events team for the North America market and an expert team of Australian industry partners.

Business Events Manager Americas, Paul Griffin, and Business Events Specialist Americas, Chris Ingram, bring a wealth of knowledge about Australia and the business events market to their respective roles. Being key contacts for North American business events planner and buyers, they can help associations and businesses to tap into Australia’s expanding role as Asia Pacific’s leading business events destination. Based in Boston and Los Angeles respectively, the newly appointed team will offer coast to coast coverage in North America.

Paul and Chris will be joined on stand 2633 at IMEX America by a 28-strong delegation of destination experts from around Australia, who will bring their knowledge to stand visitors at the event. This remarkable array of outstanding products, including airlines, destinations, convention centers, event spaces, professional conferences organizers and destination management companies will all help to demonstrate not only the range, but the depth of Australia’s business events offering.

Tourism Australia’s General Manager of Business Events, Penny Lion said, “Australia is currently undergoing a dramatic period of development in its business events infrastructure. When you add the fact that it’s also a key gateway to the major markets of Asia, and a leader in several industry sectors, it makes Australia an unbeatable combination for both the incentive market, and association events. All our stand partners are ready to inspire delegates to choose Australia by bringing this combination to life at IMEX USA.”

“With a brand new, dedicated business events team based on both USA coasts, we are in prime position to work with North American buyers and highlight the very latest developments in infrastructure, incentive experiences and products – all of which will deliver outstanding outcomes for any event held in Australia,” said Ms Lion.

Partners on the Australia stand include Business Events Sydney and the soon to be completed International Convention Centre Sydney, due to open in December 2016. The ICC Sydney is key to the complete revitalisation of the Darling Harbour precinct, which will include a new 600 room hotel by 2017 and completely reimagined public spaces. Part of the new builds daily changing the face of Darling Harbour, stand partner Four Points by Sheraton Sydney Darling Harbour will deliver a total of 900 rooms, including 230 new rooms in a purpose built tower, by the end of 2015.

Still on the east Australian coast, G20 hosts Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre and Brisbane Convention Bureau also bring news to IMEX USA with the redevelopment of the Queen’s Wharf riverside precinct promising event spaces for over 60,000 people in total and new hotel builds delivering 1100 new hotel rooms.

Melbourne Convention Centre, who will soon commence Stage Two of their redevelopment to include more multi-purpose convention and exhibition facilities and retail spaces, will also be on the stand, along with the Melbourne Convention Bureau.

Perth Convention Bureau will bring all the latest news on the Western Australian capital, including the Elizabeth Quay redevelopment, which will cover nearly 10 hectares of prime land in central Perth, and feature boardwalks and promenades fringed by an entertainment and retail precinct.

Visitors to the stand will also be able to get updates on products, experiences and infrastructure developments from Arinex, Australian Technology Park Sydney, Cairns Convention Centre, Crown Resorts, Hilton Sydney, ID Events Australia, CC: Your Australian DMC, One&Only Resorts, Ovation Australia, qualia – Great Barrier Reef, The Star Sydney, Virgin Australia, and Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia.

“Our stand partners represent an incredible cross-section of experiences, destinations and products,” said Ms Lion. “And it is further demonstration that Australia really does deliver when it comes to the variety of our offering, the professionalism of our industry, the strength of our knowledge sectors and the absolute satisfaction of any delegate who joins a program in Australia. It’s a win-win situation for organisers and their guests.”

“There is so much happening in Australia right now and visitors to our stand at IMEX USA will benefit from the wealth of business events knowledge and experience on the stand. We can’t wait to help delegates discover why Australia should be their next event destination,” said Ms Lion.

QUICK FACTS

Australia welcomed a total of 631,000 international business event delegates for the year ending December 2014, with a total expenditure of AUD2.5bn (up 8% on 2013).

The United States is the highest spending market for business events in Australia, with AUD329m in spend in the year ending December 2014.

The United States is Australia’s second biggest market in terms of business events arrivals with 107,000 visitors last year.