The latest edition of Australia Next, an inspirational magazine tailored for incentive business events planners launched in August. The magazine, which forms part of Tourism Australia’s business events marketing strategy to inspire and drive awareness of Australia’s business events offering, is shared directly to customers and promoted across a trade media program in South-South East Asia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and North America. In this edition, business events planners discover a three-day program pitch for the Gold Coast and surrounds, hear from a local on the best place to go in Hobart, uncover corporate social responsibility initiatives that provide groups the opportunity to maintain Australia’s pristine environment, and discover the latest venues, experiences and accommodation options. Get in touch with the Business Events Australia team to share your news and updates for potential inclusions in future editions.

Tourism Australia continues to support the Bid Fund Program, with an additional boost of A$4 million to support bids for events being held up to 2029. Since January 2023, there have been 28 new Bid Fund Program supported event wins with an economic impact of A$172 million. For every dollar Tourism Australia invests into the Bid Fund Program, the return on investment for Australia is $50.

Twenty-seven international events supported by the Bid Fund Program have been held throughout the last 12 months, attracting more than 41,700 international delegates to Australia. Some key events include the Sydney WorldPride Human Rights Conference held in March 2023, the Rotary International Convention, which saw more than 14,000 delegates gather in Melbourne in May this year, and the International Aids Society (AIS) Conference on HIV Science, which was held in Brisbane at the end of July.

Upcoming events supported by the program include the Herbalife India Incentive, which was recently announced and is expected to bring more than 3,000 international delegates to Melbourne in 2023. For more information on the Bid Fund Program visit here.

Tourism Australia partnered with MMGY Travel Intelligence for the third wave of its Portrait of European Meeting & Convention Travel. The research examines the mindsets, intentions and preferences of both delegates and professional planners. To help inform our strategy to drive demand from our key markets and support industry in the process, Tourism Australia contributed custom questions to the research with the results indicating the barriers to holding a business event in Australia were distance, associated costs of travel, and costs associated with holding an event. The research also indicated that delegates were more likely to attend meetings in Australia with a longer timeframe. Research key findings can be found on the Business Events Australia website.

Tourism Australia attended the Society of Incentive Travel Executives (SITE) ANZ Chapter's Incentivise Live 2023 annual conference in August and sponsored the keynote session presented by Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM, a doctor, lawyer, disability advocate, researcher and 2021 Queensland Australian of the Year. During the conference, Tourism Australia's Executive General Manager Commercial & Business Events Australia, Robin Mack, also took to the stage for a Q&A session around current incentive trends and the future outlook of business events in Australia.

Tourism Australia recently hosted two international business events media in Australia during the FIFA Women’s World Cup to highlight Australia’s capabilities of delivering world class events in the lead up to the Brisbane Olympics in 2032.

Hosted in partnership with Tourism and Events Queensland and Brisbane Economic Development Agency (BEDA), New Zealand publication Meeting Newz had the opportunity to experience new product in Brisbane, including an update on Queen’s Wharf Brisbane. The publication also visited Melbourne.

Association publication, Headquarters was hosted on a famil in partnership with Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, BEDA, Business Events Cairns & Great Barrier Reef and Cairns Convention Centre. During their time in Australia, the journalist attended the 12th IAS Conference on HIV Science in Brisbane, received an update on the developments in the city in the lead up to the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, and had the opportunity to experience first-hand the redeveloped Cairns Convention Centre.