We have appointed two new Business Events team members based in the United States of America (USA).

Director Business Events, North America
Eric Edmunds has been appointed to lead Business Events in North America and is based in the Los Angeles office. Having previously worked across hotel, digital and DMC organisations with a business events focus, Eric brings with him a deep portfolio of relationships across the business events sector, as well as strong leadership in both sales and marketing.

Business Development Manager
Chris Achacoso has been appointed as Business Development Manager and will re-join the Tourism Australia team on July 31st. Chris was previously with the Tourism Australia team from 2018 to 2021 in the role of Business Events Specialist, and has since worked as Associate Director, Americas for Business Events Sydney. Chris will be based in New York and will support Eric on the delivery of the North America strategy as well as supporting Tourism Australia’s business events market activities in the United Kingdom.

Australian industry seller registrations for Dreamtime 2023 are now open. Dreamtime is Tourism Australia’s signature incentive showcase, designed to increase awareness of Australia as an outstanding incentive destination.

Presented in partnership with Business Events Adelaide, the event provides the Australian business events industry the opportunity to connect with qualified incentive buyers from ten markets, while showcasing Australia’s best incentive experiences and products.

Dreamtime 2023 will be held in Adelaide/Tarntanya, South Australia from 7 to 10 November 2023. For more information and to register, visit the Business Events Australia website.

Reminder applications are now open for Tourism Australia’s international business events partnership initiative, the Advance Program 2023/24. The program provides the opportunity for Australian industry to partner with Tourism Australia to deliver industry-led marketing or distribution projects focused on international business events. 

For more information, including eligibility, how to apply online, and examples of the projects the Advance Program supports, visit the Business Events Australia website. Applications close at 5pm AEST on Monday 31 July 2023.

In May, Tourism Australia hosted international planners and media on two famil visits to experience some of Australia’s unique business events offerings and to promote the wealth of new product available across the country. At the start of June, planners and media from New Zealand were hosted on a famil trip from Adelaide to Darwin onboard The Ghan, where attendees had the opportunity to experience the Australian outback and some of central Australia’s iconic destinations. The program was hosted in partnership with NT Business Events and Journey Beyond Rail.

In June, planners from the USA were welcomed to Sydney and Hayman Island to experience what each destination has to offer for business events, on a famil trip hosted in partnership with Intercontinental Sydney, Intercontinental Hayman Island and ID Events. Attendees experienced some of Australia’s unique business events offerings, from snorkeling in crystal clear waters to exploring Sydney’s icons.

On 9 June, a Business Events Australia Seminar was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, as part of Business Events Australia’s partnership with Singapore Airlines aimed at promoting business events travel to Australia. Fifty-six agents from Malaysia joined the Seminar, along with four Australian Convention Bureaux. Attendees also had the opportunity to experience Australian coffee culture and discover local produce, cheeses, desserts and more. 

Throughout the month of June, Business Events Australia Seminars were also held in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai in China.

Registration is open to join the Australia stand at IMEX America, 16 to 19 October 2023 in Las Vegas. IMEX America is the USA’s largest meetings industry trade show, attracting thousands of professionals from around the world. For more information on Australia’s trade show activity, visit the Business Events Australia website.