Business Events Adelaide has announced that business events secured for South Australia in the last financial year reached an all-time high. At their Annual General Meeting, held at Immersive Light and Art (ILA) on 6 November, chair Ian Horne revealed that 174 future business events had been secured, worth a record $336m to the State economy.
“It is extremely pleasing, in my first year as chair, to be able to report on a year of such strong achievement. Attracting 174 business events and more than 60,000 delegates to Adelaide – filling city hotels along the way – boosts the State economy and provides an enduring economic tail of meaningful connections and commercial opportunity,” Horne said.
Horne also announced that new figures, reviewed by the South Australian Centre for Economic Studies, show that interstate and overseas delegates spend $1,165 a day whilst in Adelaide for a business event.
“There has long been a concern that the economic model has not kept pace with an increase in delegate spend, driven notably by some high-quality additions to Adelaide’s hotel room supply that has increased both demand and the average daily room rate. We feel confident that this update to our economic model reflects the true impact of a business event to our State,” he added.
Minister for tourism Zoe Bettison said: “Business Events like conferences and conventions are the bread and butter of our visitor economy, filling our hotels throughout the week with business delegates spending significantly more per person than leisure visitors.”
Business Events Adelaide CEO Damien Kitto shared: “With the investment in infrastructure – both redeveloped and new hotels, products and experiences – and a strong economic narrative in a range of key industry sectors, Adelaide now offers an enviable blend of big city capability with a boutique, compact feel”.
For more information, visit www.businesseventsadelaide.com.au
