Australia’s Business Events Week 2016 speaks with one voice

Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) has announced the return of Business Events Week 2016, from 21-26 February. It is an initiative designed to profile the Australian national business events industry, this year under the theme ‘With One Voice’. https://www.www.c-mw.net/aime-prepares-big-welcome-event-at-400-city-road/ The Asia Pacific Meetings & Incentives Expo (AIME) is the centre piece of Business Events Week and it takes place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre during the week. Karen Bolinger, MCB chief executive officer has estimated the value of business events to the Australian economy at A$28bn (US$20bn) and says: “Highlighting the contribution of this sector and planning how we can continue to grow it is the central purpose of Business Events Week. The theme this year, ‘With One Voice’, demonstrates that as an industry we are united”. Significantly this year, there will be a convergence of Australia’s business events leaders at the first ever Business Events Council of Australia (BECA) Policy Summit on 23 February. The driving forces behind the Summit hope the final agreed priority policies will give the industry a platform to speak with one voice to government. “This Federal election year we will lobby strongly for the growth of this important sector,” says Matt Hingerty, chair of the BECA board. Bolinger adds that the new research from MCB examined conference organiser spend. “Using a sample of 10 events we found organiser spend of A$4.9m on each international association conference. This is over and above what delegates spend,” she notes. International conferences in the health and medical sectors are the most valuable, with the average spend approximately 25% higher than for other types of conferences, Bolinger adds. Other key events billed as a part of Business Events Week include: ICCA International Meetings Foundation Seminar, 21-22 February; Women in Leadership/Women in Business, 22 February; Open Space, 25 February. For a full programme of the Week’s events visit: http://www.melbournecb.com.au/business-events-week The 2015 Melbourne Conference Organiser Study can be found at: http://www.melbournecb.com.au/articles/view/2015-melbourne-conference-expenditure-study/1005/