Business Events Sydney (BESydney) CEO, Lyn Lewis-Smith has announced she will be stepping away from her role in July 2025 and has told her board she will not renew her contract for another term.
The announcement came at BESydney’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) for financial year (FY) 2023/2024 where strong results for the fiscal period were announced as well as a strong forward events pipeline through to 2030.
The AGM was hosted in the Australian National Maritime Museum, and heard: The 69 global and national meetings held in the city over the period had attracted 51,000 delegates generating an estimated A$216m (US$142.4m) in direct expenditure for the state. That 69 new business events secured were expected to attract 61,000 delegates generating an estimated A$217m in direct expenditure And, by 30 June 2024, the BESydney team had secured a pipeline of confirmed business to 2030 comprising 58 global and national business events expected to attract 101,000 delegates to Sydney generating an estimated A$401m in direct expenditure.
Board chair professor Mary O’Kane AC said: “Business events play a vital role in driving local and national visitor and knowledge economies and the numbers for this financial year attest to the success of BESydney’s work. Our Team Sydney partners’ collaboration contributes to these results as together we champion this incredible city.
“On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank the NSW Government and the City of Sydney for their support as well as the academic community who are at the heart of our work.
Professor O’Kane added: “I would also like to take this opportunity to be the first to pay tribute to our CEO Lyn Lewis-Smith, and to thank her for her stewardship of this great organisation.” “She has led BESydney with vision and integrity over the past 12 years and the business events industry globally, is better for it.”
CEO Lyn Lewis-Smith said, “While leading this organisation for more than a decade, I have always believed in this industry and the impact it has on the world. This role is one of the best jobs in the global visitor economy and I will be leaving my stewardship of BESydney while it is well-placed to accommodate the transition.
“The new government funding for BESydney for FY25, responding to the significance of business events to the NSW Visitor Economy, as well as the upcoming strategy, present a strong outlook for the organisation in the coming year. The industry, stakeholders, my team and family have been the reason I have stayed for over 20 years, and I will continue to be a passionate advocate for Sydney,” she said.
During the meeting new Board Member Nathan Cox, vice-president operations NSW & ACT, Accor, was ratified and Michael Magafa, commercial director APAC, Encore Event Technologies was appointed. These appointments replaced member director, Emma Bowyer from ICMS Australasia, who concluded her three-year term, stepping down officially at the AGM, and Marcus Hannah from Sofitel, MGallery & Emblems who resigned from his position in August this year.
The Board will commence the global search for a new CEO shortly as part of a planned transition. Lyn Lewis-Smith will continue to serve as CEO until end of June 2025 to ensure an orderly progression.
Read more about BESydney’s achievements throughout the year in their newly released Year in Review 2023-24 here:
Photo: Lyn Lewis-Smith (right) and professor Mary O’Kane AC
