Brisbane hosted more than 940 business events worth an estimated A$351m ($234.41m) in economic impact in the 2018-19 financial year, new figures reveal. Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the Queensland Business Events Survey showed the meetings, incentives, conference and exhibition sector in Brisbane was enjoying “incredible success”. “2018-19 saw 209,000 delegates attend a business event in Brisbane, delivering 579,986 delegate days – a 44% increase on the previous financial year,” Cr Schrinner said. The biennial Brisbane Truck Show always delivers a major economic boost, attracting over 34,000 visitors to the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC) in May 2019 and generating an estimated A$75m in economic impact. Brisbane also secured international events including the Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology Congress with 1,500 delegates in April 2019, and the Australasian Sonographers Association Annual Conference with 1,200 delegates in June. The Asia Pacific Cities Summit & Mayor’s Forum came to Brisbane in July 2019 and attracted 1,400 government, business and emerging leaders from 140 cities for four days of talks on the innovation, mobility, liveability and sustainability of cities. Held in November 2019, the strategically important International Air Transport Association (IATA) Slot Conference brought together 1,200 representatives from international airlines and airports to plan future flight schedules. Economic development board Brisbane Marketing worked with the State Government and Brisbane Airport Corporation to secure an AirAsia service from Bangkok (June 2019), Qantas services from San Francisco (February 2020) and Chicago (April 2020) and a Virgin service from Haneda, Tokyo (March 2020). Brisbane Marketing’s General Manager of Business and Major Events, Juliet Alabaster, said: “A wave of tourism infrastructure including the Howard Smith Wharves dining, entertainment and events precinct, new 4- and 5-star hotels and experiences has also played a huge part in our ability to attract conferences and incentive events. “Brisbane continues to break records with international and interstate visitation and spending at all-time highs, while BCEC enjoyed its most successful financial year ever and passenger numbers at Brisbane Airport during 2019 exceeded 24.1m for the first time.” 
Other major business events to be held in Brisbane in 2020 include:
- Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) Asia Pacific Forum & Exhibition 2020– BCEC, 800 pax
- Hort Connections – BCEC, 1200pax
- 2020 Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction – BCEC, 2500pax
- 23rd International Congress on the Education of the Deaf (ICED 2020) – Royal ICC, 1000pax
- Flight Centre Global Gathering 2020 – 4000pax
- Land Forces 2020 – BCEC, 1000pax
- NKT-IKBU Buddhist International Fall Festival 2020 – Royal ICC, 2500pax
- Early Childhood Australia National Conference 2020 – BCEC, 2000pax
- Royal Australia and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists Congress 2020 – BCEC, 1500pax
- International Pediatric Sleep Association Congress (IPSA) and Sleep Down Under 2020 – BCEC, 1000pax
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC) has also undergone a brand refresh in the run up to its 25th anniversary. The Centre’s logo has officially evolved from the historic five sails design, symbolic of the original Merivale Street Building, to one overarching sail, acknowledging the emergence of the Centre’s boutique events hub, BCEC on Grey Street. Bob O’Keeffe, General Manager of BCEC described the campaign as confident and contemporary, in tune with the changing landscape of Brisbane. ‘The campaign – Our City Your Canvas – speaks to BCEC’s deep connection with Brisbane and our pride in shining a light on the city’s many rich experiences. ‘The new colour palette reflects both the venue and its location – the rich vibrancy of the riverside South Bank Parklands and the lights that illuminate a beautiful Brisbane city,” O’Keefe said. The new brand and campaign will be rolled out across multiple platforms following its launch at the 2020 Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME) in Melbourne.
