Adam Mather-Brown took over the reins as CEO of the ICC Sydney recently. We asked him what is in store for this iconic harbourside venue in 2025 and beyond:
What challenges and opportunities are most apparent now for the ICC?
ICC Sydney hosted 507 events and welcomed an 1.2m visitors, seeing a solid uptick in international events with 25 in FY24 up from 18 in FY23. We delivered more exhibitions, too – 62 shows (up from 54 in the year before). Domestic conference business was also healthy.
Attendee spending in Sydney reached A$717m, a significant increase on the A$600m of the previous financial year. Our clients’ satisfaction remained excellent at 99%.
Through our research it was clear the next generation of event attendees and organisers have unique desires. Delegates of all ages now expect immersive and curated event experiences that are sustainable, inclusive and accessible.
International Chamber of Commerce – World Chambers Congress Sydney 2017How is the centre leading on the sustainability front?
Our mission is to make a difference by ‘Protecting the Environment, Strengthening our Community and Investing in People.’ To amplify our own CSR efforts, we work with clients to help them achieve their CSR goals by activating the streams of our Legacy Programme.
Our team is committed to fostering reconciliation with Australia’s First Nations Peoples. Recently, we developed an immersive projection experience featuring Boomalli Aboriginal Artist Jeffrey Samuels’ artwork, ‘Gadigal, Acknowledgement Respect’ to further connect delegates with First Nations storytelling.
Event organisers can engage Supply Nation accredited First Nations businesses to provide corporate gifts, printing, art and many other products and services at events. We also drive social benefit through our NSW and First Nations first procurement philosophy.
From our award-winning 100% NSW wine list, to organic fruit and vegetables from regional NSW, and dishes infused with Indigenous herbs and spices, our menu gives attendees a unique taste of the place they are visiting.
ICC Sydney supports goods and food donations to Sydney charities. Last year, our team donated 7,000 kg of quality, unserved food, to Matthew Talbot Hostel, Oz Harvest, UNSW Food Bank and Youth Off the Streets – equating to 20,000 meals. We work to divert potential waste from landfill and donated approximately 3,325 kg of goods last year.
Our new Inclusion & Belonging Legacy Programme stream supports organisers to create accessible and welcoming events by connecting to community partners Get Skilled Access, Aspect Australia and Sunflower Hidden Disabilities. Our venue team developed its inaugural Disability Inclusion Action Plan.
To protect the environment, ICC Sydney is working to meet the milestones of its JMIC Net Zero Carbon Events (NZCE) Pledge. To reduce waste, the Winnow platform is used to measure organics and our collaboration with BinTracker provides organisers with a detailed waste report of their event.
What message would you like to share with international organisations considering Sydney as a destination for their events?
Sydney is a global commercial and cultural destination – beyond stunning beaches, great food and wine, and the world’s finest harbour – it is a city of brains, beauty and belonging, with 40 museums, galleries and a diverse, multicultural population.
ICC Sydney is only 8km from Sydney Airport, within walking distance of multiple transport links, more than 42,000 hotel rooms and the city’s financial services district at Barangaroo. The venue is also surrounded by leading universities and research institutes, as well as vibrant tech, innovation and start-up communities.
