Tourism_australia_newsletter_20_02

Joyce DiMascio
Head of Business Events Australia

21 May 2008

Dear Industry Colleague,

I am pleased to report that Australia had a strong presence at IMEX 2008 in Frankfurt late last month with participating sellers reporting strong buyer activity and interest in Australia. For all of our stand partners, the investment in the Business Events Australia stand was considered worthwhile with heavy traffic through the stand and record level appointments. Click to testimonials and image gallery.

The event was also a salient reminder of the fierce competition that Australia faces from the 150 countries on show. All actively targeted the 3,600 hosted buyers through seminars, appointments and razzle dazzle events!

International trade events like IMEX put buyers and sellers in direct contact. IMEX is particularly valuable as it attracts corporate meeting and incentive buyers as well as association representatives.

Speaking during the seminar program, MPI President and CEO, Bruce MacMillan said that demand in business events was being driven by globalisation and the increasing profile of companies expanding into new markets. He said that mergers and acquisitions were driving a lot of demand. He also commented that Australia had a unique opportunity to lead the sustainability agenda in business events.

To read more, click here

In this issue

Minister launches marketing toolkit
Asia corporate famil to Sydney and NT
Industry investment in BE infrastructure
Business events CSR audit
TA Managing director on climate change
Australia targets US corporate business
Business events arrivals data
Aviation update

MEA conference and mentor program
Australia at PAICE 2008 in New Zealand
BEA brand roll-out at IMEX 2008
2007 ICCA rankings announced
Green accommodation made easy
Upcoming BE marketing opportunites
Industry News

Destination brochure

Minister launches new marketing toolkit

The Honourable Martin Ferguson, Minister for Tourism launched the new destination brochure and Australia map as part of his attendance at MEA in Alice Springs this month.

The destination brochure and Australia map are the latest elements in a new marketing toolkit and follow on from the Business Events Australia brand book and fact sheets. These two new pieces of collateral will be distributed to an international audience in Tourism Australia’s key business events markets including North America, UK/Europe, New Zealand, North and South Asia and Japan. To read more about the collateral launch.

20 Asia Corporates to visit Sydney and Northern Territory

Tourism Australia’s business events team, Sydney Convention and Visitors Bureau and Northern Territory Convention Bureau will host the 2008 Asia Corporate Familiarisation Program from 26 May to 1 June 2008.

Twenty corporate buyers and four media from seven Asian countries will have the opportunity to experience the diversity and flexibility of Australia as an incentive destination. Both Sydney and Northern Territory have prepared a specialised program to inspire delegates to choose Australia for their next business event. For more information contact Renee Baker.

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Industry pumps $2.7B into Australian BE infrastructure

Australia continues to develop infrastructure tailored to premium incentives, corporate meetings and association conferences and conventions with more than $2.7 billion of investment in business events infrastructure. Business Events Australia’s New Product Fact Sheet details the range of these developments across the country.

The next release of the fact sheet will be distributed at the Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE) held in Perth from 14-20 June 2008. If you have new infrastructure planned for the business events sector, email Business Events Australia with details of the planned investment and specifications.

BEA

Business events CSR Audit

Tourism Australia researchers are undertaking a comprehensive audit of Australia’s business events Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) credentials. Operators will be invited to be part of the audit via an on-line questionnaire. All businesses in the sector are urged to support this initiative as it will help document the breadth of our environmental, social and governance credentials.

Read further information on the national CSR audit.

TA Managing Director, Geoff Buckley on climate change at PATA

To further demonstrate Tourism Australia’s commitment to environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility, Tourism Australia’s Managing Director, Geoff Buckley joined PATA’s CEO Challenge 2008: Confronting Climate Change in April.

This event provided a platform for over 350 leaders from across the travel and tourism industries in the Pacific Asia region to address practical solutions to climate change issues. One of the outcomes was a climate change action plan. PATA also committed to building on the momentum generated by this event by developing an information portal on best practice and collaborative action. Read more about the PATA CEO Challenge 2008.

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Maritz

Australia targets US Corporate Business

The Tourism Australia/Maritz partnership was recently announced, as part of a major campaign aimed at delivering new corporate meeting and incentive business from the United States (US).

Maritz operates more than 2,900 programs per year with more than 350,000 participants. Joint activities will include a direct mail campaign, joint sales calls and increased visibility throughout Maritz’s top incentive accounts. To read more about this partnership.

Business events arrivals data and events calendar

The Business Events Arrivals - March 2008 Report is now available.

There were 185,500 convention or conference arrivals during the year ended 31 March 2008, an increase of 2 per cent year-on-year.

For information on upcoming business and consumer events, view the Business Events Australia calendar of events.

Aviation update

To help the business events sector access up-to-date insights on the fast changing aviation sector, Tourism Australia’s aviation analysts will provide regular updates on the state of play and how it may affect our sector.

Tourism Australia forecasts a near five per cent lift in international airline seats to Australia in 2008, with strong growth expected from eastern markets like Hong Kong, Singapore and China as well as smaller changes on other routes. Read more of this report.

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MEA

MEA conference and mentor program

Tourism Australia and Meetings Events Australia (MEA) have entered into a new partnership - MEA/Business Events Australia Mentoring Program. Launched at the MEA National Conference in Alice Springs, the partnership will run for six months as a pilot program.

Tourism Australia is pleased to support this initiative as the business events sector, like many others, faces the challenge of continuing to build the skills base of the workforce. For more information contact Anne Camenzind, National Manager Strategic Alliances, MEA on (02) 9929 5400.

Australia storms New Zealand at PAICE

Australian business event products and services have secured almost 50 per cent of floor space at PAICE 2008 in New Zealand on August 19. The 30 Australian confirmed exhibitors already include convention bureaux, convention centres, national products, hotels, resorts, unique venues and DMCs. To register for PAICE go to http://www.paiceexpo.co.nz/.

Tourism Australia has secured a ProMag PAICE supplement open to the Australian market wishing to tap into the New Zealand business events sector. The supplement will be distributed to meeting planners and event organisers at PAICE and through TRAVELinc (distribution 4,537). The supplement will have a Business Events Australia front cover with advertorial and editorial opportunities available to Australian products and services. The deadline to participate in supplement is 2 June 2008. For advertising requests contact Paul Hailes, PH: +64 21 217 3628 or phailes@clear.net.nz.

New business events brand rolled-out at IMEX 2008

The new Business Events Australia brand for the country was rolled-out to the European market at IMEX 2008, which took place from 21 to 24 April in Frankfurt, Germany. Tourism Australia’s business events team exhibited with 14 partners at the tradeshow.

The Australia pavilion visitation rates were high throughout the three day show and each afternoon buyers were invited to a ‘Taste of Australia’reception where they could enjoy a chilled glass of Australian sparkling wine with hibiscus flowers or a cold Aussie beer.

The show attracted 8,751 visitors of which 3,684 were hosted buyers from 60 countries. Read the media release or view the testimonials and image gallery.

Australia’s 2007 ICCA ranking announced

Australia remains one of the top 20 association meetings destinations by number of meetings according to the International Congress and Convention Association 2007 rankings*. Australia has moved to number 13 in the world (with 194 meetings) and the USA continues to hold the number one position for the fourth year running (with 467 meetings). Australian city results: Sydney ranked 22, Melbourne ranked 40, Brisbane and Perth ranked 56, Cairns ranked 74, Adelaide ranked 120 and Gold Coast ranked 150.

*International Congress and Convention Association Statistics Report 2007

Green accommodation made easy

The National Australian Built Environment Rating Scheme (NABERS) was recently launched, providing new ‘green’ standards for the hotel accommodation sector.

Hotels can now demonstrate their efficiency by using a NABERS Waste Star rating, a NABERS Indoor Environment rating or the NABERS Energy Tool. The new standards aim to make ‘green’ hotels more easily identifiable to the marketplace.