Australia’s Northern Territory has launched the new Northern Territory Business Events Support Fund (NTBESF) to encourage conference planners to consider the destination for their business events.
Andrew Hopper, acting deputy CEO of the Department of Tourism and Culture, indicated that the financial assistance for qualified events was designed to complement the local government’s Buy Local policy, with funding steered towards elements requiring involvement by local NT businesses.
“This may range from the appointment of a local PCO or DMC through to covering costs for a local keynote speaker, a welcome function, gala dinner or perhaps a technical touring component in any of our key business event destinations which include Darwin, Alice Springs and Uluru,” he said in a statement.
Support will also be weighted towards business events aligned with the Territory’s economic and social strengths which include health, agribusiness, land management, mining, renewable energy, education and defence.
Hopper indicated that this new scheme would not only assist the Northern Territory to increase its share of the keenly sought after “business events pie” but would provide planners with invaluable support to consider vibrant and interesting destinations away from the usual Eastern Seaboard capital city rotations.
Organisations can apply for financial assistance of A$100 (US$80) per delegate up to a maximum of A$50,000 per event.
