Tourism Australia launched the latest iteration of its domestic-focused business events campaign, Event Here This Year, to encourage more event planners and decision-makers to host an event in the country this year.
First launched in the wake of the 2019/20 summer bushfires, the recovery campaign seeks to drive increased demand across the sector by promoting the value of face-to-face events and showcasing the breadth and quality of Australia’s business events offering.
Tourism Australia’s managing director Phillipa Harrison said with some restrictions easing across the country, now is the perfect time to launch this latest marketing push.
“This critical part of our visitor economy directly contributed A$35.7 billion (US$28.1 billion) last financial year and provided employment to 229,000 people across the country, so it is important that we continue to provide support to this valuable sector.
“With international borders likely to remain closed for the foreseeable future, the recovery of Australia’s business events industry will undoubtedly be driven by Australian businesses and associations choosing to hold events here.
Led by Business Events Australia (BEA), the six-month-long Event Here This Year campaign is supported by BEA’s domestic partnership programme, the Business Events Boost Program, which provides funding for industry-led marketing and distribution projects to encourage business events activity in Australia.
As part of the nation-wide initiative, Tourism Australia is also encouraging the industry to adopt the campaign and messaging across their own marketing activities, with an Event Here This Year campaign toolkit available to download via the BEA website.
Separately, Tourism Australia has also launched its first WeChat Mini Program specifically dedicated to raising awareness and preference for Australia as a business events destination among event planners in Greater China.
The programme builds on the organisation’s existing digital presence in China including its WeChat channel and dedicated Chinese website.
The BEA WeChat Mini Program will act as an information hub featuring content on key Australian business events destinations, experiences, products, programme suggestions and success stories. It’ll also provide business event customers with useful research and planning tools, and facilitate information sharing and conversations between Chinese event planners and the BEA team.
“Prior to the pandemic, Greater China was the largest business events market for Australia by spend, injecting around A$470 million in 2019 alone. Keeping connected with the Chinese events industry is a key part of Business Events Australia’s COVID-19 recovery strategy,” said Penny Lion, executive general manager events at Tourism Australia.
