The Business Events Australia Asia Mega Famil Showcase kicked off today (March 30) with the first group of international planners arriving in Australia for pre-famil visits ahead of the Sydney programme with host city partner Business Events Sydney (BESydney).
Fifty international planners and media will be attending the Showcase from the Asia region, including Greater China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan and Korea.
Tourism Australia executive general manager of commercial & Business Events Australia, Robin Mack, said the Asia Mega Famil Showcase is a key initiative in Business Events Australia’s distribution activity this financial year to increase consideration, advocacy, and drive demand and conversion for Australia as an incentive destination.
“Asia is an important region for Australia with more than 316,000 business events visitors from the region travelling to our shores in 2019, contributing A$1.4 billion (US$935.2 million) in direct expenditure,” Mack said.
Commenting on the buyers in attendance, Mack said: “We are excited to be hosting a mix of planners, who have previously visited Australia but haven’t experienced our recent infrastructure development, as well as those who will be experiencing our destination for the very first time.”
And with the return of two-way quarantine-free travel with China, a “strong contingent of planners from the market” will be in attendance, highlighting Australia as a “highly-desirable destination for business events”, Mack noted.
International planners and media will travel to Sydney on April 2 for the host city component of the programme. Over the course of three days, international planners and media will have the opportunity to receive a destination update from Australian convention bureaux during a business session and enjoy a Sydney showcase.
Business Events Sydney CEO, Lyn Lewis-Smith, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Business Events Australia on this initiative so quickly after markets have reopened. These are such important markets for our city and the nation, and we could not be more proud to be able to show key business events decision-makers and influencers around our favourite sights, sounds and feel new Sydney experiences so they can help us build demand back as airline capacity returns.
“Sydney is a dynamic, ever-evolving youthful city built on ancient indigenous lands, and that is such an exciting story to share with the world, particularly as we see recent significant investment into the city coming to fruition, including the Sydney Modern opening, redevelopments of Darling Harbour, Sydney Fish Markets (opening 2024) and the new Western Sydney International Airport (in 2026) combined with a new hotel landscape and cool laneway bar precincts taking the celebrations late into the night.”
