Business Events Adelaide has announced remarkable mid-year sales figures, surpassing its record annual performance from last year.
The city has secured over A$540 million (US$337.7 million) worth of business events in the first six months of the current financial year, exceeding the A$336 million secured in all of 2023/24.
This surge in business event bookings is highlighted by a multi-year agreement with the Asia-Pacific International Mining Exhibition (AIMEX). The agreement will bring five iterations of the event to the Adelaide Showgrounds between 2025 and 2033. However, even excluding the AIMEX win, Business Events Adelaide has already outperformed last year’s total in just six months.
Damien Kitto, CEO at Business Events Adelaide, said: “Interest in Adelaide is currently high, and there is a real sense of positivity about what the city can offer business event organisers.”
Kitto credited several factors for this success, including strong backing from the Malinauskas Government for attracting business events and promoting Adelaide’s key industry sectors, such as health and medical research, future energy solutions, AI and space technologies, defence, and AgTech.
He also pointed to Adelaide’s affordability. “Recent data from STR demonstrates that Adelaide is one of the most affordable capital cities in Australia,” Kitto explained, noting that hotel rooms are significantly cheaper than other Australian cities.
Looking ahead, Kitto sees even greater potential for 2025. “We certainly feel there is a lot more scope for growth,” he said. Focus areas include securing more international opportunities, showcasing Adelaide’s innovation districts, and attracting more business events during the winter events.
