Business Events Australia announced an extension to its Bid Fund Program alongside the launch of a new nationwide sustainability initiative yesterday morning during a press briefing at IMEX Frankfurt 2026.
Robin Mack, managing director of Tourism Australia, revealed that the Business Events Australia Bid Fund Program has been extended from 2029 out to 2032 – aligning perfectly with the year Brisbane will host the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
When asked if a specific funding pool had been allocated for the extension, Mack told TTGmice that a definitive dollar value has not been assigned to this phase of the fund.
“We want to make it clear to event planners that subvention funding is available from us,” Mack said. “We feel this is a great move for our industry to ensure we secure a strong future pipeline. There is so much opportunity out there, and we want to grab it.”
He also reminded planners that the national fund operates in tandem with Australia’s state and territory bureaus, which run their own independent, often broader subvention programmes that organisers can leverage.
To date, the Bid Fund Program has helped Australia secure 221 major international events, injecting A$1.5 billion (US$1.1 billion) directly into the economy. This equates to an average return of A$52 for every A$1 invested by Tourism Australia. Recent high-value wins locked in by the fund include the World Conference on Lung Cancer in Melbourne (2029, worth A$34 million), and International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems in Sydney (2028, worth A$27 million).
Alongside the funding extension, Tourism Australia officially debuted Green is Our Gold to the international market. The sustainability initiative aims to unite the domestic industry under a shared vision to protect Australia’s natural environments, cultures, and communities.
The campaign directly addresses shifting procurement priorities. According to Tourism Australia’s Business Events Consumer Demand Project research, 76 per cent of incentive decision-makers rank sustainability credentials as a significant driver of destination choice, while 83% of association organisations already have sustainability practices in place.
The initiative invites Australian operators to sign a “Promise” built on five core principles: Celebrate Community, Embrace Culture, Preserve Place, Respect Wildlife, and Take Care.
“Sustainability thrives on collaboration rather than individual action. Through Green is Our Gold, we’re ensuring that planners know when choosing Australia, they are developing their events with a national network of unified industry partners,” Mack stated.
Discussing the broader outlook for 2026, Mack noted that despite external global challenges, international demand and flight capacity to Australia “remain resilient”. He highlighted that despite recent schedule adjustments by Middle East carriers, overall inbound seat numbers are still tracking higher than last year, maintaining a positive trajectory for the destination.
