In a world where trust is in peril, Business Event Sydney (BESydney) and International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) leadership believe that their combined efforts in conveying the purpose of business events, beyond direct expenditure, have helped their clients deliver meaningful events.

Samantha Glass, director of corporate affairs, communication and sustainability with ICC Sydney, referenced the recently published 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer, which found that respondents around the world had a diminished regard for government leaders, business leaders and the media.

According to the report, 63 per cent (up one point) of respondents say government leaders are purposely trying to mislead people by saying things they know are false or gross exaggerations; 61 per cent (up two points) say the same of business leaders; 64 per cent (up three points) hold this belief of journalists and reporters.

Glass told TTGmice: “Trust is so important today. There is a lot of misinformation, such as inaccurate ESG reporting, and distrust around the world. However, the way ICC Sydney operates and collaborates with BESydney has allowed us to build trust among our stakeholders.

“We have the credentials and have been transparent in our performance reporting – if the numbers are big, we talk about it, but if the numbers are small, we also talk about it.”

BESydney, which has been supporting the city’s business events industry for 55 years, has a decade of research into the extended benefit of meetings and events that go beyond tourism outcomes. It has been calling out knowledge transfer, talent attraction and direct foreign investment.

ICC Sydney’s Legacy Program has also been expanding year on year, allowing event organisers to deliver meaningful events that consider sustainability, diversity, equity, and inclusion and focus on First Nations Peoples.

BESydney CEO Lyn Lewis-Smith said: “There is a global responsibility to delivering business events. As Sydney’s DMO and its leading venue, we work with associations to deliver impact and deliver it well. We see our role as two-fold by facilitating an event with purpose, social impact, and knowledge exchange while also creating an impact foundation that can be built upon at the next meeting – wherever that may be held. We want the change we spark in Sydney to grow globally – hence our Change Starts Here agenda.”

One of the initiatives under the Change Starts Here agenda is research on Advancing Women in Business Events, conducted in partnership with PCMA Foundation. Report results included the underrepresentation of the female gender in leadership roles, and the range of barriers of advancement faced by women in the industry.

Geoff Donaghy, ICC Sydney CEO and ASM Global (APAC) group director for convention centres, said: “Beyond room nights and job creation, our proudest moments have been making a difference to visitors and businesses.”

ICC Sydney’s impact contributions include sharing Australia’s First Nations story, its new Disability Inclusion Action Plan, and leadership push in prioritising sustainability initiatives, and giving back to the local and global community.

Lewis-Smith added that both organisations have “established great trust with international organisations and strive to continue to be a force for good”.

Now, BESydney intends to “challenge our industry to step up and create seats at the leadership table that reflect the workforce”.

“Research helps us to understand the problems and highlight what’s required for real change, but we can only solve those problems by working together as a global business events industry. We know real impact is not about working in isolation. Business events are all about working together to solve the greatest challenges in the world today,” Lewis-Smith said.

BESydney has been tracking impacts with major events hosted in the city, such as the FDI Dental Association and Sydney WorldPride Human Rights Conference. It will release its Impact Strategy later this year.