Business Events Sydney (BESydney) has become the first Australian organisation to be accredited by Destination Marketing Association International’s (DMAI) Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP).
DMAI is an independent international body that protects and advances the success of destination marketing worldwide. Its membership includes more than 600 destination marketing organisations (DMO) worldwide, including convention and visitor bureaus, regional tourism boards and state tourism offices.
DMAP accreditation is awarded to those DMOs that meet or exceed industry standards set forth by the professional destination marketing community. To become accredited a DMO applicant must provide evidence of compliance with rigorous standards that span governance, technology, marketing, visitor services, group services, sales, communications, membership, brand management, destination development, research/market intelligence, innovation, and stakeholder relationships.
BESydney will join an exclusive group of 172 accredited DMOs worldwide and will be one of just 12 organisations based outside of America.
Michael D. Gehrisch, President and CEO of DMAI comments, “At DMAI we are committed to advancing the success of our industry and benchmarking best practice, not just in America, but throughout the globe. BESydney’s successful DMAP application signals the continued globalisation of the program and it’s my pleasure to welcome the team.
“BESydney has built an international reputation as an industry leader, and we were impressed by the quality of their application. The bureau is a prime example of the calibre of DMO that will drive innovation and global collaboration in our sector and we look forward to working together.”
Chief Executive Officer of BESydney, Lyn Lewis-Smith, comments, “To be accredited by DMAI after a rigorous assessment process is a huge honour. The accreditation acknowledges our bureau’s standing as a leading DMO both nationally and internationally.
“At BESydney we pride ourselves on leading the charge in the business events space. We foster innovation and agility within the organisation to ensure we are effectively placed to respond to the ever-changing global meetings industry.
“But our focus is not purely inward. We are dedicated to furthering the business events industry as a whole. A key example of this is the research we did into the wide-ranging legacies of business events – beyond the tourism dollars they generate. The results of this research study has gone a long way towards a broader global understanding and acknowledgement, across government and business, of the far-reaching value of international conferences, congresses, conventions and symposia.”
