Sydney’s status as a leading global business event destination is confirmed by Business Events Sydney’s (BESydney) wins in the first few weeks of 2016: year-to-date, events worth over $62 million in direct expenditure have been secured for the city and state.
BESydney CEO, Lyn Lewis-Smith said that the strong start to 2016 is proof of the global confidence in Sydney, Australia as a premier business and events destination.
“Sydney is off to a fantastic start. Just six weeks into the new year, already we have secured more than 18 major international business events, that will bring more than 14,400 delegates who’ll spend around 77,900 delegate days in our state,” Ms Lewis-Smith said.
“This is a phenomenal achievement and I congratulate the BESydney team and of course our clients and partners who work so closely with us to win this business. We talk often about collaboration being key to success. Our support base, across business, government and academia is ever growing. As a result, we have doubled our achievements compared to the same time last year.” she added.
In 2016, BESydney has secured four major association events bringing over $24 million to the economy, and see over 6,250 people arrive in Sydney. These events include IEEE Panel of Conference Organizers POCO 2017 and the International Congress on Insurance: Mathematics and Economics 2018.
Asia continues to be a strong market for Sydney. This is a boon for the city as Asian delegates are the highest yielding international visitors spending on average 6.5 times more than leisure tourists.
“So far in 2016, we have secured 14 Asian incentive events that will bring over 8,150 people to our city. These events alone will deliver over $38 million in direct expenditure to the local economy,” said Ms Lewis-Smith.
“Our proximity to Asia, iconic destination appeal, and excellent range of entertainment and leisure activities make Sydney a proven destination for these groups. The trade and investment relationships developed by all stakeholders across the city from government, business, and industry are also key to attracting the Asian market.
“We also have a raft of infrastructure projects, including the development of ICC Sydney, taking place at the moment, evolving the urban fabric of our city. Sydney today is invigorated, interconnected and inspiring,” she concluded.
