CORPORATE EVENTS CAPITALS

MORE than $25 million has been secured in 25 major corporate events booked across Brisbane before June 30. That’s $1million per event at a time when the city needs it more than ever.

According to Brisbane Marketing’s Convention Bureau director Annabel Sullivan, continually pushing Brisbane’s strengths will see an increase in the $170 million that business events inject into the economy each year.

“Being a capital city Brisbane has quite a number of key benefits to business event organisers,” she says.

“Our significant infrastructure gives the city a great ability to meet the expectations of both international and national clients, be it events venues, local attractions and public transport.”

Sullivan says the strength of a destination’s business sector has become an increasingly important factor in choosing a host city. Brisbane has developed a strong reputation for hosting IT, mining and resources and health and sciences events.

The 2010 World Computer Congress was one of the city’s biggest events coups and delivered a staggering $3.8 million injection into Brisbane’s economy. The World Lottery Association Convention also brought $3 million to the city last year courtesy of 800 national and international delegates.

Key bookings include the 6th World Environmental Education Congress, the 5th International Conference on Communities and Technologies and the 2011 Asia Pacific Cities Summit.

“One of our strategies is to attract national and international business events, aligned to the city’s key industry sectors,” says Sullivan.

“Brisbane’s reputation to host world-class events is escalating. The outlook for 2011 looks to be promising for the business events sector in Brisbane, with some exciting developments already on the horizon.”
The biggest competition for Brisbane is just one hour down the M1 on the Gold Coast, where options also abound.

“Most delegates work and live in large cities, so the Gold Coast is very unique in that it provides enough infrastructure and diverse excitement while not being a seen as a city destination,” says Gold Coast Convention Bureau business events director Jacqui Taylor.

“The Gold Coast has an unprecedented range of activities to do and still has the advantage of not being a ‘major city’. It’s also more cost effective than Brisbane and the southern capitals.”