July 26 2010: Australian Business Events Review Video Launched
International trade news Meetings Review has produced a video Review of Australian Business Events.
July 26th 2010 BECA Election Press Release
The Business Events Council of Australia (BECA) is using the election campaign to seek an immediate $10m to boost Australia as a global events destination.
"BECA Chairman Geoff Donaghy said $10million annually was not a big ask at a time of tight fiscal budgeting because lack of investment and increasing global competition had seen Australia’s ranking as a business events destination slip from fourth to 16."
NEW:Business event “green” banner – download and use in your email sign-off or on your website
JUNE 2010: BECA's Federal Election Platform BECA has prepared a submission to the major federal political parties in the lead-up to this year's federal election, outlining its call to the government to boost its investment in the business events sector. Download the paper here.
June 2010: How's Australia doing in the Business Events Sector?
MAY 2010: Parliamentary Inquiry into Australia's international research collaboration - role for business events BECA has made a Submission to the Federal Parliament's House of Representatives Industry, Science and Innovation Committee's Inquiry into Australia's international research collaboration. BECA believes the hosting of targeted international conferences in Australia has the potential to drive collaboration and innovation within the scientific, academic and professional sectors. For a copy of the submission, download here. BECA_Submission_Cw_Inquiry_International_Research_Collab_May2010.pdf
Australia Unlimited: The nation's new brand
14 May 2010
Trade Minister Simon Crean today announced Australia's new national brand is Australia Unlimited.
This distinctive concept will be the public face of Australia on the international stage in the 21st century.
"Brand Australia is about selling Australia to the world and demonstrating the full versatility and diversity this nation has to offer," Mr Crean said.
Last year, the 2009 Australian Innovation Festival showcased the best of Australian Innovation with over 600 events and 370,000 attendees in every State and Territory. This year the Festival Secretariat will offer enhanced benefits for participants and event organisers. They are calling for expressions of interest from organisations interested in participating with Australia’s largest celebration of creativity and enterprise development.
The Department also has an “Events” calendar where you can search for event and register your own event.
A Highly Commended Certificate went to a joint entry submitted by Olga Junek, Leonie Lockstone and Martin Robertson from Victorian University, entitled: "
Business Events Council of Australia (BECA) chairman, Geoff Donaghy, talks to James Latham about the group's latest body of work that impresses the direct and indirect importance of business events in delivering innovation to the country's economic welfare.
March 1, 2010
Business Events Must Set New Path to Prosper - BECA Chief
Australia's lucrative business events industry has reached a fork in the road in its bid for broad-based recognition and needs a new direction to regain the global standing it enjoyed earlier this decade, the Business Events Council of Australia (BECA) said today.
BECA Chairman Geoff Donaghy told the 18thAsia-Pacific Incentives & Meetings Expo (AIME) in Melbourne that business events had to be assessed on their total contribution to the nation's wellbeing rather than just what they produced in tourism dollars.
"We talk about our trade fares, conferences and meetings being worth billions of dollars to the nation - in fact $17.3 billion a year at last count in 2005," he said. "But that's just in what delegates and attendees spend on hotels, meals, entertainment and associated travel expenses.
"The great, untold story is the many billions more these hotspots of knowledge exchange, network building and ideas generation produce in terms of professional development, technological and scientific advancement and, most importantly in Australia's case, innovation creation and dissemination. ..." more ...
MEDIA RELEASE FROM AUSTRALIA'S MINISTER FOR TOURISM
The Hon Martin Ferguson AM MP
01 Mar 2010
$1.8 MILLION PARTNERSHIP TO BOOST BUSINESS TOURISM
The Minister for Tourism, Martin Ferguson AM MP, has welcomed a new $1.8 million three-year partnership to boost the business events sector for Australia.
The new partnership between Tourism Australia and the Australian Association of Convention Bureaux (AACB) aims to build awareness of Australia as a destination for conventions for the lucrative International Associations market .....
Peak Business Events Body Sounds Alarm Bells for Lucrative Tourism Industry Sector
The Business Events Council of Australia (BECA) today called for an immediate injection of $20 million in Federal funding to arrest an alarming decline in the number of conference, exhibitions and incentives visitors coming to Australia.
BECA Chairman Geoff Donaghy said an immediate tax incentive was also needed to boost the domestic market and employer training in such a way that Australian companies would be encouraged to hold their business events at home rather than abroad.
"Latest ABS figures show that visitor arrivals for business events fell by an alarming 23 per cent in 2009 over 2008, with convention numbers faring worse than overall tourism visitor numbers," Mr Donaghy said. . . . .
BUSINESS EVENTS RECOGNISED ON NEW BRAND AUSTRALIA BOARD
October 27, 2009
The Business Events Council of Australia (BECA) has welcomed the Federal Government’s appointment of prominent business events industry member Sandra Chipchase to its new Building Brand Australia Advisory Panel.
BECA Chairman Geoff Donaghy said the decision to include a business events representative on the seven-person panel recognised the important role that business events play in building Australian industry.
Ms Chipchase is CEO of Melbourne Convention and Visitors Bureau and has been a proactive board member of BECA. She currently sits on BECA’s marketing committee.
Building Brand Australia is a $20 million project aimed at boosting and broadening Australia’s global image. The new national brand is expected to be announced in February next year and launched internationally in May at Shanghai World Expo.
Mr Donaghy congratulated Federal Trade Minster Simon Crean and Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson for their acknowledgment of the importance of business events to Australia’s economic future.
He described Ms Chipchase’s appointment as a very positive move for the business events industry and the broader business community.
“Having a business events representative on the new panel will help ensure the new brand transcends our tourism image and builds a broader profile for Australia,” Mr Donaghy said.
Other panel members include Lion Nathan CEO Rob Murray, Woolworths CEO Michael Luscombe, Austrade Deputy CEO Peter Yuile, RMIT Vice Chancellor & President Margaret Gardner AO and Australian Financial Forum Chairman Mark Johnson. Eminent businessman David Mortimer will chair the body.
Media information:
Geoff Donaghy
BECA Chairman
07 3331 5000 or 0419 169 252
Elizabeth Rich
BECA CEO
0414 969 140
Libby Moffet
MG Media Communications
02 9904 0011
NEW BRAND CAMPAIGN IMPORTANT FOR BUILDING BUSINESS EVENTS
August 26, 2009
The Business Events Council of Australia (BECA) has welcomed the Federal Government’s decision to establish a new international brand for Australia, saying the move is essential for the nation’s business profile.
The peak industry body’s Chairman, Geoff Donaghy, said it was important that Australia developed a brand that moved beyond simply attracting international holidaymakers.
“The international business events industry is fiercely competitive and Australia has been losing market share over recent years,” Mr Donaghy said.
“Business events are not part of the leisure tourism industry - they require very different marketing and branding.
“We need a new image for our country that will make people want to hold their international meetings here and do business with us,” he said.
Mr Donaghy said business events were worth at least $20 billion to the Australian economy annually and were an important economic catalyst.
“Major international congresses and exhibitions not only attract thousands of overseas delegates, they also showcase Australian innovation and creativity and forge relations that are crucial to our ongoing industry and trade development.
“Trade Minister Simon Crean’s announcement of a $20 million Building Brand Australia program is a step towards lifting Australia’s image so we can win more business for the country,” he said.
Media information:
Geoff Donaghy
BECA Chairman
07 3331 5000 or 0419 169 252
Elizabeth Rich
BECA CEO
0414 969 140
Libby Moffet
MG Media Communications
02 9904 0011
FEDERAL MINISTER FOR TOURISM MEDIA RELEASE
18 May, 2009
BUSINESS EVENTS IMPLEMENTATION GROUP ANNOUNCED
The Minister for Tourism, Martin Ferguson AM MP, today announced the members of the Business Events Strategy Implementation Group, which will work on strategies to ensure the sector is sustainable and internationally competitive for the next 20 years.
Minister Ferguson said that as one of Australia's three major tourist market segments - the others being leisure tourism and international education - business tourism must be pursued more vigorously.
Minister Ferguson said: "International conference delegates can spend more than five times as much as the leisure visitor. Australia has consistently rated among the top five destinations in the Asia-Pacific and destination studies show we are consistently seen as the number one destination to visit for business purposes, but we must not become complacent.
"The industry has developed A National Business Events Strategy for Australia 2020 which it believes will deliver on the goals of sustainability and competitiveness. Its recommendations relate to aviation, infrastructure, forecasting, export services, workforce skills, training and research.
"A number of the recommendations have already been implemented and others are being considered in the context of the National Long Term Tourism Strategy. The Government, through the Implementation Group, will now work with industry to assist with the implementation of recommendations from the Strategy."
The Implementation Group is:
Jim Starkey (Chair), retired senior public servant with experience across central agencies;
Sandra Chipchase, from the Melbourne Convention and visitors Bureau;
Joyce DiMascio, Tourism Australia;
Elizabeth Rich, the Business Events Council of Australia;
Bill Healey, the Australian Hotels Association;
Peter Yuile, Austrade;
Vic Dobus, Tourism Research Australia;
Linda Gaunt, Meetings and Events Australia;
Evan Hall, the Tourism and Transport Forum;
Robert Moore, Exhibition and Events Association of Australia; and
Peter Tucker of the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism.
The Implementation Group will report to Minister Ferguson formally twice annually, with its final report due by 31 December 2010.
Media contact: Michael Bradley - 0420 371 744
April 2009
"GREEN" INFORMATION TO HELP EVENT ORGANISERS
New briefing paper entitled "A review of carbon calculation companies and carbon offset companies offering services to the Australian business events sector" is now available on the BECA website. The paper, prepared by Victoria University, was commissioned by Melbourne Convention and Visitors Bureau in response to calls from the industry for further information, and made available to BECA.
WINNER ANNOUNCED: Miles Clarke Business Events Communication Award
BECA announced the winner of the Miles Clarke Business Events Communication Award in Adelaide on 7 April 2009:
Ian Whitworth, from creative marketing consultancy A Lizard Drinking and audiovisual group Scene Change, with an entry entitled "Time to Embrace the Unvirtual: Will the meetings industry still exist in ten years?". Click here to read the article.
Highly commended certificates were awarded to two other entries:
"A CHANGE OF TACK ....add a dose of CSR to keep business events ‘stimulated'" written by Vanessa Cali from Encore. Click here to read the article.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF CLIMATE CHANGE FOR THE BUSINESS EVENT SECTOR - Take Control or Wear the Consequences", a joint entry written by researcher Judith Mair and Professor Leo Jago from Victoria University. Click here to read the article.
February 2009
BECA Pre-Budget Submission to Australian Government
Following the presentation of the National Business Events Strategy for Australia to the Minister for Tourism at the end of 2008 which, amongst its 52 recommendations, called for increased government funding for business events, BECA has submitted a Pre-Budget Submission for the May 2009 Federal Budget.
$17 billion events industry sees strategy for 2020
www.etravelblackboard.com: Monday, 3 November 2008
The Business Events Council of Australia (BECA) recently launched a comprehensive study into how Australia's booming business events industry can grow in the lead up to 2020.
Welcomed by the Tourism Minister, the report Titled A National Business Events Strategy for Australia 2020 includes 52 recommendations for both the Government and industry.
Highlighting the industry that generates AU$17 billion for the country, BECA highlights in their report the need for a national collaborative effort to grow the sector, more funding for Tourism Australia's international efforts, less constraints on infrastructure developments, more training and education, as well as a focus on sustainability.
"Our research shows that business events delegates and attendees have a high daily visitor spend, well above the daily spend of the average leisure tourist. So the economic return on any investment is significant, quite apart from the other community benefits generated by hosting major conventions and business meetings," said Geoff Donaghy BECA Chairman.
"However our long term blueprint for the industry also includes a wide range of non-monetary recommendations for Government as well as many pro-active steps that the industry itself needs to undertake."
Martin Ferguson, the Federal Minister for Tourism, has welcomed the release of the report and acknowledges the importance of the events industry.
"The Australian Government acknowledges the value and importance of business events to Australia. It contributes $17.4 billion to the economy annually and generates an estimated 116,000 jobs," comments Mr Ferguson.
"I am pleased to have received this Strategy, which is the culmination of a lot of hard work by the sector to outline their priorities and recommendations.
"The Strategy they have developed will also make an important contribution to the Australian Government's development of a National Long-Term Tourism Strategy, particularly given a number of constraints identified by the business events sector are shared by the wider tourism industry," he adds.
It is estimated that international business events delegates spend an average of AU$554 daily, compared with AU$94 for leisure tourists.
MEDIA RELEASE: 29 October 2008
BUSINESS EVENTS: AUSTRALIA'S UNTAPPED POTENTIAL
The most comprehensive plan that has ever been formulated for the country's $17B business events industry has been presented to the Australian Government.
Industry representatives met with the Federal Minister for Resources, Energy and Tourism, Martin Ferguson, in Canberra this week to hand over the document and discuss major impacts on business events of the worsening global financial crisis.
Titled A National Business Events Strategy for Australia 2020 the document contains 52 recommendations for both the Government and industry addressing Australia's international marketing, infrastructure and aviation constraints, sustainability issues, and training and education needs.
It calls upon the Australian Government to provide more funding, logistical and strategic support and challenges industry to take a more collaborative approach. It also calls for the convening of a Government and industry Strategy Implementation group to oversee delivery of the key recommendations.
The Strategy was prepared by the industry's peak body, the Business Events Council of Australia (BECA) in conjunction with a reference group convened by Minister Ferguson. The group included key tourism organisations TTF Australia (Tourism & Transport Forum), the Australian Hotels Association and the Australian Tourism Export Council, with liaison and input provided by Tourism Australia and the Department of Resources Energy and Tourism.
BECA Chairman Geoff Donaghy said that the industry has continued its call on the Australian Government for a greater investment in marketing funding for Tourism Australia to meet increasing business events global competition and fully address the country's untapped potential.
"Our research shows that business events delegates and attendees have a high daily visitor spend, well above the daily spend of the average leisure tourist. So the economic return on any investment is significant, quite apart from the other community benefits generated by hosting major conventions and business meetings".
"However our long term blueprint for the industry also includes a wide range of non-monetary recommendations for Government as well as many pro-active steps that the industry itself needs to undertake," Mr Donaghy said.
It is anticipated the document will also be a key input to the National Long Term Tourism Strategy which is currently being developed and due for release in 2009.
Attached: Executive Summary, National Business Events Strategy
Further information: Geoff Donaghy, Chairman, BECA, 0419 169 252 Elizabeth Rich, Executive Director, BECA, 0414 969 140
BE_performance_monitor_paper_website_Jun10.pdf