AACB Scholarship winners announced: Future leaders consider crisis recovery
The Association of Australian Convention Bureaux (AACB) is pleased to announce the 2021 AACB Staff Scholarships have been awarded to Mia Oesterberg, Project and Events Executive at Northern Territory Business Events and Taryn Reid, Business Development Manager at Business Events Tasmania.
The annual program was modified to reflect crisis recovery and the future of Australia’s business events industry. Projects that supported convention bureaux and considered the recovery of the domestic and international business events markets in Australia were highly regarded.
Andrew Hiebl, AACB CEO said, “The scholarship embodies our ongoing commitment to excellence and through crisis recovery continues to offer bureau staff opportunities to demonstrate their professional dedication to the business events industry. Congratulations Mia and Taryn.”
As recipients of AACB Staff Scholarships, Mia and Taryn will each receive a $3,300 grant to undertake their proposed projects which consider the future of Australia’s business events industry.
Mia’s winning proposal ‘Understanding how inconsistent communication around domestic border closures have impacted the rebound and recovery of the business events industry’, will seek to demonstrate how discrepancies in language, used by each State and Territory, adversely impacts decision makers within the business events industry.
Likewise, Taryn’s proposal will benefit the industry by gaining an increased understanding of the requirements and buyer behaviours of professional conference organisers operating in a post-COVID market and the factors influencing decision makers to aid the recovery of Australia’s business events industry.
The scholarship is sponsored by Business Events Australia who recognise the important role that convention bureaux play in attracting business events to Australia and therefore see this scholarship as an investment in the future leadership of the industry.
Penny Lion, Executive General Manager Events at Tourism Australia, congratulated both Mia and Taryn on their winning proposals. “Business Events Australia is very proud to support the future development of our industry, especially in response to crisis recovery to ensure Australia remains a competitive business events destination internationally. Congratulations to Mia and Taryn and we look forward to seeing the outcomes of the projects,” said Ms Lion.
In receiving their awards Mia and Taryn said their respective scholarships will support them to build confidence within the business events marketplace.
Ms Oesterberg is excited to undergo her research project and said “By demonstrating the impacts of border closures and lobbying for consistent language to be used by all State and Territories, it will give events planners greater certainty when planning in-person events and instil confidence in the marketplace.”
Ms Reid thanked AACB and Business Events Australia for their support by saying “I am delighted to be given this opportunity to aid the recovery of an industry that I am incredibly passionate about and I hope bureaux will benefit in the long term from my research.”
Click here for further details about the prestigious AACB Staff Scholarship program, including past recipients.
<ENDS>
Image (L-R): Mia Oesterberg, Project and Events Executive at Northern Territory Business Events and Taryn Reid, Business Development Manager at Business Events Tasmania
This article was featured in:
- Micenet: AACB staff scholarship winners to investigate the impacts of the pandemic on business events, 29 March 2021
- CIM Business Events: AACB Scholarship winners to focus on a post Covid recovery, 29 March 2021
- Conference and Meetings World: Australia’s AACB announces scholarship winners, 29 March 2021
- Business Event News: AACB Scholarships, 30 March 2021