AACB Policy Platform
Business Events: Delivering Economic Prosperity for Australia
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1. INTERNATIONAL MARKETING
Australia’s Convention Bureaux recognise their collective responsibility to promote Australia as a premier international business events destination. To achieve this in a seamless and united approach, we rely on the partnership with Tourism Australia and industry.
Given that the economic gains of international business events are widely diffused, direct support from government is required and justified at the state and national level.
Action required
- Continued funding security for Tourism Australia and its Business Events Australia division.
- Maintenance of the Export Market Development Grant Scheme, including Approved Bodies.
2. INDENTIFY COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE
Close collaboration is required to develop the strongest business case for business event bids in alignment with Government strategies, and to maximise the nation’s advantages relative to competitors, including Asia.
In partnership with Government, Australia’s convention bureaux can focus sales research on identifying, bidding for and hosting international business events in the priority sectors of manufacturing innovation, advanced services, international education and research, agriculture and mining exports.
Action required
- Establish a dedicated team at Austrade to work with convention bureaux in identifying new bid opportunities - in Australia and in market – that promote Australia’s export industry priorities.
- Streamlined whole-of-government approach among Commonwealth ministries, departments and agencies to support business event bids. Ministerial and consular support can include written letters of support, appearances at trade missions, meeting association representatives and hosting industry leaders.
- Incentivise key international bids through the introduction of a business events bid fund to remain internationally competitive.
3. MAXIMISE OPPORTUNITIES
The Federal Government benefits from international business events when trade and investment opportunities are leveraged to best effect. A successful partnership with Australia’s convention bureaux will see increased bid wins targeting the nation’s priority industries within the 5-pillar economy.
Business events are unique in that they are the only tourism sector that provides a vision of confirmed future business. Harnessing this knowledge would allow Government to plan access to key investment and decision makers, provide relevant Ministers with a platform to promote Australia as ‘open for business’, and increase visa processing efficiencies.
AACB’s forward calendar of pending and confirmed business, shared with government departments and agencies, will supply market intelligence to maximise the beyond tourism benefits of international business events to be hosted in Australia.
Action required
- Establish an Austrade-Tourism Australia partnership dedicated to identifying innovative new ways of attracting delegates to confirmed international business events, including a focus on key visitor markets and free trade agreement partners.
- Deliver targeted skilled migration campaigns to attract global talent in relevant industry sectors promoting “live, work and invest” opportunities.
- Position Tourism Australia to best promote regional Australia to international delegates for pre and post touring.
- Position Austrade to facilitate business-to-business connections, exposing Australian SMEs to international buyers.
- Deliver ongoing visa reforms and processing improvements to aid in attracting key individuals or companies to Australia.
4. RETURN ON INVESTMENT
There is a need to reach agreement on the consistent measurement of outcomes. Beyond the currently evaluated economic impacts, there are far-reaching long-term benefits that help to increase innovation and productivity in Australia. These need to be recognised and consistently measured.
Action required
- Continued funding security for Tourism Research Australia to accurately measure delegate numbers across the entire business events spectrum and capture their related per trip expenditure.
- Dedicate additional resources to evaluate the beyond tourism benefits of the international business events industry.
DOWNLOADS
Business Events: Delivering Economic Prosperity for Australia, AACB, 2014
FROM DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS
“Maintaining and enhancing Australia’s position as a leading business events destination will require increasing focus and effort from both industry and government.”
“Australia’s proximity to a growing Asian economy provides the Australian business events sector with a major strategic advantage, positioning it to serve as a gateway for Australian industries to access Asian markets, cultivate relationships with Asian business partners and drive industry growth in the region."
“International business events are highly effective vehicles for driving industry growth in Australia – an opportunity not yet fully realised.”