Some people probably think that the rising Australian dollar is good news. And, if you’re thinking about travelling overseas anytime soon, then it certainly is.

No doubt those who organise conferences and incentive travel internationally will be getting more bang for their buck when they head overseas. But we should spare a thought for those who are in the business of trying to attract meetings and incentives to our shores. And then there are those who may be looking to hold their national events offshore simply because it’s cheaper.

It’s a double whammy, and with our dollar predicted to go higher, it isn’t going to get any easier.
All the spruiking about our beautiful beaches, quality food, exceptional experiences, and first-rate facilities means diddly-squat when our hotels and airlines are charging a premium thanks to our strong Aussie dollar.

Asian delegates at Tourism Australia’s recent Team Australia Business Events Educational held in Beijing – that is, corporate meeting planners, PCOs, incentive practitioners and travel agents - provided a very dire response to a question we posed to them on whether the high Australian dollar was impacting their travel plans to the country. More than half of delegates we spoke to said it was.
These aren’t people from the other side of the world. These are our neighbours. Sure, Australia is a destination to aspire to but not at any cost, particularly when there are so many other countries – closer and cheaper – that potentially offer an equally enjoyable experience.

Thankfully the association sector is more robust, however, major association conferences are as much about making money as they are about education (at least that’s how I see it). So when an exhibition centre heavily discounts its room rate, or welcome receptions are thrown in as part of the package, or free airport transfers are offered, what choice does an association hellbent on making money do but go with the cheapest offer, wherever that may be?

On top of that, recently we saw the launch of Cisco’s TelePresence technology at the Sheraton on the Park Sydney which sees individuals talking to one another across the world and yet seemingly across a boardroom table for around $1000 an hour (see story page 25).

If this technology doesn’t affect the business of meetings then I’d be very surprised indeed.

We welcome your feedback,




brad@mice.net.au

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