Australian business events are facing declining market share, fierce international competition, and a lack of resources at national level to boost states and industry efforts despite the sector being acknowledged as providing the “tourist” with the highest per day visitor spend.
According to the Business Events Council of Australia (BECA), Australia’s 11 per cent decline of international association conferences over the past 10 years is despite a 55 per cent global growth in association events and a 34 per cent global growth in attendance.
BECA reports that countries which have seen a growth in association delegate attendance at association conferences in the past 10 years include Hong Kong (132 per cent), Malaysia (174 per cent), Singapore (166 per cent), Thailand (67 per cent) and Germany (58 per cent).
BECA says despite significant investment in infrastructure Australia is clearly being outperformed. To regain and retain its position Australia needs a strong national marketing push by Tourism Australia.
BECA would like the Australian Government to spend $25 million on the sector to position Australia as a business events destination of choice. Further, they would like to see dedicated resources within Tourism Australia to deliver this specialist business to business marketing, and see the creation of a formalised process of industry consultation.
BECA estimates that during 2004-5 state convention bureau spent $23.7 million on marketing, major convention centres spent about $14 million while convention centre infrastructure was $3.5 billion. They estimate that Tourism Australia spent under $3 million on business events marketing.
BECA executive director, Elizabeth Rich, says these aren’t new statistics, they are from the International Congress & Convention Association.
“What they demonstrate is that we are losing ground,” she said.
“This is part of our call for Tourism Australia to deliver, along the lines that the Minister has made it clear that indigenous tourism and business events are key. We are expecting any day now for an announcement [regarding business events initiatives].”
Ms Rich said BECA had strong support from the Australian Hotels Association, ATEC and the Tourism Task Force.
 Fiji welcomed one of its largest stand-alone meeting facilities with the official opening of the Ratu Makutu Events Centre at Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort.
The facility is based on traditional Fijian architecture and features high ceilings, spacious function areas and overlooks the resort’s golf course. It was designed by Melbourne-based Cox Architects.
The Ratu Makutu Events Centre can cater for up to 650 delegates and is a welcome addition to Fiji’s conference infrastructure.
A traditional Fijian ceremony of welcome was undertaken at the resort to officially open the centre.
The facility offers a range of meeting options from the Davui Hall (264 square metres) to the smaller Davui Hall (58 square metres), with its own secretariat, and the Ratu Makutu Events Centre which has a separate but contiguous executive boardroom bure.
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