EEAA calls on governments to expedite restart date for domestic business events

May 8, 2020

Events / Venues /

The Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia (EEAA) has made an urgent call to Federal and State Governments to distinguish exhibitions and business events from mass gatherings to expedite a restart date for domestic events in the Australian market.

EEAA Chief Executive, Claudia Sagripanti said that it was vitally important that Government, at both the Federal and State level understood that the business events industry can operate under a controlled set of ‘bio-safe’ principles and should not be subject to the ‘mass gathering’ restrictions that apply to other large scale public events such as sporting fixtures, festivals large-scale consumer events.

Sagripanti advised “the business events industry run highly organised events where we can trace every one of our visitors, delegates, speakers and exhibitors as well as monitor, track and put in place a range of measures that can ensure these events comply with Government measures on hygiene and physical distancing.

“The business events industry, which includes exhibitions, conferences and business meetings contributes more than $35 billion to the national economy, with another $17.2 billion in value add and employs over 229,000 people across a range of sectors and trades. The re-opening of this important sector will support the Government’s objective to implement work safe guidelines to get Australian’s back to work. It is of vital importance to ensure that Governments understand the role business events plays in restarting the economy.”

The EEAA together with the Business Events Council of Australia (BECA)along with other major industry associations including the Venue Management Association (VMA) is developing Safety and hygiene principles for the Government and Health officials and the business events community. The principles will support stringent public health guidelines to manage exhibitions, conferences, meetings and events and ensure exhibitors, speakers, attendees, customers and venue/contractor employees are safe.

The EEAA is recommending that Governments provide a clear timetable on when the business events industry can restart. The planning cycle for exhibitions and events is of paramount importance require adequate lead-time for planning and implementation.

Sagripanti notes “the sector needs support now with a clear timetable on when we can run events – August/September and the last quarter of 2020 is vital to recovery, but the industry needs a confirmed date to commence planning.

“An August restart allows government and the health authorities further time to ensure the state’s COVID numbers continue to decrease and stabilise and to enable an agreed Bio-Safe environment for our controlled and organised events where the business community comes to do business.”

The EEAA has been in talks with all State Governments and the Chief Medical Officers in each state this week to negotiate the restart terms for the exhibitions and business events industry.

The Business Events Council of Australia (BECA) has lobbied at the Federal level to ensure a consistent and clear message regarding the distinction between business events and mass gatherings is achieved nationally.

Sagripanti highlighted that the business events sector contributes more than $35 billion in GDP, runs over 430,000 events annually and employs more than 229,000 people. The sector is a major contributor to Australia both financially and for its powerful enabling ability to deliver practical business outcomes.

For more information on EEAA go to https://eeaa.com.au/who-we-are/our-association/

Image of Adelaide Convention Centre

7th May 2020 - Venue Management Association announces support for COVIDSafe App

29th April 2020 - Tourism and Events Industry encourages Australians to download and use COVIDSafe app

27th April 2020 - Tourism Australia revises Business Events Advance Program to support industry in COVID-19 recovery

9th April 2020 - Eventbrite to lay off 45% of global workforce in cost-cutting plan

6th April 2020 - CINZ launches recovery plan to support business events industry

24th April 2020 - Collapse of events sector wipes $35 billion from Australia’s economy

23rd March 2020 - Survey shows how event organisers can bounce back from the Coronavirus impact

5th March 2020 - Workplace equality promoted at EEAA 2020 International Women’s Day Breakfast

27th February 2020 - EEAA to explore workplace equality in celebration of International Women’s Day 2020

21st January 2020 - EEAA appoints Claudia Sagripanti as Chief Executive

26th March 2020 - Melbourne and Olympic Parks manager advises on working with event partners on rescheduling events

15th March 2020 - LPA calls for urgent confirmation on timeframe for government’s ban on public events

5th December 2019 - EEAA 2019 Awards honour industry excellence and service

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.