Tourism Australia launches new campaign to boost business events across Australia

February 11, 2021

To provide critical support for Australia’s multi-billion dollar business events industry, Tourism Australia has today launched the latest iteration of its domestic focussed business events campaign which it also hopes will encourage event planners and decision makers to host an event in Australia this year.

Led by Tourism Australia’s specialist Business Event’s unit, Business Events Australia (BEA), the Event Here This Year campaign is supported by BEA’s domestic partnership program, the Business Events Boost Program, which provides funding for industry-led marketing and distribution projects to encourage business events activity in Australia.

First launched in the wake of the 2019/20 summer bushfires, the dedicated recovery campaign seeks to drive increased demand across the sector by promoting the value of face-to-face events and showcasing the breadth and quality of Australia’s business events offering.

Australia’s business events industry has been hit hard by the impacts of COVID-19, with 96% of business events scheduled for 2020 having been cancelled or postponed due to the pandemic (Source: Business Events Council of Australia, April 2020).

Tourism Australia Managing Director Phillipa Harrison said with some restrictions easing across the country, now is the perfect time to launch this latest marketing push.

Harrison notes “there’s no doubt that Australia’s business events industry has been hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis.

“This critical part of our visitor economy directly contributed $35.7 billion last financial year and provided employment to 229,000 people across the country, so it is important that we continue to provide support to this valuable sector.

“With international borders likely to remain closed for the foreseeable future, the recovery of Australia's business events industry will undoubtedly be driven by Australian businesses and associations choosing to hold events here.

“We want event planners and key decision makers to have confidence to plan and book an event in Australia this year. Boosting spending in cities and regional communities through events will help kickstart a positive economic cycle by offsetting the losses suffered by many businesses during the pandemic.

“Our aim is to not only to boost demand across the sector but also address some of the local knowledge gaps about Australia’s business events offering among event planners, national associations and corporate decision makers, by shining a spotlight on our incredible destinations, products and experiences.”

The campaign is set to roll out over six months across traditional media, out of home advertising, digital and social media channels and is supported by ongoing content and PR activity.

As part of the nation-wide initiative, Tourism Australia is also encouraging the industry adopt the campaign and messaging across their own marketing activities, with an Event Here This Year campaign toolkit available to download via the Business Events Australia website

Image centre: Business Events Domestic Brand Ad Gold Coast and above Business Events Domestic Brand Ad Bondi

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18th November 2020 - CINZ to change name to Business Events Industry Aotearoa on 1st December 2020

6th November 2020 - Tourism Australia’s Business Events Boost Program awards 86 successful applicants

11th September 2020 - Australian business events industry welcomes $50 million funding announcement

10th September 2020 - Applications closing for Tourism Australia’s Business Events Boost Program 

23rd July 2020 - EEAA launches program to support young members of the business events community

22nd June 2020 - Tourism Australia launch new program to support domestic business events sector 

17th June 2020 - Business Events Council of Australia highlights impact of COVID-19 shutdown

4th June 2020 - EEAA online webinar highlights Australian business events industry ready to restart face-to-face events

14th May 2020 - Business Events Council of Australia delivers COVIDSafe guidelines to government

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

20th February 2020 - Cairns Business Events Industry promotes holding events with purpose

20th February 2020 - Business events partnership launched in Christchurch

18th February 2020 - Tourism Australia’s Business Events enhances presence at AIME 2020

26th July 2018 - New Business Events Manager appointed to lead Business Events Sunshine Coast

15th March 2018 - Australian Government announces $12 million Business Events Bid Fund Program

21st December 2017 - Business events sector looks to develop future workforce

10th November 2017 - Business events must adopt Olympic standards on safety

27th May 2017 - Business events industry applauds Māori tourism funding boost

8th April 2016 - Business events sector generates high value for New Zealand

3rd June 2015 - Tasmanian Government tops up funding for business events funding

14th October 2014 - Melbourne named Australasia’s best business events destination

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