May 20, 2021 | By Joyce DiMascio
Global Exhibitions Day #GED has even more poignancy this year as the industry begins to rebound in some countries around the world.
The Australian industry will mark the international occasion on Wednesday June 2 with a special summit at ICC Sydney delivered as a hybrid event by the Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia (EEAA).
EEAA President Spiro Anemogiannis said that Australia was continuing to support the initiative of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) so that the industry could highlight the importance of exhibitions and business events and commemorate the restart of the industry.
“We’re running the #GED program to celebrate the fact that exhibitions are back in Australia and also in some parts of the world including North America.
“Basically, it’s a restart of exhibitions in Australia and a way to re-emphasise the impact of expos and business events [on] the Australian economy,” he said.
The summit includes international and Australian presenters. Among them are Chris Kilbee (above), Executive Director ASEAN at Informa Markets, one of the biggest expo organisers in the world, and Jane Ford, Managing Director and 100 percent shareholder of Exhibitions and Events Australia and New Zealand which is one of Australasia’s largest privately owned event organisers.
This year’s #GED message is that exhibitions are key to rebuilding and recovering communities.
The EEAA says the 2021 Global Exhibitions Day Summit will feature renowned international and local guest speakers who will share their outlooks on the exhibition and events industry. The summit will be followed by celebratory drinks and canapes.
The EEAA, which represents 130 organisers, venues and suppliers to the business events industry, is inviting the industry to come together to celebrate the power of exhibitions for growth and their recovery in Australia and around the world.
At press time, EEAA advised micenet it had secured two further speakers – Jimmy Busteed, General Manager of Sales at Australian Turf Club and Kym De Britt, CEO of the Australian Dental Industry Association.
The program’s other featured presenters include Paul Bloxham, Chief Economist for Australia, New Zealand and Global Commodities at HSBC, Simon Burgess, General Manager of Adelaide Convention Centre and Chris Skeith, Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Event Organisers UK.
The event will take place from 2.30pm for those attending in-person – 3pm for virtual attendees – on Wednesday June 2 at ICC Sydney and be followed by networking drinks and canapes from 5.30pm for face-to-face delegates. Registration can be completed online here.