February 15, 2022 | By Bronwen Largier | Image: Tourism Australia’s Dreamtime in Perth in 2019 | Credit: Tourism Australia
A $15 million business events funding boost as part of the state government’s Reconnect WA package announced in December 2021 combined with Business Events Perth’s Keynote Speaker incentive have yielded five event wins for Perth, which are set to see over 4,350 delegates gather at events in Perth and inject more than $13 million into the state’s economy between 2022 and 2025.
Since the Reconnect WA funding was announced BE Perth has picked up four large medical events while the speaker incentive initiative, which funds the cost of a keynote speaker at an event in another destination on the proviso that the event makes a stop in Western Australia within three years, has netted a 1,600-delegate education conference for Perth for 2025.
“Despite the major setbacks for this industry due to COVID-19, BE Perth’s optimism and resilience has been demonstrated by continuing to pitch for large-scale events for the future,” said WA Tourism Minister, Roger Cook.
Busines Events Perth CEO Gareth Martin said both government funding and industry collaboration were critical for the wins.
“The events that we have confirmed through the Reconnect WA funding and our Keynote Speaker Incentive were strategically targeted to align with the WA Government’s Diversify WA framework, which identifies health and medical life sciences and international education as two of the state’s key growth sectors,” he said.
During the pandemic, and despite WA’s border closures, Business Events Perth has won 108 national and international business events for Western Australia, out to 2029, representing an estimated $107 million economic impact for the state.