While convention bureaux and event owners are clearly keen to resume business events, it is the delegate or their employer who will decide when it is safe to resume face-to-face meetings, says CEO of the Association of Australian Convention Bureaux (AACB), Andrew Hiebl. Read more
This is somewhat our problem - the ability of the industry continues to be outside of our control.
While we’ve heard of many event cancellations and postponements due to the Omicron surge, the Australian Gift and Homewares Association (AGHA) has confirmed it will be going ahead with the AGHA Sydney Gift Fair at Sydney Showground in February. Read more
Good to see one event bucking the current postponement trend. Maybe it'll be the start of a new trend as cases start to come down.
With the tourism industry suffering the fallout of Australia’s highest ever COVID-19 case numbers over the peak season for operators, the Australian Tourism Industry Council (ATIC) is calling on the Federal Government to reintroduce the Cash Flow Boost program which helped small and medium sized businesses through the initial pandemic downturn in 2020. Read more
At least this is the low season for business events. Feeling for our colleagues in leisure tourism.
Shoalhaven City Council’s Event Support Program opened yesterday, offering grants of up to $20,000 per event for both business and public events coming to the region. Read more
Worth a look for anyone in need of an event destination.
The NSW Government has announced details of its Event Saver Fund, which will provide much needed financial relief to cancelled or disrupted festivals and major events in the state but is unlikely to help most business events, due to attendee numbers laid out in the eligibility guidelines. Read more
Well, this is great news for festivals, but difficult news for most business events organisers and owners.
The Australian Open visa saga, which has put the event on global front pages for over a week before it has even begun, has concluded with the men’s top ranked player, Novak Djokovic, deported from Australia late last night after having his second visa cancellation decision upheld by a full bench of three judges in Federal Court late yesterday afternoon. Read more
This whole situation feels like a lesson in the importance of careful paperwork and communication.
Despite the COVID-19 surge driven by the Omicron variant issuing a challenging start for the events industry in 2022, destinations are looking ahead with more positivity to events later in the year, with the launch of a planners' guide from Geelong and a new event inspiration magazine from Tasmania. Read more
Some food for thought when choosing your next event destination.
One of the things that delights the culinary teams at major venues and restaurants is the opportunity to experiment with new flavours and produce.
The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) Executive Chef, Peter Haycroft, has had this great joy with the rollout of the centre’s 2022 menu.
Haycroft says he is proud to lead the kitchen’s highly creative team to produce the new menu. Read more
A delicious story here from MCEC.
