Daily News & Opinion

The Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre (GCCEC) has launched a 360-degree virtual site inspection of the venue.  With support from Tourism Australia’s domestic Business Events Boost Program which supports industry-led marketing and distribution projects, GCCEC360 was created. “The video includes all of the things that we discuss with visitors on an in-venue site tour – everything from which spaces are best suited to which types of events, to where the registration desk and organiser’s offices are located,” said Adrienne Readings, GCCEC GM.

AIME has partnered with PCMA on the 2022 Knowledge Program at AIME, traditionally amongst the first business events trade events of the year on the worldwide calendar. According to a statement from organisers, the collaboration “will deliver year-round engagement and activity that will assist the business events industry on its path to recovery and growth” culminating with the live event in March 2022 in Melbourne. Read more

One of the most successful programs for the Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia (EEAA) has been its networking and educational program for young leaders in the industry. Now it’s time for younger members of the industry to shrug off their COVID blues and get back to sparkling form at one of the first networking events as we return to live events. Read more

Many event professionals are focussed on creating an event that is like a TV show. They want it running smooth, loads of pre-recorded video, so they know it will work, and a stack of AV special effects to make it dazzling. With hosts and speakers in studios in a central location, it is relatively simple to connect the broadcast to the event software and send it to delegates, wherever they may be. But your delegates want more. Read more

The winter festival made an early and apt creative move which ensured that the 2021 event would have an international flavour, even during a pandemic, securing its first creative director in its decades-long history: Tony Award winning Hollywood acting Scot Alan Cumming. “This festival is a temple to my love and nostalgia for Australia – the people, the spirit, the adventure, the fusion of high and low that I have learned and stolen from and hold dear in my heart,” said Cumming.

While Melbourne was worst affected by COVID-19 in Australia, it doesn’t appear to have put off hotel investors with new hotels continuing to open and more in the pipeline. Melbourne Convention Bureau says 14 new hotels will open by year’s end. The latest to hang their shingles in the CBD are two global brands – W Melbourne (294 rooms and 828 square metres of event space) and Hilton Melbourne Little Queen Street – plus a newcomer, Quincy Hotel Melbourne (241 rooms). Read more

Australia’s business events industry continues to see positive signs of recovery with Melbourne expecting to welcome over 5,000 delegates for the Australian Dental Exhibition (ADX) from May 6-8 and Darwin securing the International Foster Carer Organisation Conference for June 2022.  ADX 2021 is slated to generate $16.2 million for Victoria’s economy. Read more

The latest release of the event technology’s virtual event platform OnAIR, which launched yesterday, introduces a 3D mode with features including custom scenes to match brands, an inbuilt 3D designer to create customisable scenes and a virtual assistant to access all areas of an event. “Now with the addition of 3D, event planners will have the best of all worlds virtual, hybrid or in-person – all in one platform,”said EventsAir CEO Trevor Gardiner.