Daily News & Opinion

Industry association Meetings & Events Australia’s (MEA) annual general meeting is coming up on 23 November and with it there will be some major changes to its Board of Directors. Social media is awash with vote canvassing by some candidates seeking election.

This contest at this time is very important. Given the important role industry associations play in representing their members and the industry, it’s critical the best people, with the right intentions, skills and competencies are elected. Read more

Queensland has reported six community cases with three sources and returned several parts of the state to stage 2 of its “COVID Safe Future” plan.

Indoor events will be reduced to 75 percent of seated capacity or one person per four square metres, with one person per two square metres permitted outdoors. 

All venues will be restricted to seated eating and drinking.

The restrictions come into place at 4pm for Brisbane, Gold Coast, Logan, Moreton Bay, Townsville and Palm Island.

Freedom to gather will only be reinstated if vaccination targets are achieved, the rates of transmissions come down and importantly, if COVIDSafe policies are implemented by the operators of live events and venues.

Our industry exists to bring people together. So, do we have a fundamental responsibility to lead policy rather than wait for vaccination to be mandated for our sector by Governments? Read more

While Melbourne awaits news on its current COVID-19 lockdown, Oakwood is pushing ahead with the Melbourne debut of its Oakwood Premier apartment hotel close to Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), that is now scheduled to open in October this year instead of in 2022.

It will be the first Oakwood Premier for Australia and the 10th of this brand which can be found in other major world cities including Tokyo, Seoul and Singapore. Read more

Wildlife tour company Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours and not-for-profit koala conservation organisation Koala Clancy Foundation are joining forces to create immersive conservation opportunities for leisure, education, volunteer and corporate travel through a new brand, Conservation Travel Australia.

“Recent surveys are telling us that 70 percent of Australians are concerned about climate change and we’re hearing those same words from participants on our tours,” says co-director of Echidna Walkabout Nature Tours, Roger Smith. Read more

Through corporate partnerships, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras gave out $248,000 in grants to LGBTQI+ community groups for this year’s festival season.

"It was important for us to work with our partners on supporting the community, in both the short and long term,” said Mardi Gras CEO Albert Kruger. 

Just one of its three grant programs, which distributed $100,000 in funding, resulted in over 200 artists, DJs and entertainers being engaged, 226 event staff employed and over $300,000 in revenue generated for venues.

The 2021 edition of the Deloitte Access Economics Tourism and Hotel Market Outlook has forecast that pent up demand from 2020 is expected to support the kick-start of holiday travel, but business travel is expected to have a longer recovery.

Deloitte Access Economics partner and Deloitte national tourism leader, Adele Labine-Romain says this will have critical implications for many corporate travel focused and convention-based hotels. Read more

Australia’s capital city is gearing up for a return to large in-person events, with the 800-pax 2021 Australian Cyber Conference, organised by the Australian Information Security Association, set to take place at the National Convention Centre Canberra (NCCC) between March 16 and 18, 2021. Delivered by Canberra-based Conference Logistics (Conlog), the hybrid conference is expected to attract an additional 400 virtual delegates.