Brisbane-based delegates supported by the grant are expected to work with the city’s convention bureau to bid to bring the conference they attend to Brisbane in the near future.
Launched in 2017 and managed by Brisbane Economic Development Agency (BEDA), which contains the city’s bureau, the annual grant has helped the city secure at least six conferences so far, worth $9 million for Brisbane.
Those awarded a grant will receive up to $5,000 to help fund their conference attendance. The grant can be used for registration costs and travel expenses.
“The Trailblazer Grant program gives Brisbane’s brightest minds the opportunity to connect with their international peers and pitch Brisbane as a world-class destination for their next major conference or convention,” said Brisbane’s lord mayor, Adrian Schrinner.
“By investing in our local talent, this program helps to attract events and business visitors to Brisbane, while strengthening our global reputation as one of the world’s top innovation cities.”
Applications for the grant are open now and close at midnight on February 25, 2025.
Griffith University aviation lecturer, Dr Bojana Spasojevic, travelled to an international conference in her field earlier this year with a grant from the program.
“It was a definite career highlight and an invaluable opportunity for me to promote and extend my research into the economic value of the aviation sector,” she said.
“It is humbling to know that the City of Brisbane is so invested in my work, and it makes me even more committed to campaigning for the conference to be held in Brisbane in the coming years.”
Through the last financial year, BEDA worked with key stakeholders to secure 90 events for Brisbane, worth over $100 million.
