Held in conjunction with the Australian Event Awards, the Australian Event Symposium, running October 13-15, brings together the whole Australian event industry – the only national gathering in Australia to do so.
The program features sessions catering to different segments of the industry – for conference and corporate event organisers, sessions in 2025 cover topics including combatting the rise in late event registrations, crisis communications, amplifying event impact, sustainability, business events in regional destinations, using exhibitions to get the most out of your conference and conference trends.
Speakers on the program include Matt Pearce from Talk2 Media and Events – organisers of the Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME) – Emma Bowyer from ICMS Australasia, David Green from DG Global Events and Entertainment, Melissa Hamilton from sustainability advisory and certifier EarthCheck, Scott Crebbin from Platform 6, Peta Moore from Nectar Creative Communications, Stephanie Cassimatis from Pink Caviar Events, Andrew Cameron-Smith from Wonderment and Katrina de Jersey from KDJ Communique.
On day 1, the opening plenary will look at the synergy between events and regional tourism, discussing the importance of the relationship between the destination and the event and how to maximise the opportunity of bringing a business event to a regional area for both the event and the destination. The session will also address funding opportunities for events in regional areas.
Other day one breakout sessions for business events include conference trends and what’s losing relevance in talent and conference design, a presentation addressing overcoming the challenges of hosting business events in regional destinations and a session on event sustainability, including how to be more sustainable without breaking the budget and looking at whose responsibility sustainability is in the event world.
The day one closing plenary promises to “transform how event managers, suppliers to the industry, venues and conference organisers view the trusted advisor role”, looking at how every stakeholder in an event setting contributes to an event’s value at every possible touchpoint, how to ascertain stakeholder needs and, ultimately, how to deliver measurable impact at events.
Day two will start with a discussion on strategies to turn around increasingly late registrations from event delegates, before other sessions look at how to make an exhibition deliver big results within a conference-exhibition combination and crisis communication planning and delivery, including everything from identifying potential risks and issues and lines of communication to putting a crisis communications plan into action and protecting an event or organisation’s reputation if a crisis occurs.
The second day of the Symposium will be followed by the Australian Event Awards in the evening.
Other social events at the Symposium include welcome drinks on October 13, and a day one dinner and networking event at Aanuka Beach House.
See the full Event Symposium program here and register here. Single day registrations are available as are combined Event Awards and Symposium registrations.
Through a partnership with Qantas, Australian Event Symposium organisers are also offering discounted airfares to Coffs Harbour from across Australia.
