Post-event, the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) now has an estimated economic impact of $47 million, with over 7,400 delegates attending along with 12,000 members of the general public – including school students – attending the event’s Space Day held on the final day of the congress.
Initial expectations for the Sydney edition of the International Astronautical Congress was that it would attract 4,500 delegates and have an economic impact of $21 million.
“When we secured this event four years ago, coming out of the pandemic, our estimates of what it could bring to the state were understandably conservative,” said Business Events Sydney’s CEO, Amanda Lampe.
“Reaching this participation milestone is a credit to the collaborative efforts of state and federal governments working hand in hand in glove with industry and the academic community in a shared drive to achieve great things for Australia’s future.
“Over and above the $47 million economic injection into the visitor economy, IAC 2025 has advanced science, fostered innovation, catalysed trade and investment and shone the light on our city as the best place to live, work, study, advance research and do business.”
The congress also received support from Australia’s national business events subvention fund, managed by Tourism Australia.
“Our Business Events Bid Fund has been an incredible success since its inception, building a strong pipeline of future international business events that support a thriving visitor economy across Australia,” said Tourism Australia’s acting managing director, Robin Mack.
“It’s a highly competitive industry, with destinations around the world vying for these lucrative events. The Bid Fund offers vital support at the critical bidding stage and has helped to secure prestigious events like IAC 2025.”
The space congress had a 19,000m2 exhibition floor, with more than 450 companies and organisations from around the world exhibiting, including over 60 from New South Wales.
At the congress, Australia’s space agency also inked partnerships with NASA and the European Space Agency.
“Events such as the IAC are magnets for talent and investment,” said the NSW minister for industry, trade, innovation, science and technology, Anoulack Chanthivong.
“They fuel our knowledge economy and showcase Sydney’s capacity to host world-class events.
“We’re proud to have welcomed thousands of international delegates, industry leaders and space enthusiasts to our city – the event has exceeded all expectations.
“We might not always think about it, but space and satellites keep our world spinning – powering everything from crops to commerce – so it’s vital that we continue to inspire the next generation of scientists who will keep building the Australian space industry.
“As the biggest international conference held in Sydney post-pandemic, the IAC in Sydney has been a transformative moment – not only for businesses within our space ecosystem to pursue new growth opportunities, but also for inspiring the next generation to explore futures in STEM.”
