Sydney’s bureau locked in 81 events, worth more than $252 million in direct spend to NSW. The events are expected to draw about 59,000 delegates.
“We are going into 2026 with the best outlook for Sydney’s business events forward calendar in the company’s history,” said BESydney’s CEO, Amanda Lampe, who joined the organisation in mid-2025.
“These events are a fantastic stimulus for the New South Wales Government’s new Visitor Economy Strategy 2035 in which business events were enshrined for the first time as a key driver of economic growth for the state.
“Not only do these events support the visitor economy and jobs across the tourism and hospitality sector, but they are also a powerhouse for innovation, trade, investment and skilled talent attraction across a wide cross-section of the economy from advanced manufacturing and AI through to universities and scientific research.
“We look forward to further push these records in 2026, particularly with the rapid increase in Sydney’s global air connectivity with the 24-hour Western Sydney International Airport opening in 2026 and Sydney Airport’s exciting expansion plans.
“There’s some fantastic big name hotel brands and an array of new experiences coming online,” added Lampe.
“We’re also going to be dramatically stepping up our business development and marketing efforts locally and across the globe in the coming year, including the very exciting announcement last month that we will be partnering with Tourism Australia to host their signature incentive showcase, Australia Next, in 2027.
Wins in 2025 for BESydney included the International Labour and Employment Relations Association World Congress 2027 with an expected attendance of 1,000 delegates and $4 million in direct expenditure, the Allianz Life Indonesia Annual Agency Incentive 2026, for more than 1,000 delegates and a expenditure value of $6 million, and the World Hydropower Congress 2027 for 700 delegates and worth $2.6 million in delegate expenditure.
