The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has confirmed BECA’s voluntary deregistration, ending an era in Australia’s business events industry.
Beginning in 1994 and known as the MICE Industry Council until 2000, BECA has been the focal point of advocacy for Australia’s young business events industry, supported by various industry associations, including Meetings and Events Australia (MEA), the Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia (EEAA), the Professional Conference Organisations Association (PCOA) and the Association of Australian Convention Bureaux (AACB).
However, the pandemic and its associated lockdowns catalysed a rethink of advocacy efforts for the industry, with a final media statement from BECA yesterday saying “it became clear that a larger and better resourced industry association was needed if the business events sector is to realise its full potential”.
Following an announcement that the industry would gain a new association, the Australian Business Events Association (ABEA), BECA’s four association members unanimously agreed to dissolve the council in May this year.
The ABEA came into being on July 3, 2023, with the EEAA and the AACB as founding members, with the Australian Convention Centre Group – made up of the largest convention centres around Australia – also being a founding member of the new association.
To date, MEA and the PCOA have chosen not to become a part of the new association.
With former chief executive of Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), Peter King, as its chair, ABEA’s new CEO, Melissa Brown, joined ABEA in September. King said in August that the association had reached 65 per cent of its membership target for the current financial year within eight weeks of the organisation entering operation.
BECA’s final chair Leo Jago has recently joined the ABEA board.
The first national gathering of ABEA will be held in December.
