The Western Sydney Meetings Fund will support 25 associations and corporates to meet in Western Sydney, provided they each choose to bring their conferences to the region. A condition of the fund was for event destination decisions to be made by the end of 2026.
Events supported by the funding initiative are expected to see 11,250 delegates meet in Western Sydney, spending an anticipated $35 million.
The subvention fund came into play in advance of the Western Sydney International Airport opening later this year, with the first domestic and international flights to take off in late October from from the greenfield site in Badgerys Creek.
The airport’s impending arrival has also coincided with significant visitor economy and business events infrastructure announcements for Western Sydney.
Several new hotels are slated for Parramatta over the next couple of years, including QT Parramatta, expected to open in 2026, followed by a Marriott in 2027 and a Crowne Plaza in 2029. IHG Hotels and Resorts also has an InterContinental in the works for the Western Sydney hub. In addition, Parramatta will get a landmark new cultural institution, Powerhouse Parramatta, later this year, with several event spaces.
Meanwhile, also in close proximity to the new airport, a 152-room Pullman opened in the Penrith Panthers precinct in 2023, alongside the 1,250m2 Western Sydney Convention Centre.
“The level of demand for the Western Sydney Meetings Fund demonstrates growing confidence in the region’s capability to host national business events at scale,” said BESydney’s CEO, Amanda Lampe.
“With $35 million in potential economic impact and over 11,000 delegates expected, this initiative will contribute to Western Sydney’s development as an important hub for business events over the next two years.”
The events benefiting from the Western Sydney Meetings Fund will be held in 2027 and 2028. Up to $50,000 per event was available through the fund, supporting events of up to 1,000 delegates. Applications closed in the first half of June.
