According to data from Flight Centre’s Corporate Traveller arm, the Australian Open Grand Slam in Melbourne each January is the clear favourite amongst corporate travellers, with the three-week tournament drawing a massive 46 per cent more attendees than the next top four events combined.
Corporate Traveller also analysed the figures from 2023 and 2024 for the Australian Open in addition to the AFL Grand Final in Melbourne, the NRL Grand Final in Sydney, the NRL Magic Round in Brisbane and the Bathurst 1000 in the regional NSW town to find which event saw the largest increase in corporate travel.
The NRL Magic Round saw the biggest uptick in corporate travellers, with a 26 per cent increase between 2023 and 2024, while the Bathurst 1000 had the second largest increase at 20 per cent.
While the AFL Grand Final in Melbourne enjoyed a healthy 19 per cent increase, the NRL Grand Final in Sydney saw the smallest rise in corporate travellers to the city at just 10 per cent. While the largest number of corporate travellers consistently come from Sydney and Melbourne for events outside their cities, Melbourne’s sporting events are significantly outperforming Sydney’s as a corporate drawcard.
The global managing director for Corporate Traveller, Tom Walley, flagged that the length of the event and even the days of the week it was held on had a significant impact on corporate attendance.
“The Australian Open is particularly attractive to business travellers because of its longer duration and scheduling. With a three-week program, businesses have the flexibility to attend on days that suit them best, including weekdays, which may be preferable for corporate engagements. Or alternatively, weekends to not disrupt the working week.
“Shorter events like the NRL Magic Round or Bathurst 1000, which run over just a few days, are also highly appealing. They offer concentrated excitement and allow business travellers to tap in and out without a lengthy time commitment. The fact that these events often fall over weekends or span just a few days makes them convenient for busy professionals.
“High profile events bring people together from all walks of life and internationally, giving businesses the opportunity to network informally, with a dose of fun, allowing businesses to build stronger rapport with stakeholders. People connect face-to-face with industry leaders, influencers, potential business partners and customers.”
Walley said concerts were also a driver for corporate travellers.
“Commonly, businesses gift tickets to customers, staff or suppliers, then arrange to take them to lunch or a leisure activity such as a cruise around the harbour to network in the days before or after the event. Many deals can be quietly negotiated this way,” he said.
