ABEA reveals awards finalists
The young business events association has announced 42 company finalists for its inaugural awards night, set to be held on December 10 at ICC Sydney.
Companies shortlisted for the 16 awards categories include convention centres in Sydney, Adelaide, Cairns, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Darwin, Perth and Melbourne and bureaus in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane.
Organisers in the mix are dominated by exhibition companies and include Talk2 Media and Events, Informa, RX, Diversified Communications Australia, Hannover Fairs and Arinex.
Amongst the supplier finalists are ExpoNet, Harry the hirer, Black Diamond Agency, AV1, Sprintr, Saxton Speakers Bureau, GEL Events, Novatech Creative Event Technology, Displaywise, Zadro and Half Eaten Donut.
Award categories have been broken down into the best business events, best products, services and initiatives, best teams and a selection of standalone awards covering future leaders, venues and industry contributions.
“The standard and number of entries received for the inaugural Australian Business Events Awards has been exceptional,” said ABEA chief executive Melissa Brown.
“The finalists represent the pinnacle of excellence in our industry as well as the passion, creativity and commitment that is so evident from all corners of business events.”
The end of an era at Hilton Sydney
The partnership between Hilton Sydney’s flagship restaurant Glass Brasserie and celebrity chef Luke Mangan will wrap up at the end of this year.
Mangan has been associated with the restaurant for two decades.
“It has been an incredibly rewarding and successful 20 years of service at Glass Brasserie,” said Mangan.
“The team at Glass have been exceptional to work alongside and I look forward to experiencing their incredible creativity and outstanding service as a guest, on the other side of the pass.
“I am excited to get to work on a number of new projects with my amazing team, which we look forward to sharing more about over the coming months.”
Glass Brasserie will continue serving beyond Mangan’s reign, under chef de cuisine Natalie Murphy and head sommelier Mauro Bortolato.
Not far away, Mangan is also at the helm of the culinary offerings at IHG property Kimpton Sydney, which opened in early 2022.
IBTM World sees significant increase in meetings
Kicking off this evening Australia time, business events industry trade show IBTM World in Barcelona has seen a big increase in the number of meetings scheduled, alongside an expected rise in buyers and visitors through the doors of the event.
As of last Friday, over 72,000 meetings had been scheduled between buyers and sellers, up 20 per cent compared to 2023.
Visitor numbers are anticipated to rise 10 per cent this year while buyer numbers are expected to be up by 21 per cent, with more than 60 per cent of buyers attending IBTM World for the first time.
The exhibition floor will be complemented by a program of speakers and an advocacy forum.
“What a show we have in store for our fantastic attendees this year,” said IBTM World exhibition director, Claudia Hall.
“From our pioneering speakers and enterprising exhibitors to our inspiring conference programme and new features, this year’s show is overflowing with insight, passion and potential.
“Every year we think carefully about how we can provide utmost value, and I know the enhancements we’ve made to this year’s show will enable even greater connections, endless opportunities for working together and, ultimately, better business results for all.”
