The conference has been a long time coming for Australia, with Brisbane winning the bid back in 2016 and the event originally scheduled for 2021.
The bid was led by Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, in partnership with the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM). Host venue the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC), Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) and what is now Brisbane Economic Development Agency (BEDA) all supported the bid. The event was won before Australia’s national bid fund launched to offer financial incentives for international business events to come to Australia.
When the event was confirmed for Australia in 2016, 2,000 delegates were expected from 40 countries, along with an economic impact of $5 million.
With the conference in full swing in Brisbane this week, professional conference organiser ICMS Australasia has revealed that, with their assistance, having been embedded with the organising committee since 2016, the Australian iteration of the conference has achieved a record attendance of more than 3,500 participants from 70 countries, as well as record sponsorship.
The event is high security, with leaders of some of Australia’s largest companies, including BHP, Fortescue Metals, and Rio Tinto, taking the stage. The event includes 13 concurrent sessions, satellite meetings and a major exhibition component.
ICMSA said the organisation of the event was equally challenging, with the team at one point receiving 500 emails an hour related to the event.
“This is what we live for: guiding clients to produce congresses that lead to impactful changes in society,” said ICMSA managing director Emma Bowyer.
“Working collaboratively at such a high level with this client has been a major factor enabling us to deliver this event.”
