Te Pae Christchurch will host 8,255 delegates in May, including 2,650 international attendees, for a variety of events including the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Annual Scientific Congress 2024, the Institute of Directors NZ Conference, and the MotorSport NZ Conference. With peak season summer visitors firmly in the rear view mirror, the impact of these delegates is being felt across the centre’s supply chain and the city’s visitor economy. The venue has 222 suppliers in the local Canterbury region and makes 85 per cent of its purchases from local suppliers. The centre is also having ..read more

As a now-seasoned attendee of MCB’s yearly media famil preceding the Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME), this year’s outing provided perhaps the best showcase yet of the place where I grew up. Luxcoach was the first surprise of the day. Inspecting the itinerary beforehand, I had wondered why we were taking transport from the new Dorsett Hotel to Marvel Stadium when the two are practically neighbours. This is the first time travelling by coach had been an experience unto itself. It turns out, there are luxury coaches and then there is Luxcoach – a relatively new edition to Melbou ..read more

Australian Bureau of Statistics figures for February 2024 reveal Melbourne had 50,240 short term arrivals from China for the month compared with 14,240 in February 2023 and only 2,700 in February 2022.  But while arrivals from China are increasing, they still do not match monthly figures from the eve of the pandemic in February 2019 when 67,900 Chinese visitors arrived in Melbourne. Melbourne Airport’s latest statistics showed 923,065 international arrivals during March 2024 which represented both a 28 per cent increase on March 2023 and its biggest ever figure for international arrivals ..read more

The movement provides benchmarking, assessment and further opt-in consultancy services for destinations looking to become more sustainable, both environmentally and socially. The GDS-Movement has a particular focus on the tourism and business events space. The GDS-Movement also produces an annual index of sustainable cities, ranking each city that has joined the movement. In the most recent index 100 cities were included, with the majority based in Europe. Adelaide’s membership is being managed by Business Events Adelaide. Damien Kitto, CEO of Business Events Adelaide, believes that Adelaide’s ..read more

The destination’s signature business events showcase offers event planners from the Australia and New Zealand a chance to experience the newest and best of the Gold Coast over three or four days. Up to 70 planners are expected to attend. This year will mark the tenth iteration of the program which aims to generate event business for the Gold Coast, in turn boosting the destination’s visitor economy during the working week when leisure visitors are typically low. “Over ten years, TIGC has connected hundreds of conference and event organisers and key decision makers with the city’s most inspirin ..read more

After taking on the head role at the Chamber of Commerce, then becoming the general manager and eventually CEO at Townsville Enterprise, she was presented with the opportunity to step into the CEO role at Destination Gold Coast during COVID. As a tourism driven city, “that was a really interesting period,” she says, calling the experience humbling but adding that it presented the opportunity for the city to rally together. Now at Tourism and Events Queensland, she reflects on some of the turning points in her career. “Taking on the role at Townsville Enterprise, we were going through an econom ..read more

Jason Walbridge has been appointed as CEO of SkyCity, which operates four casinos across New Zealand and Australia, in addition to hotels and, from next year, the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC). Following the necessary regulatory approvals, Walbridge is expected to start the role in July after moving back to New Zealand from Las Vegas where he has been based for some years. “We are looking forward to the valuable contribution Jason will make to the business. Jason has extensive global experience in the land-based and online gaming industries, which will position him well t ..read more

Opening on the Newcastle harbourfront on Honeysuckle Drive, the hotel is close to Newcastle’s main train station and less than 10 minutes’ walk from Newcastle Exhibition and Convention Centre (NEX), under 15 minutes’ walk from Civic Theatre Newcastle and just 3km from the Newcastle Entertainment Centre, all of which can host business events. With 181 compact rooms, the hotel has the largest number of guest rooms of any hotel in Newcastle, which would suit business events groups wishing to stay together. “Little National Newcastle marks the third venture hotel in Australia, and stands as a test ..read more

The new tower will be an all-suite hotel tower with a 15-000-seat arena to sit between it and the existing Marina Bay Sands. New business events space is also included in Marina Bay Sands’ expansion plans. The integrated resort already boasts three towers with the iconic SkyPark sitting across the top of all three. The existing infrastructure is also in the second stage of a US$1.75 billion refurbishment. In addition, the Sands Expo and Convention Centre has over 120,000m2 of event space, including the largest ballroom in Southeast Asia. “With the ongoing support of the Singapore Government, t ..read more

As the opening of Sydney’s second airport gets nearer, leasing opportunities in the airport’s business precinct have been released. Engagement is also ramping up – alongside the Lights on Western Sydney event held on April 5, the Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue held the Airport City Summit 2024 last Thursday, April 11, with more than 450 people attending, including the likes of the BESydney team. Last week’s event focussed on the broader opportunities offered by the opening of the new airport, which is now said to have capacity for five million passengers in its first year and is expected t ..read more