Business Events Sydney (BESydney) has vowed to step up its efforts to promote alternative conference venues in the city after confirmation that the existing Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre will be closed for three years.
The NSW government said today the centre will close in late 2013 and re-open three years later.
A request for proposals has been issued to the consortia bidding for the $1 billion redevelopment project which NSW premier Barry O’Farrell described as a “major step forward”.
The new facilities will include the largest exhibition space in Australia at 40,000sq m.
BESydney chief executive Lyn Lewis-Smith said the changes being “great opportunity”.
“Sydney has a diversity of venue options that can be used as standalone venues or as part of a combined solution for large events,” she said.
