The head of the Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia (EEAA) has vowed to build a stronger voice for the exhibition industry as it looks to ramp up the profile of Australia’s events sector.
At an intimate luncheon in Sydney last week, EEAA general manager Joyce DiMascio highlighted the need to build the profile of Australia’s events sector to foster more government support.
While the current exhibition and events industry was in “sound shape”, she said stronger representation would help build awareness of the challenges currently facing the Australian industry.
It would also help each state to present a stronger case when lobbying the government for funding and support, she added.
“Building the voice of the exhibition industry will ensure that the industry receives the recognition it deserves,” she told The Nibbler after the event. “It will help communicate to the government the importance of the events industry in Australia.”
After hearing a number of concerns from members across Australia, DiMascio remained confident that building a stronger profile would help to address the challenges.
For instance, a stronger peak body would help Perth’s struggle for accommodation and Melbourne’s appeal for expanded exhibition facilities at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
It would also help Adelaide edge closer to its goal of securing more government support, DiMascio said.
“We want to show the government the huge footprint the industry has,” she said. “If we can demonstrate the spread of industries and the size we have, we can articulate the market sentiment about growth and decline.”
Meanwhile, the EEAA is continuing its discussions with Infrastructure NSW to find suitable alternatives for large scale events ahead of the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre closure late next year.
DiMascio admitted the interim period “does pose some challenges” for 65 exhibitions and events that will be displaced over the next three years, but remained confident an alternative would be found.
