It’s a good week for the MICE community!
The Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia (EEAA) has welcomed the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Hon Steven Ciobo MP’s decision to increase investment in attracting international business events to Australia by $12 million over 3 years.
EEAA Chief Executive, Joyce DiMascio, says the industry has been campaigning for many years for the Federal Government to make a bigger commitment to leverage Australia’s potential as a place for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions.
“Minister Steven Ciobo has been an active campaigner within Government for more investment and we are very pleased with the announcement made this morning at Tourism Australia’s Destination Australia conference in Melbourne,” she said.
“This is a step in the right direction and will help boost Australia’s capacity to attract events to Australia.
“It will position Tourism Australia’s Business Events team as important boosters of Australia’s international competitiveness in the face of growing competition from the Asia-Pacific region.”
“We are particularly pleased the $12 million “bid fund” is designed to be “agnostic” and will be open to all types of business events including exhibitions – provided they meet the criteria and can demonstrate clear ROI in international delegates and attendees and spending of over $3 million.”
EEAA President, Spiro Anemogiannis said the commitment of new funds added to current programs run by Business Events Australia will help boost the sector’s competitiveness.
“Australia faces enormous competition in the international business events market and a key measure to maintain our competitiveness is to increase funding for the sector.
“The announcement of $12 million is a good start, however, we will continue to call on both the Government and the Opposition to deliver more,” he said.
DiMascio said: “We know we have strong advocates for business events in both Minister Ciobo and Tourism Australia Managing Director, John O’Sullivan.
“We look forward to working with them both, their teams and of course, with Executive General Manager of Events, Penny Lion, who will have a responsibility to work with industry to convert this opportunity to a win for the Australian economy.
“This is an historic announcement for business events and bestows on Tourism Australia a bigger brief in supporting event attraction,” she said.
