Australia’s events industry is “perfectly placed” to drive growth, jobs and opportunities for the future, according to a panel of political commentators at the Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia’s annual round-table event.
The fourth Gold and Platinum Partners event was held at the Star Room this week, with speakers including: Kate Carnell, chief executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Simon Banks, managing director of Hawker Britton; and Andrew Humpherson, director at Barton Deakin.
It has become one of the EEAA’s most popular events, according to chief executive Joyce DiMascio.
“Our goal is to connect our members with those in-the-know for Chatham House background briefings about politics and the economy – two big influencers of business and consumer sentiment,” she said.
“Our fourth event was most timely, given the recent changes in Canberra with the new Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull. We were keen to hear from the “insiders” about the likely impacts on policy and the business environment.”
The panel agreed there was a major “culture change” within the Prime Minister’s office as they forecasted the Turnbull Government would take a “less combative” approach than recent governments.
“Understanding the early signals of the new government in Canberra, and the current political environment, will put us on the front-foot when it comes to harnessing the opportunities for our industry in the future,” DiMascio said.
“The Round-table provided EEAA Members with valuable insights to navigate the course, particularly with the focus shifting towards infrastructure development and innovation in the services sector.”
The presenters also highlighted trends towards innovation, urban redesign and the need for a changing skill set centred on services, education and aged care in order to secure Australia’s economic future.
