The head of Meetings and Events Australia (MEA) is calling on the Federal government to commit more funding to the meetings sector so Australia can compete on the global stage.
In an exclusive interview with The Nibbler, MEA chief executive Linda Gaunt highlighted the struggle for government funding as a major concern facing the meetings and events sector.
Despite a wealth of funding for the leisure market, Gaunt said it was a battle for the meetings and events industry to secure adequate funding.
“There is much more marketing that goes into promoting Australia as a leisure destination. It’s a constant flux we have to fight between leisure and business events,” she said.
Gaunt stressed that extra funding would allow more bureaus and tourism bodies to promote Australia as a business events destination, in turn boosting visitor numbers to Australia.
It would also allow Australia to compete with its key rivals in the Asia Pacific, Gaunt added.
“We believe there is much more that can be done… We need all the help we can get so that we can compete with upcoming overseas destinations,” she said.
Gaunt also highlighted the need to present a united front when appealing for more government funding.
“We spend a lot of time looking at how we can lobby the Government to put more budget into business, but it’s very hard. We need to try and lobby with one voice,” she concluded.
