The Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre (SCEC) will close its doors for three years while work begins on a one billion dollar makeover, it has been confirmed.
Following months of speculation over the SCEC’s future, the NSW government yesterday announced the centre would close from 2013 to 2016 while construction on a new 20 hectare entertainment precinct commences. Once completed, the precinct will cater for more than 10,000 delegates and feature the largest exhibition space in Australia.
In a statement yesterday, NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell announced that the redevelopment would boost Sydney’s competitive edge by providing capacity for large-scale conferences and events.
It would also ensure the NSW events industry continues to generate revenue, he said, noting that NSW had already lost $150 million in economic benefit because of the current facility’s limitations.
“The project will boost the competitiveness of the NSW major events industry, ensuring we don’t miss any more opportunities,” he said. “[It will also] allow Sydney to tackle the Asia-Pacific market head-on.”
Business Events Sydney was quick to applaud the move for recognizing the value that the business events industry delivers to the economy.
But with alternative venues for large-scale events yet to be identified, Exhibition and Event Association of Australia (EEAA) general manager Joyce DiMascio warned that many events may not go ahead if no suitable alternatives are found. “You can’t shut Sydney down for three years without a system in place for large events,” she said, adding that 65 events will not have a home while construction is underway. “There is a very real risk that these events won’t follow through if there are no suitable alternatives, which is damaging for the Australian economy.”
DiMascio said it was up to the government to find interim arrangements to ensure business opportunities are not lost, and stressed that its proposal to use Moore Park was an “unacceptable” option.
Premier O’Farrell stressed that Sydney’s major events industry would remain “open for business” during the construction period and that alternative arrangements are being “investigated”. SCEC will continue to take bookings until December 2013.
