Introduction
Australia’ s Business Events sector poised for continued growth
TOURISM AUSTRALIA, NEW MANAGING DIRECTOR, ROBIN MACK SIGNPOSTS SOME BIG EVENTS AND DEVELOPMENTS ON THE ROAD AHEAD FOR MEETINGS AND EVENTS DOWN UNDER
As we head into 2026, we’ re pleased to reflect on the success of another Australia Next incentive showcase, this time in partnership with the Melbourne Convention Bureau. Hosting the event consecutively over the past three years has proven its worth; helping to secure 45 events for Australia valued at almost AUD $ 37m. These numbers will climb following our most recent showcase, and we are already looking forward to welcoming back international planners to Sydney / Warrane for the 2027 event.
We are also thrilled to confirm a strong line-up of major association events secured for Australia through our Bid Fund Programme. Landmark global conferences like the Women Deliver gender equality conference will bring over 6,000 delegates to Melbourne / Naarm in April 2026. Brisbane / Meanjin will host the International Federation of Fertility Societies World Congress in 2027, and the International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems will head to Sydney / Waranne in 2028 – marking the event’ s first time in the Southern Hemisphere in its 30-year history.
Australia ' s business events sector is poised for continued growth, supported by a surge in new infrastructure projects and increased flight capacity. Our accommodation pipeline remains strong, with a number of major global brands making their debut in Australia in the coming years. The Waldorf Astoria on Sydney Harbour and the St Regis on the Gold Coast are both set to open in 2027, and trendy London property The Hoxton will debut
Robin Mack
in Melbourne in 2028. For delegates across Europe, air access to Australia continues to expand, with Qantas increasing the frequency of their non-stop service to Perth from Rome, complementing the existing routes from London and Paris. The Australian national carrier has also confirmed that early 2027 will see wheels up on Project Sunrise, the worldfirst non-stop service connecting London with the Australian east coast.
Looking ahead, sustainability has long been a strategic priority for Tourism Australia. We champion change through advocacy, highlighting that our venues and suppliers are already leading, with Australia’ s convention centres holding some of the world’ s highest certifications. Examples of impactful initiatives include ICC Sydney’ s Low Carbon Menus and Cairns Convention Centre’ s Reforest carbon offset programme. We will continue to use our global marketing platform to communicate these successes and meet the growing demand for more sustainable events.
Australia’ s focus remains on amplifying what truly sets us apart from many other business events destinations – and that’ s the warmth, and the smarts, of our people. Plus the fact our destination’ s diverse natural landscapes and innovative business events infrastructure create incentive programmes and association events like nowhere else. And unlike many of our competitors, our price points are transparent with no unexpected extra taxes or gratuities.
For the latest updates on Australia’ s event offering or to arrange a personal introduction to members of our industry, contact our general manager business events, commercial & industry, Kelly Maynard, at kmaynard @ tourism. australia. com.
We hope the stories to follow help to bring Australia to the top of your destination list in 2026, whether your first time visit, or a return journey – a warm and welcoming G’ day awaits. n
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