BESydney has refocused its priorities since the pandemic and Lewis- Smith says challenges have included rescheduling impacted events into 2023 and beyond and supply chain capacity , particularly with airlines , while industry staffing is only starting to return to full strength .
Sustainability and social impact creation are rising to the forefront of event decision making and BESydney is working with Meet4Impact and Team Sydney partners to co-create a shared social impact framework for business events in the city . It will begin implementation from 2023 . Lewis-Smith adds : “ In FY 2021-2022 our rally call was dare to rise , to build back best . The pandemic moved us to reconsider what we do and how we do it . This spurred us to embrace change and reimagine the role of business events as we rebuild , to showcase our industries , innovation , and visitor experiences to the world . We know that business events contribute to economic strategy and attract talent and capital .
“ We are continuing to focus on the DNA of our city and working to align our strengths to client needs .
“ The NSW State Government is investing heavily in Lighthouse Precincts – concentrated hubs of innovation across the city . Our strategy contributes to our 70 % success rate of bid wins .” A selection of 2023 events includes :
• Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society ( COGSCI 2023 ) - Sydney ( 26-29 July )
• World Conference on Family Doctors - WONCA - Sydney ( 26-29 October )
• SIGGRAPH Asia 2023 - Sydney ( 12-15 December )
• FDI World Dental Congress - Sydney ( 24-27 September )
• IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality ( ISMAR ) ( 11-15 October )
• International Mining and Resources Conference ( IMARC ) - Sydney ( 31 Oct 2 November )
• IEEE International Future Energy Electronics Conference ( IEEE IFEEC ) ( 20-23 November ).
Key sectors for Sydney , according to the CVB , are health and life sciences , tech and innovation , finance , and professional services and integral to this is a network of 80 + Global Ambassadors – all leaders in their fields , to help bring in the global meetings that will build long-lasting global connectivity .
Sydney was one of the first cities in the world and the first in Australia to join the Global Destination Sustainability Index ( GDS-Index ) and the commitment to making the city a sustainable destination for business events is outlined in its Sustainability Policy . The City of Sydney ' s flagship programme , Sustainable Sydney 2030-2050 , defines a set of goals that have been developed to make the city as green , global and connected as possible .
The city continues to evolve and over the past two years new hotels have been built , such as the Crown Sydney 2020 , the refurbishment of the InterContinental in 2022 , the new Porter House Hotel Sydney 2022 and there are new openings on the horizon with W Sydney 2023 , The Sandstones ( Capella Group ) 2023 / 4 and The Waldorf Astoria 2025 .
New venues include the WINX Stand at Randwick Racecourse , the Jackson , a new superyacht , and the Sydney Modern Project at the Art Gallery of NSW and its new venue spaces . The Western Sydney International ( Nancy Bird Walton ) airport is due to open in 2026 . Activities to interest delegates in Sydney include the BridgeClimb Sydney , which takes visitors to the Sydney Harbour Bridge ’ s 134m peak . And the new Sydney Oyster Farm Tour on the Hawkesbury River provides an immersive culinary experience . Or take a bush tucker tour with a guide through the Botanic Gardens to learn about indigenous bush foods . Luna Park Sydney has completed a $ 30m upgrade and Fort Denison on the island in the centre of Sydney Harbour is to offer dining and functions from late 2023 . And the Australian Museum has undergone a $ 57.5m renovation and offers a range of flexible event spaces . Its Hintze Hall can host up to 450 people .