GLOBAL SNAPSHOT
EUROPE
Pandemic to cost 3,000 jobs at BCD
Business travel company BCD Travel ’ s founder John Fentener van Vlissingen has said the company could shed 3,000 jobs over the course of the coronavirus pandemic , a fifth of the workforce . Van Vlissingen expected 2020 revenue to drop 75 % from the 2019 figure .
A BCD Travel spokesperson told CMW : “ Like so many other companies in the travel industry , BCD will be a smaller organisation coming out of the pandemic .” The vast majority of job reductions had already been achieved through early retirements and other actions , the company added .
AUSTRALASIA
ICC Sydney delivers A $ 510m despite Covid effect
Delegates attending events at International Convention Centre Sydney generated A $ 510m ( US $ 364.1m ) in direct expenditure for New South Wales , despite the economic fallout from Covid-19 on the 2019 / 20 financial year . ICC Sydney had been on track for another strong year in 2019 / 20 before the shutdown of all in person events at the venue from mid-March 2020 . The end of financial year figure ended up down by A $ 386m from FY2018 / 19 due to the months of lost operations .
EUROPE
Vienna Tourism Conference success
The Vienna Tourist Board welcomed 200 guests in person and 1,000 virtually , to its hybrid Vienna Tourism Conference 2020 , 30 September . The Vienna Hofburg ’ s successful hosting of the event “ represents an important signal for Vienna as a meeting location ,” said Christian Woronka , head of the Vienna Convention Bureau .” The safety model included on-site Covid-19 antigen testing . Two test lanes were set up to test before admission , with results revealed in 15 minutes . Within three hours , all 200 guests had undergone testing and granted safe access .
ASIA
Asia Pacific to lead way to recovery in Q3 2022
PCMA ’ s Business Events Compass says Asia Pacific is leading the way to recovery and short-term pivots to digital events are fuelling long-term innovation . Economic recovery of the business events sector to pre-Covid levels , the report says , is likely to take place in Q3 2022 or later .
Covid-19 containment measures across APAC are a reason for optimism and 45 % of survey respondents are expecting to attend local events there in 2021 , with 20 % expecting to attend regional or national events . This compares to 22 % and 15 %, respectively , for US / Canada .
6 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / ISSUE 109