EVENTS
DESTINATION NEWS
Lonely Planet places
Western Australia at
the top of their list
Margaret River and Southern WA have been named as the
best destination to visit in the Asia Pacific by Lonely Planet.
The southern part of the vast state made number one on the
‘Best in Asia Pacific’ list, an annual ranking of the top ten
destinations in the region.
“Take one look at Meelup Beach and you’ll wonder where
it’s been all your life,” reads the list. “West Australian bush
parts to reveal ocean the hue of a Bombay Sapphire bottle,
which is typical of the coastline stretching from Margaret
River to the state’s south. Beyond the sand, some of the
country’s slickest wineries, breweries and restaurants
lie between tracts of tall-tree forest and kangaroo-dotted
farmland.” S
Victoria: the perfect
destination for events
The Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) has secured an
estimated $500 million worth of events and visitor spending
to the state this past financial year.
This number has been attributed to several ‘significant
wins’, including the 2023 Rotary International Conference—
which is set to be the most valuable conference ever won for
the state. It’s expected to attract 20,000 Rotary members and
inject $110 million into Victoria’s economy.
Other notable conferences include The International
Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses, International Congress
of Genetics, 20th International Union of Basic and Clinical
Pharmacology (IUPHAR), the World Congress of Basic
and Clinical Pharmacology, and the World Congress of
Philosophy. S
The benefits of
business events
Andrew Hiebl, CEO of the Association of
Australian Convention Bureaux (AACB), knows
that it’s not just the event that’s important,
but what it leaves behind.
The term ‘lasting legacies’ has been introduced
by the business events industry in recent years to
extend the value of meetings beyond destination and
tourism impacts. This concept has been applied more
commonly to association or government events, yet the
key expected outcomes for corporate events are similar.
Corporate event participants vary slightly to include
employers, employees, distributors, franchisees,
sponsors and media, however the core motivations for
these people to meet are the same:
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I have not yet heard a corporate executive assistant
say that they selected destination X to hold their
business event due to the economic benefit their event
would bring the destination. However, a destination,
through its facilities and experiences, should provide
an environment that enables key outcomes for
corporates, including:
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Perth Convention Bureau
releases 2019-21 Meeting
Planners Guide
The Perth Convention Bureau (PCB) has released its
latest Meeting Planners Guide 2019-2021. The Guide is
a comprehensive directory of the venues, products and
services available to event organisers who are considering
Western Australia for business events.
Updated every two years, the guide features an extensive
inventory of venues and accommodation properties,
including all the major conference centres and hotels in both
Perth and regional Western Australia. The guide is available
on the PCB website at www.pcb.com.au. S
Develop and share ideas
Educate and inform
Promote
Network and socialise
Change attitudes and behaviour
Increase sales
Improve performance
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Improved individual performance
Improved organisational performance
Information sharing
Problem-solving
Collaboration on new products and services
Motivation and team building
Work skills training
Corporate plans
Product promotion
Performance rewards
In 2018, AACB members secured 307 corporate
meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions
for their respective destinations—in total supporting
an estimated 130,000 attendees. I encourage you to
discuss your organisation’s needs and motivations
with an AACB member to identify that perfect
destination for your next business event. S
Issue 3 2019 | Chief of Staff 45