Above: Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Hon Keith Pitt MP

Australia is well placed to secure an even greater share of international business events, despite the highly-competitive nature of this market.

The AACB is pleased the Federal Government, through the new Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Hon Keith Pitt MP, is continuing to support the business events industry.

“The business events sector is a major economic driver, not only for the visitor economy, but also in the generation of trade, investment and employment,” Assistant Minister Pitt said in his address to the AACB annual conference.

“Business events are expected to be worth $16 billion to the Australian economy by 2020.

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Above: Hon Steven Ciobo, MP Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment.

Additional support from the Federal Government for the business events industry has been welcomed by the AACB.

The support has come in the form of a successful reception at the Australian High Commission in London for Australian convention bureaux and heads of European associations and companies who have previously held, or have planned to hold, congresses in Australia, hosted by the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Hon Steven Ciobo MP, and Tourism Australia.

“Minister Ciobo is continuing to do an excellent job of ‘flying the flag’ for Australia’s business events industry,” said the AACB’s President, Lyn Lewis-Smith.

“The fact he’s now doing this on the world stage is taking this support to another level, which the industry welcomes.

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Above: Alex Donaldson (IMEX), Karen Bolinger (Melbourne Convention Bureau), Sue Calwell, Lyn Lewis-Smith (AACB President and Andrew Hiebl (AACB CEO). Absent: Jon Hutchison AM.

The AACB and IMEX Group are pleased to announce Ms Sue Calwell and Mr Jon Hutchison AM as the AACB Hall of Fame inductees for 2016. The induction ceremony took place at the AACB’s Annual Conference gala dinner held at Victoria Park, Brisbane on 9 September.

The AACB Hall of Fame was established in 2015 to acknowledge the AACB’s continued business events leadership, sponsored by the IMEX Group. The award recognises individuals who have made a significant contribution to the advancement of Australian convention bureaux and the business events industry. It also provides a historical narrative of leaders which have grown and nurtured the industry to present day.

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Above: Lyn Lewis-Smith (AACB President), Samantha Thompson (Gold Coast Business Events), Penny Lion (Tourism Australia) and Andrew Hiebl (AACB CEO).

Samantha Thompson, Business Development Manager of Gold Coast Business Events has been awarded with the prestigious AACB Staff Scholarship for 2016/17. The scholarship was announced at the AACB Annual Conference gala dinner held at Victoria Park, Brisbane on 9th September.

Co-sponsored by Tourism Australia and Qantas, the scholarship is awarded to a bureau staff member who can demonstrate their professional commitment to the business events sector by delivering a project which highlights innovation and excellence.

Samantha’s winning proposal was based around a large scale business events legacy strategy focused on the Commonwealth Games 2018. Samantha’s project will include visits with the Glasgow City and Convention Edinburgh teams in Scotland to gain greater insight to their own Business Events Legacy Plans and bureau operations.

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Above:  Lyn Lewis-Smith (AACB President), Eleanor Wilkie and Emma Perez (Business Events Cairns & Great Barrier Reef) and Andrew Hiebl (AACB CEO).

The AACB is pleased to announce Business Events Cairns & Great Barrier Reef (BEC&GBR) as the winner of the AACB’s Innovation Award for 2015/16. The award, sponsored by Simpleview, was announced at the AACB Annual Conference gala dinner held at Victoria Park, Brisbane on 9 September.

AACB CEO Andrew Hiebl said, “We had three bureaux compete for this year’s award. I congratulate Business Events Cairns & Great Barrier Reef on their win. Innovation plays an important role in helping Australia remain competitive in the national and global marketplace. AACB is pleased to recognise and celebrate new innovations and bureaux leadership.”

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Above: Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Hon Keith Pitt MP with Andrew Hiebl (AACB CEO).

Collaboration in the business events industry was the focus of the 27th AACB Conference, held recently in Brisbane.

The conference featured national and international speakers, and was headlined by Australia’s new Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, the Hon Keith Pitt MP.

“Business events is one of the largest and most significant segments of the tourism industry, yet the level of awareness about business events among people outside of our industry remains low,” said the AACB’s Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Hiebl.

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