The value of face-to-face meetings will underpin the
recovery of Australia’s international conference sector, according to one of the
country’s business events leaders.
Robin Mack, executive general manager Commercial
and Business Events Australia, said networking would be ‘an
increasingly important part of events’ after the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We’re talking about the specific value of meeting
face to face that you can’t replicate online, those serendipitous conversations,
that just don’t happen in a virtual setting.
“So, networking will be increasingly important, but also, I think,
we have to look at this distinction between shallow learning and the deeper
learning you get in-person.”
Mack said international associations had already started
meeting in Australia since border restrictions were lifted in February and the
pipeline of new business was looking strong.
Robin Mack Photo Credit: Tourism AustraliaHe said Tourism Australia’s Business Event Bid Fund secured
39 meetings during the pandemic, which are scheduled to take place over the next
four years, adding AUD250m to the economy. Some venues - like the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre - were already trading at pre-pandemic levels.
At the same time investment in Australia’s business events
infrastructure barely skipped a beat during the pandemic with 100 new or refurbished
hotels adding 12,000 new beds to the stock.
Mack was speaking to AMI at the IMEX trade show in Frankfurt,
during which Business Events Australia rolled out the second phase of its new international
brand campaign.
Building on the first phase of the There’s Nothing Like
Australia campaign, which launched in March 2022, the latest phase forms part
of a broader recovery strategy to drive demand for Australia as a business
events destination amongst incentive and association customers in international
markets.
Mack said the promotional material would be used in a highly
targeted marketing campaign in the United Kingdom, Europe, North America,
South‐Southeast Asia and New Zealand.
“With Australia’s reopening to the world, what better way to
showcase the country’s business events offering than through these new film
assets on the world stage at IMEX Frankfurt," he said.
"The newest phase of the campaign
is a standout for the sector and will undoubtedly position Australia as a global leader in business events."
Written By
James Lancaster
AMI editor James
Lancaster is a familiar face in the meetings industry and international
association community. Since joining AMI in 2010, he has gained a reputation
for asking difficult questions and getting lost in convention centres. Proofer, podcaster, and panellist - in his spare time, James likes to walk,
read, listen to music, and drink beer.
