Key facts

• Australian business events suppliers and operators will be meeting with corporate and agent buyers from across China this week, as part of Business Events Australia’s 2008 Asia Mission to Hong Kong and Shanghai.
• This mission is vital for developing new business opportunities and ensuring that Australia maintains its presence as a destination for meetings and incentives across Asia.

Key quotes

• "Taking a delegation of Australian sellers to China gives us the opportunity to maximise potential growth from this region at a time when the incentive and corporate meetings market is experiencing strong development," Geoff Buckley, Managing Director, Tourism Australia.

Full story

Australian business events suppliers and operators have a golden opportunity to source, qualify and educate key corporate and agent buyers from across China this week, as part of Business Events Australia’s 2008 Asia Mission to Hong Kong and Shanghai.

The mission is vital for developing new business opportunities and ensuring that Australia maintains its presence as a destination for meetings and incentives across Asia.

Bringing together buyers and sellers in a structured business environment, the mission is a valuable opportunity for Australian business events operators to continue to develop business opportunities throughout Hong Kong and China.

Tourism Australia Managing Director Geoff Buckley said, “The aim of the Team Australia Mission is to improve international buyer knowledge and understanding of Australia as a business events destination.

“China is Australia’s fastest growing incentive market. Between 2002 and 2007, the Chinese incentive market to Australia almost tripled, rising 170%, with particularly strong growth recorded in 2007, with numbers up 48%, totalling 19,344 business events delegates.

“Taking a delegation of Australian sellers to China gives us the opportunity to maximise potential growth from this region at a time when the incentive and corporate meetings market is experiencing strong development.

“For corporate meetings and incentives business, China is a very important market to Australia. We have a solid reputation for consistently delivering quality events to this market, however we cannot be complacent. We need to continually demonstrate that Australian destinations are keen to welcome Chinese business events.”

Business Events Australia has coordinated missions to these markets in the past, visiting Shanghai and Bejing in 2006 and Korea and Taiwan in 2007. The 2008 program will provide greater reach into China, via the 40 corporate clients and 40 prominent travel agents who will attend the event as buyers.

The Australian sellers attending the four day mission include Tourism Australia and seven members of the Association of Australian Convention Bureaux (AACB) including the Adelaide Convention Tourism Authority, Business Events Sydney, Cairns and Region Convention Bureau, Gold Coast Tourism, Melbourne Convention and Visitors Bureau, Northern Territory Convention Bureau and Perth Convention Bureau.

Head of Business Events Australia Joyce DiMascio said, “With participants from the seven bureaux attending the mission all working together, we aim to secure increased China business.

“Australia is investing more than $3.7 billion in new infrastructure and products and this mission will allow our partners a timely opportunity to showcase this in the crucial China market.

“In March, Team Australia conducted a large event in Macau and our return to the region provides an opportunity to highlight new infrastructure catering to the incentive and corporate meetings market. Examples such as Qualia on the Great Barrier Reef and Emirates Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa in the Blue Mountains, plus new attractions such as Southern Star Observation Wheel in Melbourne and Crocosaurus Cove in Darwin.

“For those organisations keen to pursue corporate social responsibility, business events in Australia are committed to a growing array of green initiatives, currently being compiled through Business Events Australia.

“The objective is to showcase the best of Australia’s conference and incentive products, our cities and landscapes throughout this mission, to keep Australia top of mind and a desirable destination for Chinese business events organisers,” Ms DiMascio said.

Next Article