19 July 2010


Record number of Hosted Buyers at Australian Business Events Expo 2010


Business Events Sydney (BESydney) together with Qantas Airways is proud to be welcoming a record number of 50 hosted buyers to the Australian Business Events Expo (ABEE) being held this week at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre.


The BESydney hosted buyer program will bring 50 international and domestic buyers from Europe, North America, Asia and various Australian cities.


"Asia is the key growth focus for us, particularly in China and emerging markets in South Asia. Since opening the BESydney office in China in 2003, we have confirmed an estimated $373 million worth of business from Asia for Sydney, of which 70% originates from China." said Mr Jon Hutchison, Chief Executive Officer of BESydney.


"This year, the number of qualified buyers from Asia has doubled, indicating the strong interest in Australia and also the vast potential of business from the region".


Stephen Limbrick, Executive Manager Australia Sales, Qantas said, "Qantas is a key supporter of Business Tourism and Business Events Sydney, and is delighted to support ABEE 2010. We look forward to welcoming the ABEE buyers onboard Qantas to experience our award winning in-flight product and service".


The hosted buyer program aims to educate buyers and provide them with a unique experience that they would not ordinarily get in Sydney and the regions.


"The program will offer more diversity than ever before", said Mr Hutchison.


"We want the buyers to see for themselves why Sydney continues to be the number one choice for business events in Australia. Inspiration Guaranteed is our promise".


Sydney has recently been ranked number six on the highly regarded annual list of the World’s Best Cities by Travel & Leisure 2010, ahead of London, Paris and New York, and the only Australian city to win a spot in the top ten. This result confirms Sydney’s position as Australia’s only global city.


Readers had voted for their top global cities based on a range of criteria including sights, culture and arts, restaurants and food, people, shopping and value for money.


The hosted buyers will enjoy a program that starts with an inspirational day out on the famous harbour. Buyers will climb the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge and dine under the sails of the Sydney Opera House. Both icons are a tangible representation of the capacity of Sydney to continually inspire innovative thinking.


Mr Hutchison said, "Sydneysiders draw inspiration from these icons. We want to share these with our guests".


ABEE 2010 will be held on 22 and 23 July at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre. The expo will showcase the best products and services in Australia, focused on the events industry.


Buyers will be given the opportunity to discuss their future meetings and events through pre-scheduled appointments with ABEE exhibitors and also inspections at a selection of Sydney’s top hotels and venues.


Preceding ABEE, BESydney will be holding an international market update for its stakeholders on Monday, 19 July 2010. BESydney will present on industry trends in key international markets. The audience will also have the opportunity to hear from BESydney’s in-market representatives who will present on their specific markets’ trends and upcoming sales and marketing activity plans for the new financial year.


"We recently reported on a record year of 69 business events win, a significant increase from our previous record of 47 wins in 2002/3. This is worth an estimated $179 million to the NSW economy.  Such a fantastic result could not have happened without the collaborative efforts and support from our stakeholders", said Mr Hutchison.


Business Events Sydney


Business Events Sydney (BESydney) is the organisation responsible for promoting Sydney as a business events destination, identifying new event opportunities and securing these for Sydney.

BESydney is a partnership between the NSW Government and the tourism industry. BESydney is a highly proactive organisation that has been successful in globally connecting Sydney through conventions, conferences, congresses, incentives and business meetings for 40 years.

 
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