Dreamtime chooses Adelaide

ADELAIDE is topping off a “massively successful” 2014 with news that it has secured hosting rights to trade-marketing event Dreamtime 2015.

To be held in December this year, the event will see buyers spending five days in the city.

Tourism Australia managing director, John O’Sullivan, said that as well as being key to promoting Australia as a business events destination internationally, Dreamtime is vital to the broader industry Tourism 2020 targets to grow the business events sector to A$16 billion (US$12.6 billion) annually.

“Dreamtime is Australia’s largest business events showcase, which allows us to connect with qualified buyers from key markets including Greater China, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, New Zealand, the US and UK.”

The good news follows a year in which the destination bagged A$144.2 million worth of future events, up from A$126.1 million in 2013. Events held last year had an estimated economic impact of A$210 million, with events booked to-date for this year set to bring in about A$166 million.

Bid wins for 2H2014 were valued at A$94.7 million, including significant wins in the last quarter, boosting the on par first half to achieve the most successful year to-date.

These wins include the International Astronautical Congress 2017, the APPEA National Conference & Exhibition 2018, and the AMP Financial Services Conference 2016.

Infrastructure upgrades to keep pace with the city’s MICE calendar are also on track – the A$350 million redevelopment of the Adelaide Convention Centre is nearing completion of stage one, Adelaide Casino has received A$350 million in investments, and the A$535m renovation of the iconic Adelaide Oval boosts capacity by over 14,000 pax.

Adelaide had not been able to compete due to venue capacity and bid-funding constraints, according to the Adelaide Convention Bureau (ACB).

Damien Kitto, CEO of ACB, said: “These events, in selecting Adelaide as their host city, create around 1,400 jobs – from the businesses supplying the food to the conference delegates at their convention venues and local restaurants to the commercial laundries, the waiters, taxi drivers, and audiovisual company employees.”

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