Pictured: First Nations youth in Ontario in traditional dress.

Three thousand delegates will head to Adelaide in 2020 for the World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education (WIPCE), following a major bid win made by the Adelaide Convention Bureau in collaboration with Professor Peter Buckskin of University of SA and the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation Hon. Kyam Maher.

The event brings together Indigenous representatives from across the globe to share strategies and developments for culturally grounded Indigenous education and attracts the world’s most respected Indigenous education experts, practitioners, and scholars.

The win will see $13.2 million injected into the state’s visitor economy and provide 17,872 bed nights whilst simultaneously creating 119 jobs.

Adelaide Convention Bureau chief executive Damien Kitto said “the direct and indirect benefits [events] bring to the state should not be underestimated”.

“Winning this event is another example of the Bureau working with local experts to identify and bid for highly regarded international conferences,” commented Damien Kitto, CEO, Adelaide Convention Bureau.

He credits Adelaide Convention Centre’s $400m East Building development as a key drawcard to landing the coveted event.

“The soon to be opened phase two of the Adelaide Convention Centre redevelopment has enabled us to bid for these large scale events that were once beyond our reach.”

“That we are a new but successful player in this arena is testament to the Bureau’s strategy for promoting and selling Adelaide as a highly desirable destination for such lucrative events.”

Besides the immense benefit to the state’s economy, WIPCE will also provide a valuable opportunity for South Australian’s to learn about difference Indigenous cultures, said Hon. Kyam Maher, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation,

“I look forward to showcasing the work that we are doing here to keep culture strong for Aboriginal South Australia.”