Conference planners considering the Northern Territory for their next business event have been given even more reason to consider the NT, with the launch of a new scheme called the Northern Territory Business Events Support Fund (NTBESF).
Organisations can apply for financial assistance of A$100 per delegate up to a maximum of A$50,000 per event. Key criteria include the requirement for the eligible event to align with NT priority industry strength sectors and also that the majority of event participants travel to the NT from interstate and beyond.
The Fund is being administered by the Northern Territory Government, through the Department of Tourism and Culture’s Northern Territory Convention Bureau (NTCB). The Fund aims to assist the Territory business events sector to compete more aggressively with rival destinations, by providing support funding assistance to organisers of qualified business events, including association and corporate meetings.
Andrew Hopper, Acting Deputy CEO of the Department of Tourism and Culture indicated that the financial assistance for qualified events was designed to complement the NT Government’s Buy Local policy, with funding steered towards those elements which require involvement by local NT businesses.
“This may range from the appointment of a local PCO or DMC through to covering costs for a local keynote speaker, a welcome function, gala dinner or perhaps a technical touring component in any of our key business event destinations which include Darwin, Alice Springs and Uluru,” he said.
Support will also be weighted towards business events which align with the Territory’s economic and social strengths which include health, agribusiness, land management, mining, renewable energy, education and defence.
Andrew Hopper indicated that this new scheme would not only assist the Northern Territory to increase its share of the keenly sought after ‘business events pie’ but would provide planners with invaluable support to consider vibrant and interesting destinations away from the usual Eastern Seabord capital city rotations.
The NTBESF takes effect from the beginning of 2018 and prompt applications are recommended, as strong demand from the marketplace is anticipated
