Today, the Association of Australian Convention Bureaux (AACB) held a special general meeting for its members to vote on the future representation of Australia’s business events industry, ending in a unanimous result.

AACB’s members have supported a special resolution to establish a new well-resourced peak body, representative of the entire business events community across Australia, together with the Australian Convention Centres Group (ACCG) and the Exhibition and Events Association of Australasia (EEAA).

“This outcome, in step with other leading bodies, is an important one for our industry and comes at a critical time to face future challenges and strive for growth towards 2030 targets together,” AACB President Michael Matthews said.

“A new industry peak with a sustainable business model will be able to achieve far more and have greater influence than the status quo of smaller under-resourced groups with competing priorities.

“We will continue to value our united, connected, and vibrant convention bureau community. And with greater investment in research and advocacy, we will be able to better demonstrate the economic contribution and social impact of business events as the true trusted experts and representative ‘one voice’ of the industry.”

 AACB chief executive officer Andrew Hiebl said, “Australia’s convention bureaux are representative of some 1,800 businesses, large and small, across the country, and it is in their best interest that city and regional convention bureaux have collectively made this decision.”

“A stronger, well-resourced peak, will also be able to better support the needs of businesses and develop the professionalism of our people to grow the quality of Australia’s business events industry.”