Business Events Adelaide has beaten intense international competition to win the global defence business event Maritime, Air, Space Technologies (MAST 24) for Adelaide.
The three-day event will take place 19-21 November 2024 at Adelaide Convention Centre, welcoming 1,000 delegates from around the world.
Adelaide is the first city in the southern hemisphere to host MAST 24 in the event’s 17-year history and expects to see a long-lasting and highly successful economic impact in a sector critical to South Australia’s economic growth.
“It cannot ever be ignored that what business events deliver, that is vastly different from tourism, is first a much higher daily spend from their delegates, and then an economic tail which equates to far more global understanding of Adelaide as a successful business events destination where lasting knowledge transfer, business and research collaborations and partnerships have become the norm,” Business Events Adelaide chief executive officer Damien Kitto said.
“There is no other defence ecosystem in Australia like the ’20 minutes city’ of Adelaide where you can meet SME innovators, primes, manufacturers, government officials and military leaders, in such close proximity. Our combination of events (at MAST) will speed that process up – all under one roof.”
Over the past few years, Adelaide has experienced rapid growth and development, becoming a home to world renowned innovation precincts and subject matter experts and researchers in Biomed, AI, Space, AgTech, Energy and Defence, to name just a few.
Winning the bid to host MAST 24 was supported by Tourism Australia’s business events bid fund and Kitto said Business Events Adelaide remains committed to securing more international events, especially those which have a link to the State’s areas of economic focus.
“We know the competition is increasingly intense, but we are part of a city and State which are increasingly viewed as having much to offer in the way of economic outcomes for business event delegates (and SA) as well as always smoothly run, exceptional quality events, venues and accommodation.
“Our ethos is quality with always an economic growth focus. This is being described as Adelaide’s time, and Business Events Adelaide has a vital role to play in the economy’s future.”
