Business events industry praises Omicron response

Sydney’s business events industry is praising the NSW Government on its measured response to the Omicron variant.

Sydney’s business events industry is praising the New South Wales Government on its measured response to the Omicron variant.

Members of the Sydney Business Events Coalition (SBEC) are encouraging all other states to follow the World Health Organisation advice and not overreact to the arrival of the new strain in the hope that national events can now start to recover.

SBEC spokesperson and ICC Sydney chief executive officer Geoff Donaghy said that while local event attendance remained strong this week, the reopening of interstate borders were needed to see the return of national events.

“While we remain cautious and committed to operating safe events, an over-reaction to Omicron could continue to devastate the events industry,” Donaghy said.

“After being decimated by the pandemic, events have only just recommenced. For business events, we are in the final weeks of business before the Christmas break and for entertainment events, we’re building up to a busy summer.

“If all states, like New South Wales, continue to support a safe reopening of venues alongside the removal of operating restrictions, we believe our road to recovery will be unaffected and we hope to see real economic growth in the New Year.

“While local attendance has returned at speed, we need national business to pick up in 2022 and, ultimately international event attendance, for any sort of meaningful recovery.”

SBEC members maintain a watching brief on vaccine mandates for venue attendance locally and globally and will continue their advocacy on this point in light of future emerging risks or dampening demand from organisers or attendees.