The future is certainly bright for Australia’s business events sector, if the recent industry analysis by the Association of Australian Convention Bureaux (AACB) is anything to go by.

According to AACB’s latest International Business Events Forward Calendar, a total 391 international business events have been secured by its members, representing 1779 business event days and 1,732,897 delegate days.

The events will attract more than 381,000 delegates from Australia and overseas, who are expected to spend well over $1 billion during their attendance.

The report also reveals since January 2018, there has been an 8 per cent increase in the number of international business events secured by AACB members.

Half of the confirmed international conventions include a trade or exhibition component, which AACB CEO Andrew Hiebl says gives local businesses a chance to showcase their products to an international audience without having to travel around the world.

“Business events not only stimulate trade for those who would otherwise be unable to access these buyers, but they also promote innovation and the knowledge economy, and raise the profile of these Australian small businesses on the global stage,” he says.

“This outcome has been driven by the strength of Australia’s industry leaders who lead these bids and financial support put forward by the public and private sector – overlaid by the fact that Australia is a safe and highly desirable destination to hold an international event.”

AACB has produced its Forward Calendar report for almost two decades, outlining the international business events attracted to Australia by convention bureaux across
the country.