The Perth Convention Bureau (PCB) has reported ending their five year contract to market Perth and Western Australia as a premium conferencing destination by securing the largest value in conferences in its 40-year history.

$101 million in convention delegate spend has been secured by PCB for the State of Western Australia in financial year 2011/12, recognising the Bureau as the most efficient in Australia in delivering a return on investment (ROI) to Government and industry of $30 for every $1 invested.

Conferencing is the highest yielding tourism sector, with an international delegate spending five times more than a leisure tourist. “The value of conferencing and business events is increasingly appreciated by governments worldwide, as it is here in Western Australia,” CEO Paul Beeson said.

“Our performance as the nation’s most innovative and efficient Bureau has ensured the confidence of the WA State Government, Tourism WA and our industry partners. Our contract extension of a further four years to 2016 is testament to this.

“Our focus for the next four years will be to identify and target the high yield conference demographic. Our work with high yield targeting to date has been specifically medical conferencing, with an increase in this conference sector from 1,000 delegates in 2009 to almost 10,000 in 2012; we’ve increased it 900% over the past four years, and doubled it in the last year alone.

“Innovative marketing initiatives such as our Aspire Awards Program, which assists the professional development of our academic institutions and not-for-profit communities, has facilitated this success. Such initiatives, coupled with our efficiencies, will ensure increasing delivery of high yielding conferences to Perth and Western Australia.”

Established in 1972, the Bureau markets Western Australia as a business events destination encompassing conventions, incentive travel groups and exhibitions.