Tourism Australia has keep up momentum within the USA with a significant presence at the Americas Meetings & Events Exhibition, AIBTM in Baltimore this week.

Tourism Australia and partners will be utilising AIBTM to continue strengthening relationships with US trade. Eleven partners have joined Tourism Australia to showcase the country’s energy, enthusiasm and options for business meetings, incentive travel, conferences and events.

Tourism Australia’s presence at AIBTM this year follows strong results for Australia in 2010, which saw business event arrivals increase by 19 per cent. Convention and conference arrivals from the US increased 23 per cent in 2010 and arrivals from Canada increased by 21 per cent. For the first four months of 2011, arrivals to Australia out of the US grew nine per cent while Canada posted a four per cent rise.

Australia’s favourability as a meetings destinations saw the country move up five places in the ICCA rankings for 2010, after hosting 239 international meetings for the year. A survey conducted in the US in 2005 by Tourism Australia showed Australia is the number one desired incentive destination for corporate end users, after cash incentives.

Positive momentum from the US market is expected to continue as a result of improved air access and upgrades to infrastructure on the ground. Last month, Qantas commenced a new direct service from Dallas meaning more Americans can arrive in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane within the same time it takes to get to Europe. Aviation capacity is expected to increase from the US with V-Australia, Jetstar and Qantas exploring new agreements.

Here in Australia, the industry’s commitment to delivering world class events is evident through the number of infrastructure developments and upgrades. In Sydney, more than AUD$7 billion has been invested into the industry including an expansion to the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, a major upgrade of Star City Casino and a harbour side development called Barangaroo.

In Queensland, an AUD$40 million expansion of the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre is due to open later this year. The centre will provide 19 new meeting rooms and two additional speaker preparation centres, two dedicated conference floors, a 400 seat tiered theatre auditorium and a 600 seat tiered theatre auditorium.

In Melbourne, the six green star rated Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre is expanding its award winning exhibition facilities this year.

Further south in the city of Adelaide, the Adelaide Convention Centre has announced an AU$350 million expansion project.