Tourism Australia will host 29 Australian convention bureaux and industry partners at the Team Australia Business Events Educational (TABEE) in Beijing this week, as a core part of its push into the Asian business events market over the next 12 months.
TABEE 2010, 15 – 17 March, is Tourism Australia’s largest trade event for the business events sector in Asia and is an important joint marketing initiative with Australian industry.
Tourism Australia’s regional general manager, North Asia, Johnny Nee, said the theme for this year’s event, ‘Take your thinking to a whole new place’, aimed to position Australia as a destination that inspires business and innovative thinking.
“Our focus for TABEE this year is to highlight how Australia provides an environment that fosters new ideas and fresh-thinking and in doing so, delivers real business results and return on investment,” Nee said.
“We are seeing good opportunities across many of the Asian markets as many businesses experience growth this year, so the timing of TABEE couldn’t be better.
“During TABEE, sellers will get to meet representatives of companies who have real business for Australia,” he said.
The pharmaceuticals, insurance and direct selling industries have proved to be critical sectors of growth in Asia for business events.
Business Events Australia’s Joyce DiMascio said TABEE 2010 would also explore the opportunities offered by the associations sector in Asia.
“The newly launched Team Australia Associations Project between Tourism Australia and Australia’s convention bureaux and centres means TABEE is especially timely this year, offering Australian industry the opportunity to learn more about the emerging association sector in the Asia Pacific region,” DiMascio said.
“Almost $2 million is being invested over three years by the project partners to raise global awareness of what Australia has to offer as an association events destination, with a particular focus on key markets in Asia.
“This year we are holding a special seminar with representatives from high profile Chinese associations. The seminar will be chaired by Robin Lokerman, CEO, Institutional Division, MCI.
“The Asia region offers huge potential for the Australian business events sector and TABEE is just one of a number of important initiatives forming our push into Asia this year.
“Year after year we find that the TABEE formula works. Taking the best that Australia has to offer and showcasing it to a qualified audience of incentive buyers, travel agents and corporate buyers,” said DiMascio.
Other initiatives set to showcase Australia’s business events offering to Asian buyers this year will include the Tourism Australia presence at Expo 2010 in Shanghai and the newly launched Team Australia Association Project, which includes a strong focus on the Asia Pacific market.
