By Ian Neubauer
Entries are now open for the 2009 Australian Event Award (AEA), offering event organisers, product and service providers the chance to be acknowledged for excellence across the national events sector.
The inaugural award ceremony will reward achievements in all sectors of the industry, encompassing business, cultural, sporting and community events, as well as achievements in sustainability and Australian excellence in event exports.
It will culminate in the 2009 Events Industry Night of Nights to be held at the Westin Hotel, Sydney, on October 8 and present an opportunity for event managers and suppliers from across Australia to network with the ‘who’s who’ of the industry, including sponsors, government and industry leaders.
Co-chair of the AEA judging panel and former CEO of the Sydney Organising Committee for the 2000 Olympic Games, Sandy Hollway, said a structured national awards program has a number of benefits for the whole industry – not just those who win it.
“Awards are a very visible and clear way of asserting there is an identity to the sector and present opportunities for the industry to work together and make strategic global connections,” she said.
“Obviously different segments of the events industry have their various organisations, conferences and opportunities to learn from one another and compare notes. But there are a lot of silos and I have the impression that the whole industry might do better if we could make linkages – for example between venue management and event operations, or between sports event management and arts event management.”
The judging panel will be co-chaired by Hollway and John Allen, foundation director of the Australian Centre for Event Management, and feature a line-up of industry experts including Major Event Planning CEO, David Churches, Global Brands Group Australasia managing director John Moore, Steve Brown from Visible Event Management, former South Australian Tourism Commission CEO Bill Spurr and and Professor Don Getz, distinguished fellow in the International Academy for the Study of Tourism.
Entries for awards cost $220 and with discounts applying to some categories. The entry process is hosted online with capacity for entrants to save and edit their submission as many times as desired.
For more information, click here.
