SOCIAL
g n i t c u r t ns
events
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usiness events are a varied group comprising a raft of formats from conferences and conventions, through to exhibitions and incentive programs. However, their contribution to the growth of the local economy and community is being appreciated beyond a simple dollar contribution to the
economy, with their value to the community across new innovation, increased skills, knowledge transfer, broader research and new business networks being better understood. In a word legacy. The legacies of the many events hosted in Australia not only stimulate and enrich our own society but also extend into
105th Rotary International Convention – June, 2014 T
he 105th Rotary International Convention held in Sydney in 2014 eclipsed attendance targets by over 2000 people, with 19,653 attendees participating in the four-day program. With close to 15,000 delegates attending from overseas and around 75 per cent of delegates personally paying to attend Rotary.
Business Events Sydney (BESydney), which initially won the right to host the 2014 Rotary convention in 2006, re-submitted a bid in 2012 with the Sydney Olympic Park precinct as the main convention hub, and worked with the NSW Government to provide dedicated train services. In the end, both proved to be key highlights of the convention for delegates. Hosting an event of Rotary’s scale required collaboration from a number of key stakeholders coordinated by Business Events Sydney including the NSW Government, Sydney Airport, Sydney Olympic Park and the City of Sydney. The support provided by these stakeholders was crucial to the overall success of the event and included customised welcome signage throughout the airport, Darling Harbour and Sydney Olympic Park, dedicated public transport via train to Sydney Olympic Park and subsidised public transport across the transport network. Destination NSW worked with Rotary to light up the façade of the state listed heritage building at 88 George Street, in The Rocks, which then became a part of Vivid and helped promote Rotary’s mission to protect children against the paralysing effects of polio. The Rotary End Polio Now climb gathered 340 people on the bridge at the one time. The climb broke two world records, eclipsing Oprah Winfrey’s previous record of 315, and also breaking the world record for the number of flags flying on any bridge in the world at the one time, with 278 flags.
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the global community.
Collaboration, sharing knowledge and providing a forum to exchange ideas doesn’t just bring about intangible benefits for delegates, there are also measurable legacies such as new research centres, hospitals or government policy to name but a few.
On int a eve ernatio verage nt d nal ince spe elega mo nd up tes to ntive re t Syd to 6 ha ne .5 ($9 n holid time y s 74 co ay vis to $ mpare itors d 151 )
Legacy outcomes • Delegates at the Sydney Rotary International Convention helped raise $120,000 for the global eradication of polio. • The Rotary End Polio Now climb raised enough funds to buy Polio immunisation vaccine for 240,000 children. • At the official opening of the convention then Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott pledged $100 million over the next five years to assist Rotary in its End Polio Now campaign. • Worldwide media attention for Rotary and the End Polio Now campaign.
“Bei of an ng the dir ge ec for p lhands In tor r c o , a no fit or suppo t g homi rting tho anisation s th viole cide and s e affected nce, f eriou by atten unding o s person da al ft confe nce at int en prohib it rence e s exc rnational s eptio Dr A nn O ’Neil nal.” l. th eld in Perth, the 15 International Symposium of the World Society of Victimology was the result
15 International Symposium of the World Society of Victimology (WSV) – July 2015
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of the efforts of City of Perth Scholarship Award Winner Dr Ann O’Neill, founder and director, of angelhands Inc, after winning the Aspire Award in 2011. Using the scholarship O’Neill attended the National Victims of Crime Conference in Sydney as a keynote Speaker and the National Organisation for Victims Assistance Conference in Philadelphia, USA. Working with Perth Convention Bureau’s Bid Development Team Bid they began preparations to bid for the 15th International Symposium of the World Society of Victimology. She travelled with the chair of Victim Support Australia to the 14th World Society of Victimology International Symposium, in the Netherlands, to find out that Perth had been chosen as the host city in 2015. Around 500 delegates attended the Symposium over five days, which generated a direct delegate expenditure of around $1.5 million.
Program highlights • End Polio Now 3km walk to help raise awareness of Rotary’s campaign to eradicate polio. • A Great Aussie BBQ Lunch in Cathy Freeman Park. • Packing meals for Rotary’s Stop Hunger Now campaign. • The Billabong House of Friendship exhibition, which included the construction of a book maze from donated books that will be sent to 59 primary schools to benefit Aboriginal children. • The convention coincided with Vivid Sydney – a festival of light, music and ideas – which has as its key feature the lighting up each evening of some of the city’s most iconic buildings and structures in a spectacular array of colours and designs.
“I think the emphasis on polio in the convention was absolutely a wonderful highlight. We don’t tend to think about it anymore – that there are hundreds of thousands of children at risk throughout the world. Since the project started in 1986, we have brought the incidence of polio down from 350,000 cases to 5000. It is still an important issue to us and we are dedicating a lot of resources to doing it because it will be only the second disease in the world to be eradicated.” Local organising committee chair, Barry Thompson.
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HEALTH
10th International Congress on Obesity – September 2006
Inte r ince national n t iv dele gate e event s to can S time spend u ydney s mo p to 9 re th an h .4 visit olida o r s ($14 s y 18 c pend omp ar to $ 151) ed
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eld every four years, the International Congress on Obesity (ICO) Congress targets global medical and health professionals and scientists working to advance the knowledge of obesity through research and dialogue, and provides a platform to present break-through scientific news on the global obesity epidemic.
Legacy outcomes
Around 2200 delegates from 56 countries attended the five day event in Sydney, with the majority of delegates from Australia, USA, United Kingdom, France, Japan, New Zealand and Sweden.
s rkin e P an es harl rovide ew C e p n "Th e will here aradigm r w t t n en Ce dp onm an yiel ing and r i v en nd sc tive dersta utions." s c e p n l pers ifts in u ovel so , Charle r r sh vide n ecto esso pro mic dir e, Prof . tr n de Aca ins Cen Simpso Perk tephen S
Obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease are the leading causes of death, disability and reduced quality of life in Australia, and have become epidemics of global proportions. Following the congress, obesity became an issue for governments. It is now a global issue – the incidence of obesity worldwide has doubled since 1980. This helped the University of Sydney get funding for a new Centre for Obesity, Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease.The Charles Perkins Centre, which opened in June 2014, is dedicated to easing the burden of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease and their related conditions – the leading causes of death, disability and reduced quality of life in Australia – through innovative research and teaching. University of Sydney vice-chancellor Michael Spence said the centre would house a multi-disciplinary approach to research unparalleled in Australia and internationally. “Together with many of the university’s best minds, outstanding researchers … from across Australia and internationally are working to develop research and education programs that do not just add incrementally to the knowledge base, but generate major shifts in our understanding,” he said. “One of the great opportunities that came along from chairing the congress was that it allowed us to get through doors with policy advisers as never before.”
XXIX International Congress of Ophthalmology – April 2002
Legacy outcomes A financial surplus was generated, with onethird going to the world body and the balance remaining in Australia. The profits resulted in the position of the first ophthalmologist in East Timor. The Australian profits were used to set up the Eye Foundation, which today represents 890 Australian and NZ ophthalmologists, funding ground-breaking research into the major causes of blindness and participating in sustainable eye care development projects in disadvantaged communities in Australia and overseas.
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he objectives of the XXIX International Congress of Ophthalmology included raising public awareness of the importance of vision as a human right, increasing awareness of eye care, and producing a financial return to fund ongoing research and development projects. Prior to 2002, this bi-annual congress had been experiencing decreases in delegate numbers and sponsor support. Held in Sydney over five days in 2002, the congress attracted the largest ever number of participants – 4300 ophthalmologists and 1200 representatives from the ophthalmic industry.
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“Th em h i t e slid ing, herto h eting spo a l nso osing d d been r e sup Syd leg wel ney, ra port. I ates an l an t d se n exce came d p t to tio Dr F new rank stan nally Mar dards tin. .”
240,000 IN SYDNEY, ROTARY INTERNATIONAL RAISED ENOUGH FUNDS TO BUY POLIO IMMUNISATION VACCINES FOR 240,000 CHILDREN, BRINGING THE WORLD ONE STEP CLOSER TO THE ERADICATION OF A GLOBAL DISEASE
Ron D. Burton, Former President of Rotary InternationalBringing Bringing hope to millions worldwide and championing a brighter future
HUMANITARIAN “We hope to educate and inspire… to educate the community and attract new members to help us continue to make the world a better place.”
SYDNEYSHINES.COM.AU
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SUSTAINABILITY
6th IUCN World Parks Congress – November 2014
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he who’s who of the world’s environmental specialists gathered in Sydney in November 2014 for the 6th IUCN World Parks Congress, a major international event held once a decade, worth $34 million to the NSW economy. Held at Sydney Olympic Park, the IUCN World Parks Congress focused on sharing knowledge and setting the agenda for world conservation over the next 10 years, attracting more than 6000 attendees, from over 170 countries, double the forecasted delegate numbers. The event culminated with “The Promise of Sydney”, which demonstrated Sydney’s visionary thinking – drawing on the knowledge and passion of global thought leaders, it chartered the future direction for protected areas, identified twelve innovative approaches to transformative change, and promises and solutions from participants and institutions to accelerate the changes.
Goals The primary purpose of the Congress was to set an ambitious 10-year global conservation agenda for the planet’s more than 200,000 protected areas. This strategy known as IUCN’s Promise of Sydney, captured individual country and organisational pledges to support achieving this outcome.
“O out f interesti ne of th n the l rom a kn g things e really a owl tha un area s. W ch of IUC edge po t has co in e’ m N thre aten ve alway ’s g reen t of view e e s had discu d spe is th list o s a a f mea sion arou cies, but red list protect t ns t ed we tha nd cons o be suc and sta wanted t looks rt t at erv ce to it als es the b ssful. No o look a flip the the n o achiev iodivers t only w t what i t ity, b heth es so ew l here eading e cietal go ut whet er it h d in Sy a dney ge and w ls. This er i . s es ”I Trev or Sa UCN Di tarted it recto ndw ith. r
The Promise of Sydney represented the pledges by countries, groups of countries, public and private funders and other partners to boldly chart the path forward for the world by stepping up or supporting accelerated implementation of the solutions agreed by delegates to overcome obstacles to the stability of people and protected areas. This includes invigorating efforts to ensure that protected areas achieve their goals and scale up protection in landscapes, wetlands and seascapes; to inspire all people across generations, geography and culture to experience the wonder of nature; and to invest in nature’s solutions supported by public policy, incentives, tools and safeguards that halt biodiversity loss, mitigate and respond to climate change, reduce risk and impact of disasters, improve food and water security and promote human health and dignity. The objective was to engage new partners and resources for ecosystem management, placing protected areas firmly within broader community and national wellbeing nal o goals. The target was 5 per cent of delegates i t rna nt from non-protected area sectors. Six per cent Inte ss eve p to ine end u n was achieved. bus a p s h t s gate s more $694 e l e ( e d tim ors 51) 4.6 y visit 1 to $ da holi pared com
Legacy outcomes • Fifty-seven commitments to fulfil the vision were announced by 26 governments, organisations and individuals during the Congress. • A ban on capital dredge disposal in Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. • Support to help develop a resolution to United Nations General Assembly to prevent poaching and illegal wildlife trafficking. • $2 million to boost threatened species protection in national parks, $6 million to support Coral Triangle marine protection, $6m to combat illegal logging across Asia-Pacific, and $100,000 to boost the skills of rangers in Australia and Asia-Pacific. • $1.2 million for Bush Blitz, an innovative species discovery program borne of a partnership between the Australian Government, BHP Billiton and Earthwatch Australia. • $700,000 from $40 million Reef Trust to clean up marine debris across Great Barrier Reef. • Ongoing commitment to work with UN General Assembly to protect the biodiversity of the high seas. • In addition to the Promise of Sydney, the meeting also resulted in the development of the IUCN Green List of Protected Areas.
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12th International Coral Reef Symposium – July 2012
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he 12th International Coral Reef Symposium was held at the Cairns Convention Centre over five days in July 2012, attracting a 2000 scientists, students, natural resource managers, policy makers, conservationists and others, from 82 countries around the world. More than 700 PhD students were also able to attend. With an unrivalled scientific program comprised of close to 1500 talks and posters, the challenge of hosting this convention was managed by James Cook University through its ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies – a local institution with a leading global reputation as the University for the Tropics.
outs “The se illust tanding ssions w and rate ere and mee d the va the Sym ting posi lue o exc c u huge hange o olleague f netwo m r f l s k y . i ing nfo Th val adva nce o uable to rmation e inform al ha ur ev on c oral collectiv eryone, s been hel ree eg and cons f science lobal kn ping to owl ,m Conv ervatio n.” S anagem edge enor ent ymp an Univ ersit d James osium Terr y Profes Cook y Hu s ghes or, .
The Symposium received overwhelming support from the global reef scientific community, who presented research which is fundamental to informing international and national policies and the sustainable use of coral reefs globally. The event gave Australia an exceptional opportunity to showcase the global leadership of its local scientists as well as the Great Barrier Reef. A series of field trips out to the reefs were included to give participants a chance to explore and better understand the biology and geology of coral reefs in the region, including trips to research stations on Lizard Island, Orpheus Island and One Tree Island.
Legacy The Symposium raised global awareness about reef degradation along with possible solutions to improve reef sustainability.
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Perth Convention Bureau Tel: +61 8 9218 2900 Email: info@pcb.com.au Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre Tracy Baker - Director of Sales for Associations and NFP Sector Tel: +61 8 9338 0300 Email: tracybaker@pcec.com.au
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