3 minute read
IN FOCUS: BUSINESS EVENTS
IN FOCUS:
BUSINESS EVENTS
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Brickendon Estate. Photo Credit – Melanie Kate Photography
Prior to Covid-19, Tasmania’s business events sector was the quiet achiever of our thriving tourism and hospitality industry. As the specialist bidding organisation responsible for marketing Tasmania as a business events destination, Business Events Tasmania tracked data on delegate spend and our market’s contribution to the visitor economy, with strong results.
With a pre-pandemic estimated economic impact (EEI) of $150 million, business events delegates remain the highest yielding market segment of any traveller across the visitor economy, with the lucrative corporate and incentive market especially so. Business events delegates typically indulge in pre- and post-touring opportunities, often bringing family members or friends along with them, and this sector does a lot of the heavy lifting during the off season, with a higher number of business events taking place over the winter months. It is therefore not surprising that the benefits reaped by business events are felt right across the visitor economy and beyond, with tourism operators, transport providers, cafes, bars and restaurants, and retail all
Gin Blending Experience at Gin(bar). Photo Credit – Al Bett
sharing in the high yield this market delivers. Like everyone else working in Tasmania’s tourism industry, the challenges of the last two years have been immense for the business events sector. Density restrictions crippled our operators’ ability to trade at usual levels, and as an industry there were concerns that inperson conferencing would be significantly disrupted by digital technology and ‘hybrid’ events. However, with increased border stability, Australians largely learning to live with Covid, and density restrictions finally lifted, the first half of 2022 has delivered Tasmania’s business events sector a much-needed period of stability, and we are now seeing positive signs of recovery. With years of Zoom meetings bringing about an age of digital fatigue, people – resoundingly – do want to come together, and they want to come together in Tasmania. With our wide-open spaces, net carbon negative status, and the perception of having weathered the Covid-19 storm relatively well compared to other jurisdictions without major outbreaks or lockdowns, Tasmania has never been more appealing. Business event organisers seeking a safe and clean destination know our state will appeal greatly to delegates wanting to extend their stay beyond their conference. Business Events Tasmania has responded quickly to this increased interest in our island state. We have tailored marketing activity to remind the domestic market that we have capacity for larger association conferences, catering to up to 500 guests or delegates in Launceston, and around 1,100 across our conferencing facilities in Hobart. We have also capitalised on emerging opportunities presented by the high-yielding corporate & incentive market, now attracted to Tasmania as a domestic destination capable of providing bespoke experiences that are truly immersive in our wilderness, culture, history, community, and gourmet food scene.
Port Arthur Historic Site. Photo Credit – Paul Redding
Last year, Business Events Tasmania was fortunate to receive a grant under Austrade’s Regional Recovery for Tourism program to host a series of famils. We know that bringing event organisers and influencers to the state is the most effective way for us to convert new business. Our famil program showcasing the north, south, east coast and Tasman Peninsula has clearly impressed the market, with our sales team identifying 75 events in our pipeline with an EEI of over $70 million directly attributed to attendees participating on this famil. From this pool, we have so far confirmed 10 events for the state with an EEI of over $7 million – a figure we expect to grow throughout the remainder of the year, adding to a further $67 million in events already secured by our sales team. Led by Chair Dominic Baker, the Board and Leadership Team of Business Events Tasmania has a razor-sharp focus on aligning our strategy to aid the recovery of Tasmania’s visitor economy and grow our state’s market share of business events.
With Australia’s business event sector now worth more to the economy nationally than the peak of our pre-pandemic Chinese tourism boom, the recovery of our sector looks strong. The opportunity for Tasmania’s tourism industry to harness the post-pandemic wave of business events activity is enormous. We remind operators and developers that our door is always open for people seeking further information and advice on the needs and drivers of our valuable niche market.
