Sydney has once again been ranked Australia’s leading destination for conferences and professional meetings following the release of the Union of International Associations (UIA) 2014 International Meetings Statistics Report.
Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events Stuart Ayres said the results see Sydney ranked first in Australia and among the top 20 globally. “This is a tremendous achievement and reinforces Sydney’s appeal as one of the best places in the world to meet,” Ayres said.
“I applaud Business Events Sydney for securing major international events for our city, having delivered over $1 billion worth of economic impact for NSW over the past five years. “This is just another example of Sydney leading the way for the rest of the nation,” he added.
Business Events Sydney CEO, Lyn Lewis-Smith said results complement the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) rankings which also placed Sydney as number one in the nation.
“These results are just fabulous and better than many might have anticipated or expected. They really are a credit to the city – its can-do and collaborative spirit and reputation as a reliable place to do business,” Lewis-Smith said. “It just reinforces that the government’s courageous decision to redevelop the city’s convention facilities at Darling Harbour was the right one.
“We are a city that is open to and embraces big ideas and bold moves – this is where great things happen,” Lewis-Smith concluded.
Business Events Sydney has secured almost 120 events worth $277 million in new money for the NSW economy, including more than 20 events for International Convention Centre Sydney, opening in December 2016.
