TA, AACB link for int'l associations business

MICE News
Tuesday, 02 March 2010
Tourism Australia (TA) and the Australian Association of Convention Bureaux (AACB) have inked an A$1.8 million, three-year deal to promote Australia as a conventions destination for the lucrative international associations market.

The Team Australia Associations Project (TAAP) was unveiled at AIME in Melbourne by the joint chairs of the project committee, chief executive of the Canberra Convention Burea Robyn Hendry and Business Events Australia head Joyce DiMascio.


DiMascio said the Team Australia Associations Project was a shift in strategy for Tourism Australia to directly address the increasingly competitive market for association events.
Hendry said the the project brings the Federal government and traditionally-competitive state-based convention bureaux and centres together for the first time.


She said the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) data values the global association events market in excess of A$12 billion with around 7,500 meetings held each year. The TAAP will target those meetings as well as the development of Asia Pacific regional meetings in the sectors most-relevant to Australia's existing expertise and future growth.

Tourism Australia and AACB will each contribute A$300,000 per annum for three years to a joint marketing alliance as an initiative of Team Australia.

Australia's minister for Tourism Martin Ferguson said the new association partnership would help Australia gain further traction internationally as a world-class destination for business events and that it comes at a very important time.

“It is appropriate that Tourism Australia continues to expand its work with the business events sector to help capitalise upon the recent global upturn in consumer confidence,” he said. "Bidding for association meetings occurs up to 10 years before the event is held, so building long-term relationships with those involved in the bidding process is critical to achieving results and new business for Australia."

Further  details about the initiatives to be delivered under the new partnership will be unveiled in May at the worldwide exhibition for meetings and incentive travel, IMEX 2010 in Frankfurt, Germany.

TA, AACB link for int'l associations business

MICE News
Tuesday, 02 March 2010
Tourism Australia (TA) and the Australian Association of Convention Bureaux (AACB) have inked an A$1.8 million, three-year deal to promote Australia as a conventions destination for the lucrative international associations market.

The Team Australia Associations Project (TAAP) was unveiled at AIME in Melbourne by the joint chairs of the project committee, chief executive of the Canberra Convention Burea Robyn Hendry and Business Events Australia head Joyce DiMascio.


DiMascio said the Team Australia Associations Project was a shift in strategy for Tourism Australia to directly address the increasingly competitive market for association events.
Hendry said the the project brings the Federal government and traditionally-competitive state-based convention bureaux and centres together for the first time.


She said the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) data values the global association events market in excess of A$12 billion with around 7,500 meetings held each year. The TAAP will target those meetings as well as the development of Asia Pacific regional meetings in the sectors most-relevant to Australia's existing expertise and future growth.

Tourism Australia and AACB will each contribute A$300,000 per annum for three years to a joint marketing alliance as an initiative of Team Australia.

Australia's minister for Tourism Martin Ferguson said the new association partnership would help Australia gain further traction internationally as a world-class destination for business events and that it comes at a very important time.

“It is appropriate that Tourism Australia continues to expand its work with the business events sector to help capitalise upon the recent global upturn in consumer confidence,” he said. "Bidding for association meetings occurs up to 10 years before the event is held, so building long-term relationships with those involved in the bidding process is critical to achieving results and new business for Australia."

Further  details about the initiatives to be delivered under the new partnership will be unveiled in May at the worldwide exhibition for meetings and incentive travel, IMEX 2010 in Frankfurt, Germany.