In Adelaide the business event sector is bouncing back quickly.
With the city’s business event diary already booking strongly out to 2025 with 242 events, the city is being labelled a post-pandemic “must go to” for an increasing number of business event organisers.
From March 20 – 22, Adelaide hosts Steadfast Insurance (Australasia’s largest general insurance broker network) for one of the nation’s first major corporate face-to-face business events of 2022.
Steadfast has shown its post COVID confidence with more than 1800 delegates and sponsors arriving in Adelaide for the event. This will deliver Adelaide over 5800 hotel bed-nights and an immediate economic benefit of $5.9 million to the city and regions.
South Australia has been at the forefront nationally for not only securing forward business for the sector, but also making it clear that it views Business Events as a much-needed economic driver; one that brings delegates who can further develop the city’s major advanced technology districts and with a long-term economic tail from research collaboration and business relationships forged at a business event.
“We have been thrilled by the national and International interest in holding large business events in this boutique city with its world class venues, hotels (including eight new 5-star hotels) and technology,” said Adelaide Convention Bureau Chief Executive Damien Kitto. “Post COVID there is so much pent-up demand for face-to-face knowledge transfer from business events, with a definite prioritisation by business delegates in having ease of movement, with everything of high quality and easily accessible.”
“Adelaide is most definitely benefiting from being boutique, and also from having globally recognised food and wine readily found on offer for a delegate to enjoy post work.” Mr Kitto said the pent-up demand to choose Adelaide as the host city was also obvious last month when the Adelaide Convention Bureau hosted its annual premier showcase Destination South Australia (DSA).”
“With the business event diary already filling fast, DSA signified clearly that our national event organiser guests were exceptionally keen to get back to a strong sector as quickly as possible, and one that had Adelaide in prime position to host their events.”
“While 44 per cent of DSA guests had already confirmed events with us, a further 50 per cent said they would host an event within the next four years and six per cent within 12 months. That is an exceptionally positive outcome for Adelaide. We are a friendly city where delegates will get far more than they expect and that’s how we run business events here”.
