Business events continue to deliver economic boost to WA

Tourism Minister Kim Hames today said the Perth Convention Bureau was on track to exceed $100million in the value of business events secured in the 2010-2011 financial year, illustrating the importance of business tourism to the Western Australian economy. Dr Hames said that at the halfway stage of the year, the bureau had secured conventions and incentive travel groups expected to inject more than $52million in direct delegate expenditure into the local economy during the next five years.

“This performance reflects the importance of the business events sector to the State’s tourism revenues,” he said. “The growth of this sector is particularly welcomed at a time when other areas of tourism right across Australia are being challenged by factors such as the very strong Australian dollar and intense competition from low cost airfares to overseas destinations.”

In the first six months, the bureau has secured 51 national and international conventions and 24 incentive travel groups which collectively are expected to attract more than 27,600 delegates to the State. The Minister said the recent successful bid to secure the international gas conference LNG18 for Perth in 2016 – where more than 5,000 delegates are expected to attend – had provided a substantial boost to the bureau’s half-year sales results.

“The business events’ sector has been performing strongly for the past four years which can be attributed to the bureau’s success in focusing on securing conferences that match the State’s areas of excellence in the medical, mining and resources, education, technology and marine industries.”

The Perth Convention Bureau – established in 1972 – is responsible for marketing WA as a business events’ destination embracing conventions, exhibitions and incentive travel groups. It receives its funding from the State Government, the City of Perth and private sector-based membership.