From June 1-4, more than 19,000 attendees descended on Sydney Olympic Park for the 105th Rotary International Convention, hosted by Business Events Sydney. The event attracted delegates from 148 countries and generated A$62 (US$58) million to protect children against polio.
In the run up to the convention, Rotary broke a double record with its awareness event, which saw 340 participants climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge – beating Oprah Winfrey’s previous record of 315. Money raised from the Rotary climb was matched by the Bill Gates Foundation, while BridgeClimb Sydney contributed 50 per cent of proceeds from ticket sales.
As a bonus, the convention coincided with Vivid Sydney, the city’s festival of light, music and ideas, a key feature of which is the illumination of Sydney’s most iconic buildings.
Bob Aitken, executive director of Rotary Down Under, said of the convention, “Sydney 2014 was Rotary International’s best convention in years, if not ever. Everything was so well supplied and efficient. Everyone just had a ball.”
