ICC Sydney has confirmed its first public exhibition comes in the form of a tribute to the movie blockbuster The Hunger Games.
International Convention Centre Sydney is set to open in December and the complex is a centerpiece of the Darling Harbour redevelopment which saw major exhibitions and events being held at a temporary site in the Glebe Island area of the city over the past five years.
To borrow a phrase from the hugely successful youth-movie franchise, the “odds are forever” in the venue’s favour as The Hunger Games: The Exhibition (above) joins a host of entertainment, conferences and business event scheduled over the next few months, with the first public exhibition opening on December 20.
Other events lined up for ICC Sydney include gaming and internet culture exhibition, RTX Sydney 2017 and Australian International Tattoo Expo Sydney 2017. The precinct will also host performances from international superstars Keith Urban, PJ Harvey and José Carreras from December.
The Hunger Games exhibition will immerse visitors in the inspirational story of heroine, Katniss Everdeen, as the largest build and installation in the first wave of exhibitions held at ICC Sydney, which features 35,000sqm of internal exhibition space and can cater to multiple concurrent events at any time.
Geoff Donaghy, CEO of ICC Sydney, said that the world leading exhibit is an example of the variety of events that will fill the multifunctional venue’s calendar.
“We’re very excited to announce The Hunger Games: The Exhibition as one of our first exhibitions. It will be an experience like none other, running for 45 days from December 20 and set to attract an outstanding number of visitors.
“As one of the nation’s most exciting entertainment and business destinations, the variety of events we offer will put ICC Sydney (below), and the city itself, at the top of the list for business visitors and entertainment seekers the world over, positively impacting the local and national economy.”
Stuart Ayres, New South Wales’s Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events, said with overseas visitor spend in the state reaching A$9.1 billion to June this year, Sydney finally has the facilities to deliver attractions like The Hunger Games: The Exhibition to inspire international audiences.
“All visitors to Sydney, whether domestic, international or living within our great city will be blown away by the diversity of events at this new $1.5 billion venue set to generate at least $5 billion in economic benefit for NSW over the next 25 years and directly employ at least 1,800 people.
“ICC Sydney is already fast cementing Sydney's place as the world's most exciting tourism and event destination in the world,” Ayres said.
Joyce DiMascio, chief executive of Exhibition and Events Association Australasia, said the event will complement the impressive line-up of business and consumer exhibitions ICC Sydney has booked for 2017.
“ICC Sydney is perfectly placed to meet the needs of today’s events organisers, and will be seen as a shining example of best practice in the industry. Public exhibitions such as The Hunger Games: The Exhibition add to the exciting array of exhibitions already confirmed for ICC Sydney set to add further vibrancy and dynamism to the city.
“This combination will no doubt help ICC Sydney to continue its impressive success and impact on the industry, having already secured events with high profile operators in 2017 including Reed Exhibitions, Diversified Communications Australia, Expertise Events, Australasian Gaming Expo and the Boating Industry Association.”
The exhibition’s organiser and executive chairman of iLive, Michael Karriagiannis, said: “The exhibition is a global phenomenon and an immersive interactive experience – an experience that will only be enhanced by ICC Sydney’s excellent facilities.”
Darling Harbour has been redeveloped to make it more “dynamic and activated” with more restaurants, bars, public spaces and ICC Sydney as a focal point. Featuring improved pedestrian access, it is only a short walk from the CBD, the Barangaroo neigbourhood as well as Central and Town Hall train stations
The Hunger Games: The Exhibition runs from December 20 to February 4, 2017 (excluding NYE and Christmas Day).
