Now that ICC Sydney made its mark in Australia and beyond, it’s bringing it all back home again with a four-pronged Legacy Program that puts the Darling Harbour venue at the heart of the city’s community.
From January onwards, event participants at the venue can make the most of the links ICC Sydney’s has fostered with thought leaders, innovators, and people driving sustainability efforts and local aboriginal business and cultural leaders.
Read more about ICC Sydney’s Legacy Program here.
This innovative approach was highlighted at ibtm World in Barcelona in the last few days of November. As the showpiece Sydney venue approaches its first birthday, it was a sign that the AEG Ogden-managed facility is not resting its laurels.
It also showed how such good news from destinations that participated in the three-day Barcelona event reaches European meeting and incentive planners. Of course, the likes of Barcelona and London could do with more good news, given a spate of terror attacks in 2017, and – in the case of the Catalanonian city – a declaration of independence that has shaken Spain.
The message that sprung from sessions held by PCMA, MPI and others, was that resilience has shone through as the likes of Paris, Barcelona and London continue to attract conferences. This comes despite key fin-tech events having switched cities in the light of mass protests; yet, as Rob Davidson’s IBTM Trends Watch 2018 report makes clear, there is an upbeat mood as the international meetings industry refuses to buckle.
Read more about security and events
Thailand was also laying its plans on the table to bring in more conferences and incentives. Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau is leading the way in raising standards among venues and service suppliers so that the kingdom leads the way in Southeast Asia.
Gulf of Thailand and the new MICE triangle
This will come as good news as Penang’s business events conference gets underway today. The way had been paved for progress earlier with MBEW 2017, an event that continues to elevate Malaysia as an international conference and incentive destination. See more in Malaysia Means Business.
Despite the threats and challenges, leading lights in the meetings and incentives industry are still out there as they meet the demand from people who believe in the value of live events and face-to-face meetings. Once success you’ve achieved with international groups, don’t forget to bring it all back home again.
