BCEC sets a cracking pace with convention wins for Brisbane

Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC) has set a cracking pace in the first two months of the new financial year, securing 25 new conferences for Brisbane, delivering an additional 35,620 room nights to city hotels. 
 

This follows a strong end of financial year performance by BCEC with Brisbane’s scientific and research sectors set for a boost with the Centre confirming $156 million worth of new conferences during the previous 12 month period. 
 

Some of the world’s leading experts in the science, research, medical, allied health and energy sectors will head to Brisbane as a result of the 135 strong line-up of conference wins by BCEC and its convention partners during the past 14 months.
 

More than 76,000 delegates from Australia and around the world will deliver some 334,000 hotel room nights to Brisbane with far reaching benefits through knowledge sharing, expertise and future investment in key industry sectors.
 

BCEC’s long term partnerships and close collaboration with Brisbane’s science and research communities through its highly successful Convention Advocates Program, is a significant influencing factor in attracting these high calibre international scientific meetings to Brisbane.
 

BCEC is supported by convention partners, Tourism Events Queensland and Brisbane Marketing in attracting international business events to Brisbane and in presenting a united front during the year of the G20 Leaders Summit to attract key conferences into the future. 
 

One such international meeting is the International Federation on Ageing’s Global Conference in 2016 which will bring 1,000 of the world’s foremost experts to Brisbane to discuss the opportunities of one of the greatest social, political and financial challenges facing the world today.
 

CEO of the Council on the Ageing (COTA) Queensland and host organisation, Mark Tucker-Evans said winning the conference for Brisbane was both timely and topical with Brisbane and Australia set to benefit from the high levels of international knowledge, research and best practice as a result of the eminent gathering of world experts.
 

“With a quarter of the world’s population to reach 65 years by 2050, the challenges are immense with escalating pressures on health and financial systems and living standards worldwide.”
 

“The focus of the conference will be Readiness, Resilience and Recovery for disasters in an ageing world and I believe it will create considerable interest both in Australia and internationally with lasting legacies,” he said.
 

He cited a strong bid presentation, destination appeal and the cutting edge facilities and successful track record of the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre hosting major international events including the upcoming G20, as contributing to winning the event for Brisbane and BCEC.
 

BCEC General Manager, Bob O’Keeffe acknowledged there was increased interest in the Centre and Brisbane because of the G20 Summit and he expected the momentum to continue to build.
“This is a huge opportunity for Brisbane and the Centre and we intend to capitalise to the fullest extent on the opportunity converting that into business well into the future.” 
 

Mr O’Keeffe said the Centre was currently experiencing a very busy period with some 200 events in the lead-up to the G20 as well as the recent hosting of the 29th International Horticultural Congress for 3,500 delegates and World Congress of the International Association of Applied Linguistics for 1,400 delegates, just two of 23 conferences to be held at the Centre during July and August.