The G20 Leaders Summit sets new standards for major events

From Koala diplomacy to the Brisbane Action Plan – a future agenda of 800 measures to boost the world economy – the 2014 G20 Leaders Summit has been hailed a great success both in Australia and internationally.
 

After two years and four months of preparation including 356 hours of advance visits by participating countries and organisations and a 22 day build, the team at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC) is celebrating their role in the event which saw the largest gathering of world leaders in the history of Australia.
 

As only the ninth venue to host a G20 Leaders Summit, Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre welcomed 27 world leaders, the heads of eight international organisations, international delegations and 3,000 international business, finance and political journalists to the Centre this week while the world watched.
 

Bernadette Welch, Head of G20 Operations, G20 Taskforce, said the Brisbane Leaders Summit was already being hailed as the best in the forum’s history and thanked the BCEC for their role in delivering “a truly special, world class event.” 
 

“From the time the G20 Taskforce entered into conversations with BCEC Management in mid 2012, our relationship has been professional, collaborative and focused on results.”
 

Premier Campbell Newman said Queensland was incredibly proud of hosting the G20 Summit and producing a successful and safe event.
 

“The G20 Summit was a chance not just to show off Brisbane and Queensland, but also the amazing and friendly people who are here,” Mr Newman said.
 

“The Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre was an integral part of that and I commend the staff there for their efforts in ensuring everything ran smoothly and the Leaders, delegates and media were looked after.”
 

The G20 was the largest event in scale and complexity ever held at BCEC, occupying 120,000 square metres of space including an International Media Centre bigger than that used for the recent Glasgow Commonwealth Games and complete with a giant eight metre LED screen weighing four tonnes, the traditional Leaders Plenary and Leaders Lounge, delegation offices, bilateral meeting rooms, communique room and multiple dining areas. 
 

Bob O’Keeffe, General Manager of the AEG Ogden operated BCEC said he was extremely proud of the incredible efforts of staff who delivered a seamless and successful event. 
 

“It has been two years and four months of intense planning and preparation and we achieved our goal of hosting a successful and memorable G20. The logistics and structure of this event were both unique and challenging and the efforts of those involved were exceptional.”
 

Bob O’Keeffe said the G20 had a unifying effect on Brisbane and the successful hosting of the event was a team effort on behalf of the city. 
 

“The event will provide a powerful legacy for Brisbane and the business events industry well into the future,” he said.
 

Key Points about the delivery of the G20 event:

• 650 BCEC staff 

• 22 day build 

• 300 40-inch monitors throughout the building 

• 120,000 square metres of venue space

• 100 Chefs

• 100,000 meals

• 30,000 pieces of fruit

• 5,000 Danish

• 33,000 kg fresh produce

• 1,500kg lamb

• 1,000kg coffee beans

• In excess of 70,000 bottles water