WEDNESDAY 16 SEPTEMBER 2020

MEDIA RELEASE | AUSTRALIAN EVENTS INDUSTRY IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS

Sydney and Melbourne based event management company, Veritas Events, has launched Create an Experience – Australia 2021 campaign, an initiative to encourage Australian businesses to start planning their event stories for 2021 and help revive the domestic event economy. The video promotes Australian hotels, venues, event professionals and destinations that contribute to incredible event experiences. Australia is a world leader in event production and storytelling.

Supporting the #WeMakeEvents global movement, the video is a message created by events professionals for the events industry calling for support. While industry bodies work closely with Government for targeted support and transparency around border restrictions, by starting to plan and think about 2021 events, it will help to reignite business confidence.

Events are a major economic driver for the Australian economy. Business events contribute $37.5 billion to the Australian community, and an estimated 229,000 people were directly employed by the business events industry in FY19, as reported by the Business Events Council of Australia (BECA).

Veritas Events Director, Kieran Kennedy said, “Business events are a major driver for the Australian economy. As a nation, we are exceptional at creating and executing events – just look at the Sydney Olympics. Event experiences contribute to our national story and promote Australia as a wonderful country to visit and live. We now need companies to start planning their 2021 events, playing their part to jump start our economic revival.

“Australians are all about mateship and lending a helping hand – now is the time to stand together and promote our world class events industry” continued Mr Kennedy.

Create an Experience – Australia 2021 campaign in support of #WeMakeEventsAus, created by Veritas Events can be viewed here. We encourage all industry professionals to help share the message.

Industry bodies such as the Exhibitions & Events Association of Australasia and BECA have been spearheading COVID-19 Safe Operating Frameworks and calling for targeted government support for business events and live performances to restart in Australia. Last week we welcomed the Government’s $50 million funding announcement, which is tremendous support and commitment to help drive confidence and momentum for recovery.

“It is a critical time for our events sector, all of us are doing it tough. We encourage Australian businesses to help share and champion our message. Australia’s event industry is open for business, with incredible event stories to create” Mr Kennedy said.

CONTACT INFORMATION
Sarah Galbraith
Head of Marketing and Event Operations
E: sarah.galbraith@veritas.com.au  M: +61 401 683 221

Help Share Our Message!

For more information about the campaign or planning your 2021 Australian Event Stories, contact studio@veritas.com.au

BACKGROUND

About Veritas Events
Veritas Events (www.veritas.com.au) is a dynamic and innovative full-service event management agency based in Sydney and Melbourne, a well-established business operating since 1992. We see ourselves as thought leaders and experience creators, helping Australian businesses with creative solutions and delivery of end to end brand experiences locally and internationally.

Veritas Events recognises that as an industry leader we can support other industry stakeholders to reignite Australian business events and live performances. Many sectors play a role in live events – hotels, airlines, venues, AV companies, exhibition builders, caterers, photographers, entertainers, and many more. These sectors employ hundreds of thousands of Australians – and the events they produce help millions of Australians achieve their business goals across every other industry.

About The Campaign
Business events and live performances were one of the first industries to be impacted by COVID-19 and may be one of the last industries to recover due to the long lead times – particularly for major events (up to 4-6 years).

“Create an Experience – Australia 2021” campaign video is a message created by event professionals for the industry. Our message is clear and simple – support the domestic events industry and help kick start Australia’s recovery. While industry bodies work closely with Government for targeted support and lift restrictions, by starting to plan and think about 2021 events, it will help to reignite business confidence and industry revival.

Our initiative supports #WeMakeEventsAus, the Australian representation of #WeMakeEvents global movement, formed by industry bodies and professionals coming together in a spirit of mutual support and solidarity. Our industry creates millions of memories with millions of stories, stories that are told and retold to friends and families around the world. #WeMakeEvents is committed to help ensure this continues.

Campaign Objective
To encourage and increase event bookings in Australia, to support the domestic business events and live performance industry to help kick start the recovery.

Campaign Key Messages

  • Call to action – create your Australian event story, support the industry.
  • Australia is open
  • Australia has a world class event industry
  • Australian Events Industry can support the recovery of all Australian businesses
  • Aussie spirit, Australians are all about mateship and lending a helping hand.

The Facts
Virtual events are an intermediate measure for our industry to help businesses continue their brand stories. It is no way a replacement for in-person events. Virtual events do not support local employment and cannot not deliver the broader benefits of business events and live performances.

2021 will be the year of recovery and new beginnings for many businesses across all industries and Australia. With travel restrictions likely still in place, many businesses will need to reconsider the events they had planned to host internationally. Rather than cancelling these events, businesses should be encouraged to host their events in Australia. Australia needs a strong business events and live performance industry to support the recovery of all other industries.

The Business Events Council of Australia have documented research that demonstrates the power and value of business events to the industry.

Value of Business Events Key Facts: (1)

  • An estimated 43.7 million people attended a business event in Australia in FY19
  • Approximately 484,000 business events (meetings/conventions, exhibitions, and incentive events) were staged in Australia in FY19
  • The direct industry expenditure is estimated to have increased by over $7.7 billion, from $28.0 billion in FY14 to $35.7 billion in FY19
  • An estimated 229,000 people are directly employed by the business events industry in FY19
  • The direct industry value added generated by business events increased by $3.7 billion, from $13.5 billion in FY14 to $17.2 billion in FY19.

For the live performance and entertainment sector, a typical large scale production relies on a complex supply chain involving hundreds of professionals, from manufacturing and distribution to production design and stage crew; in Australia up to 443 people are involved in every performance. (2)

This campaign aims to call the Australia to band together with renew business confidence to kick start the economy’s recovery.

Source
(1) The Value of Business Events, Business Events Council of Australia, 2020
https://www.businesseventscouncil.org.au/files/Value_of_Business_Events_2018-19.pdf

(2) People involved in the production of a typical arena show, We Make Events Australia, 2020
https://www.facebook.com/WeMakeEventsAus/photos/a.115926910224141/115927876890711

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