More than $50 million will be pumped into the Queensland economy from international business events this year following strong support from the Palaszczuk Government, new economic modelling has revealed.
Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones said Tourism and Events Queensland would support 16 business events across the state in 2019, attracting more than 22,000 delegates and highlighting the importance of the sector to Queensland's tourism economy.
"Business events are vital to Queensland's economy because they bring world-leading experts to our state and open the door to new opportunities for trade and investment," Ms Jones said.
"These delegates are here to learn and build their professional networks in world-class conference facilities but also want to enjoy unique tourism experiences, which is what sets Queensland apart.
"We have some of the best conference facilities in the world in one of the most sought-after tourism destinations on the planet – it makes sense for us to focus on growing this sector.
"That's why we doubled funding for business events at the last election. Today's data shows our economy is already reaping the benefits.
"In May, SportAccord will be held in Australia for the first time ever. This will bring more than 1500 delegates from up to 100 countries to the Gold Coast as the world's leading sporting federations gather to discuss where and when they will hold upcoming events.
"In March and April, more than 6000 Amway employees from China will land in Cairns for the company's annual incentive program, where delegates will experience the wonder of the Great Barrier Reef and explore the world's oldest living rainforest.
"And Brisbane will host a series of international business events in 2019 highlighted by the inaugural QODE business-to-business initiative."
Ms Jones said the bumper 2019 line-up of business events followed a strong 2018, where Tourism and Events Queensland's Business Events Acquisition and Leveraging Fund supported 14 conferences, attracted more than 19,000 delegates and injected almost $60 million into the economy.
"We're planning for the future. That's why we've already locked in a swathe of new events between 2020 and 2026 which will pump $135 million into the economy and bring 56,000 delegates to Queensland," she said.
"These events include the 2020 the Congress of The International Communication Association to be held on the Gold Coast, the 2021 FIP World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences to be held in Brisbane and the 2022 14th International Conference of Archaeozoology to be held in Cairns.
"We will continue to build on these numbers in the months and years to come, positioning Queensland as the perfect destination for international business events."
