Industry News

Operator Adelaide Venue Management reported a record 1,200 events across its three Adelaide venues in 2025/26, with the Adelaide Convention Centre alone hosting around 700 conferences, exhibitions and other events (up 8% year on year), attracting more than 49,000 interstate and international business visitors and contributing an estimated $300 million to South Australia's visitor economy.

W Brisbane has unveiled three new event studios on Level 6 — Studios 5, 6 and 7, ranging from 55 to 63 square metres — each offering riverfront views, integrated LED screens and advanced AV; each studio seats up to 49 guests, rising to 136 when the entire Level 6 floor is booked.

Auckland has been chosen to host the 16th International Coral Reef Symposium, a major international conference win that brings Pacific perspectives on the issues affecting the world's coral reefs to New Zealand.

Manly Wharf in Sydney, owned by Artemus Group, is opening a second waterfront event space called The Shelly Room, able to host 120 seated or 200 standing guests and featuring floor-to-ceiling glass, a stone bar and handcrafted glass chandeliers; it joins the larger Freshwater Room (300 seated) that opened last November.

The Australian Business Events Association (ABEA) has launched BE:SAFE, a free interactive online safety guide produced by its risk and safety council with broad industry consultation, built around six areas — getting started, people and responsibilities, planning and management, event delivery, the event environment, and emergency planning and response — plus an A–Z guide and a resource library linking to state-specific safety legislation.

InterContinental Brisbane will undergo a staged multi-million-dollar renovation running through to late 2027, upgrading guest rooms (rising from 319 to 324), meeting spaces, dining venues, the lobby and pool deck while remaining open, with new dining to include an Argentinian grill and an Italian pasta and wine bar.

Atura Oran Park, a 184-room hotel developed by the Perich family with EVT Hotels and Resorts, will open in October as the first hotel in Sydney's master-planned Oran Park community, offering seven flexible event spaces alongside a restaurant, bar and resort-style pool.

From 2027 the North Island edition of the GPCME (General Practice Conference and Medical Exhibition) will move from Rotorua to Claudelands in Hamilton, with PCO Conference Matters citing the conference's growth and its need for purpose-built, acoustically separated meeting rooms and greater exhibition capacity.

Accor has signed a 143-room Novotel for Castle Hill in northwest Sydney as part of a mixed-use development by Reve Group, with the hotel due to open in 2029 and offering 400 square metres of divisible event space plus a private dining room and a rooftop restaurant and bar for functions.

Darwin's The Leea hotel has completed the first phase of an 18-month renovation, unveiling a new open-air precinct called Lido with three flexible venues available to corporate and business-event groups, complementing the hotel's existing meeting facilities and 215-square-metre ballroom.

Te Pae Christchurch was named Oceania's Leading Meetings and Conference Centre at the World Travel Awards, beating Australian convention centres in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Cairns, as New Zealand venues took out business-events categories for the region.

Nyaal Banyul, the convention and event centre in Geelong, has achieved the independently verified WELL Health-Safety Rating, which covers indoor air and water quality, cleaning and sanitation, emergency preparedness and health and safety policies, with enhanced air filtration positioned as an asset for reducing illness transmission during events.

IHG Hotels & Resorts and developer Urban Property Group have announced two new-build NSW hotels — the 171-room Crowne Plaza Newcastle (opening late 2029) and the 152-room Hotel Indigo Gosford (mid-2030); the Newcastle property will include more than 550 square metres of meetings and events space anchored by a 425-square-metre ballroom.

Encore Event Technologies has installed Australia's widest permanently fixed hotel LED screen at Pullman & Mercure Melbourne Albert Park — a six-panel, 36-metre-wide, 126-square-metre configurable display in the Grand Ballroom that lets event organisers reconfigure the 2,600-square-metre events venue for conferences, awards nights and exhibitions.

Sydney has climbed to seventh overall and first among the largest cities in the 2026 Global Destination Sustainability Index, up 18 places from 25th in 2025 on the back of much-improved environmental and supplier scores, now ranking ahead of both Melbourne and Brisbane.

The Australian Business Events Association has released its Domestic Forward Calendar 2026, showing more than $1 billion in estimated delegate spend already secured across Australia through to 2033, spanning 806 events, over 451,000 delegates and roughly 1.6 million delegate days.

Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel, the first Avani property in Australia and the first new full-service internationally branded hotel on the Sunshine Coast in 40 years, has launched five flexible meetings and events spaces anchored by the 274-square-metre Avani Ballroom, which seats 200 delegates theatre-style.

W Brisbane has opened new boutique event studios on its level six, ranging from 55 to 63 square metres with high-end AV and river views, aimed at executive meetings, small conferences and private dining, with the whole floor able to host groups of up to 136.

Following an independent MartinJenkins review commissioned by MBIE, the New Zealand government is moving to develop a National Events Strategy that treats the country's public and business events as a single cohesive portfolio, setting out six foundations and a multi-year pathway toward a recommended "Championing" model.

The Showtime Events Centre in Melbourne's South Wharf precinct has unveiled the completed first stage of a multi-stage refurbishment, revealed at a showcase for 150 guests, with a redesigned feature bar and further stage-two works planned for 2027.

The New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) in Auckland has won the right to host the 50th International Conference on Coordination Chemistry (ICCC50) in 2034, an event expected to draw 1,000-1,200 delegates, following a bid led by University of Auckland professor Christian Hartinger.

Rural Health West has launched purpose.ground, a new professional conference organiser and social enterprise offering end-to-end conference and event management, with all profits reinvested into rural and remote healthcare in Western Australia; it is led by events professional Leesa Thomas.

The New Zealand International Convention Centre in Auckland will host the New Zealand Game Developers Conference (NZGDC) from 30 September to 3 October, its first time in the city in almost a decade, as the country's game development sector reaches NZ$1 billion in annual revenue.

The Entertainment Venues Association of New Zealand (EVANZ) will hold its 2026 End of Year Conference on 1-2 December at Christchurch's newly opened One New Zealand Stadium, hosted by Venues Otautahi, with the EVANZ Awards Gala to follow at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre.

Sydney-based event technology company Evatto has closed a pre-seed investment round led by Purpose Ventures to accelerate product development, international expansion and hiring for its AI-native enterprise platform for managing complex event programs.

The Australian federal government will cap second-year working holiday visa extensions at 45,000 and third-year extensions at 5,000, a move that follows warnings from business events and tourism bodies that both sectors rely on working-holiday staff to scale up during peak periods.

The Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC) and Life Sciences Queensland have awarded their inaugural bio innovation bursary to University of Queensland virologist and vaccinologist Dr Chris McMillan, who will receive up to $25,000 to help commercialise research on pathogens of global health importance.

The Crystal Palace at Luna Park Sydney, a heritage-listed venue originally built in 1935, will reopen as a dedicated business events venue in October 2026, having closed to events in 2023 to house immersive experiences.

Business Events Adelaide reports that business events held in the city over winter delivered more than $114 million in economic impact for South Australia, led by HORT Connections at the Adelaide Convention Centre with 3,920 delegates, alongside LambEx, the Australian Medical Students' Association National Conference and Inter-Noise 2026.

The Australian Business Events Association and the Australian Tourism Industry Council brought industry and government together at a Federal Parliamentary Friends of Tourism networking evening at Parliament House in Canberra, where more than 100 business-events and tourism representatives engaged with government on the sector's economic value.

Nineteen finalists have been announced for The Bizzies, New Zealand's business events industry awards, with winners to be revealed in late October; those shortlisted across multiple categories include Auckland Convention Bureau, Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre, Conference Innovators, The Conference Company and ChristchurchNZ.

Crystalbrook Collection will open Crystalbrook Sam, its first South Australian hotel, in the Adelaide CBD in late December 2026, and has revealed the property's meetings and events offering ahead of opening.

Meeting Newz reports on New Zealand's BE Expo business-events trade show, describing a format that lets buyers from associations, corporates, professional conference organisers and incentive travel companies either pre-schedule appointments or walk the floor to meet exhibitors, with a range of buyers already registered.

The Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre has completed the first phase of a multimillion-dollar technology upgrade, installing an Australian-first GDS lighting system plus new speakers and a broadcast-standard signal distribution system across its four exhibition halls.

Melbourne, through Melbourne Convention Bureau and the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, has secured the return of Data Center World Australia and the AI Summit in 2027, after the inaugural Australian editions drew 1,850 delegates and delivered an estimated $8.2 million in economic impact.

The Tasman, part of Marriott International's Luxury Collection in Hobart's Parliament Square, has opened LUMINA, a new purpose-built event space that can host up to 220 guests standing, 180 theatre-style or 190 for a gala dinner — the largest of the hotel's five meeting venues.

Venue and events company Doltone House and Business Events Sydney (BESydney) have formed a strategic partnership to attract major national and international business events to Sydney, ahead of the opening of the purpose-built Doltone House Harbourside in Darling Harbour, which will offer 4,500 square metres of event space for up to 1,250 guests.

Marriott International has signed a deal with CP Group to open three hotels in New Zealand between 2027 and 2029 — the 135-room Rotorua Marriott Hotel, the 82-room The Official Auckland (Autograph Collection) near the NZICC, and the 118-room Fable Wellington (Autograph Collection) near Wellington's convention centre.

Event management company Arinex has had its Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan endorsed by Reconciliation Australia, building on its 2023 Reflect RAP with 14 actions including a new Reconciliation Event Framework to embed First Nations cultural elements into the events it delivers.

The Australian Business Events Association (ABEA) and Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) have raised concerns after the federal government paused working holiday visa applications for 24 countries, warning that event venues, suppliers and organisers rely on working holiday makers to scale their workforce for large-scale events.

The Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre has launched a 360-degree virtual tour of its spaces for event planners, while one of its chefs, Dev Gandhi, was named the Australian Culinary Federation's Most Outstanding Chef after winning three gold medals at the federation's culinary challenge held during Fine Food Australia at MCEC.

Adelaide Convention Centre has installed six rooftop beehives housing around 250,000 honey bees, expected to produce more than 300kg of honey a year for use in the venue's menus, as part of its ongoing sustainability programme.

Chris Porter, general manager of Business Events Victoria and chief operations officer of the Victoria Tourism Industry Council, has left the organisation after 18 years, saying he needed a "circuit break" before pursuing his next role in the events or tourism sector.

Melbourne will host the Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Experience Summit in September 2027, a business-events win secured by Melbourne Convention Bureau and Melbourne Airport that is expected to draw 800 delegates and inject an estimated $5 million into the local economy.

ICC Sydney will build an 18,400-square-metre rooftop solar farm across its convention centre, exhibition centre and the TikTok Entertainment Centre in Darling Harbour, described as the largest city-centre solar farm in the Southern Hemisphere, generating 2.6 gigawatt hours a year and making the venue 100 per cent powered by renewable electricity.

Evoqe Group has launched Elara Melbourne, a purpose-built rooftop events space at 123 Queen Street in the Melbourne CBD for business events, private functions and weddings, with capacity for up to 180 seated or 300 cocktail-style guests and a connection to the group's Evoqe Events venue below.

Australian events-management technology company EventsAir has launched Planner Assistant, an in-product AI tool in its Air Intelligence suite that lets event planners ask natural-language questions of their live and historical event data and receive instant insights and visualisations without building reports.

Destination Marlborough and 26 regional tourism and business-events partners hosted the Marlborough Showcase at The Cloud in Auckland for more than 75 travel trade professionals, wholesalers and event planners, promoting the region's venues, food and wine and incentive experiences and highlighting new developments including The Alfred Hotel, an Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre expansion and the Furneaux Lodge refurbishment.

Radisson Hotel Group has signed its first Radisson RED for Australia — a 31-floor, 328-room new-build in Sydney's Haymarket near Central Station and the Darling Harbour convention centre, offering 218 square metres of event space — with an expected opening in 2029.

Business Events Adelaide has appointed South Australian-born representatives in North America (Frances Iacono, based in New York) and the UK and Europe (Amanda Pelvay, based in London) to pursue international conferences and incentive groups, and has signed a partnership with the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) — one of only 12 globally — giving it access to international association conference leads.

ICC Sydney has opened The Cutaway, a 5,000-square-metre event space carved beneath Barangaroo Reserve on Sydney Harbour and redesigned in collaboration with First Nations knowledge keepers. Fitted with large LED screens, a d&b line-array sound system and extensive rigging, it has already hosted BESydney's Global Ambassador Dinner and the National Indigenous Art Fair, with Luxperience 2026 to follow in November.

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre has appointed Monica Rizzi to a newly created general manager of operations role, while operator VCET — which also runs the just-opened Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Events Centre — has enlarged its business development team across both venues with several hires, including new head of business development Sandra Lady.

Melbourne Convention Bureau CEO Julia Swanson says the city's major-events calendar — including the Australian Open, Formula 1 Grand Prix and the first NFL regular-season game in Australia — is increasingly being leveraged to win business events, incentive groups and international collaboration, anchored by the two-week Melbourne Global Exchange programme (31 August to 11 September 2026).

The World's 50 Best Hotels 51–100 list has named two local properties — Huka Lodge in Taupo, New Zealand at 82nd and The Calile in Brisbane at 83rd. Both offer event spaces (The Calile hosts up to 300 guests), with the full top 50 to be announced in mid-September.

Minor Hotels will merge Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort and the adjacent Elysia Wellness Retreat in the NSW Hunter Valley into a single 204-key property, Avani Cypress Lakes Resort, which it bills as "Australia's largest integrated resort wellness precinct". Launching 1 October 2026, it offers 24 event spaces seating up to 672 theatre-style, an 18-hole golf course and a rebranded AvaniWell wellness centre.

Hilton and IHG Hotels & Resorts have both ranked in the top 10 of the 2026 Great Place to Work list for large Australian employers, with Hilton second and IHG eighth after surveys of more than 128,000 workers. Hilton also flagged upcoming Australasian openings including Hilton Palm Cove and a Waldorf Astoria on Sydney's Circular Quay in 2027.

InterContinental Hayman Great Barrier Reef Resort has made five leadership appointments, led by new general manager Stewart Manson, who moves from Crowne Plaza Queenstown after more than 14 years with IHG. The private-island Whitsundays resort has 182 rooms and extensive indoor and outdoor event space and can be booked for exclusive group takeovers.

Victoria's Stones of the Yarra Valley, best known as a wedding venue, held a showcase promoting its growing business-events offering at the Coldstream estate. It can host meetings, executive retreats, day conferences and events for up to 250 guests, with on-site accommodation at The Farmhouse (23 rooms) and The Villa (five rooms) suited to residential conferences.

PARKROYAL Parramatta has completed the final stage of a multi-million-dollar transformation, delivering upgraded meetings and events spaces, a redesigned lobby and a premium executive suite. The work follows a 2025 redesign of two-thirds of the hotel's rooms.

The Asia Pacific Incentives & Meetings Event (AIME) has revealed a new brand identity after five consecutive years of growth. The rebrand is built around the tagline "Bring your ambition".

The Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME) has unveiled a new brand identity, with a logo inspired by Melbourne's floral emblem, the paper daisy, recreated in stylised letters that also spell out AIME, in a more vibrant shade of blue. The show is owned by Melbourne Convention Bureau and run by Talk2 Media and Events, and draws more than 5,000 attendees a year.

PARKROYAL Parramatta has completed a multi-million-dollar refurbishment covering two thirds of its guest rooms, finished in 2025, followed by a refresh of the hotel's 13 event spaces. The 402sqm Governor's Ballroom gained a 10m by 3m LED wall installed by Encore and a new audio system, while all event spaces received new wall panelling, carpets and paint in the property's 40th anniversary year.

Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre has achieved EarthCheck Master certification, currently the program's highest level, becoming only the third convention centre to reach the standard. The science-based certification covers energy, water and chemical use, waste and carbon emissions alongside social impact, and recognises 15 years of independently verified sustainability progress at the venue.

Melbourne has secured the inaugural Money20/20 Australia, a global fintech exhibition and conference, to be held in February 2028. It is an Australian first for the Money20/20 event series.

The Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre has been awarded EarthCheck Master certification, the highest level of the programme, after 15 consecutive years of certification.

Business Events Industry Aotearoa has appointed Michael Shah as partnerships and exhibition manager, leading delivery of New Zealand's MEETINGS trade show and the association's broader partnerships; Shah was previously chief executive of Auckland's Northern Club. Hilton has separately appointed Morgan Meredith as general manager of The Imperial Gold Coast ahead of the 200-room hotel's transition into Hilton management on 31 August.

Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre has opened a dedicated quiet space for delegates, providing a low-stimulation environment with soft furnishings, calm lighting, a bubble lamp, memory foam mat and fidget tools. General manager Ross Steele said the space extends the venue's commitment to manaakitanga and to ensuring every guest can participate fully and comfortably in events.

EVT Hotels' Atura brand will open the 184-room Atura Oran Park in October, about 20 minutes from the new Western Sydney International Airport. The hotel offers seven meeting rooms, the largest — The Grandstand — seating 500 for standing events, 300 banquet or 288 theatre, and is the first hotel for the master-planned Oran Park town centre.

The Australian Business Events Association has released its 2026 Domestic Forward Calendar, showing Australian convention bureaux have locked in 806 domestic events for delivery between mid-2026 and mid-2033. More than 451,000 delegates are expected to attend, spending an estimated $1.041 billion, of which $952.7 million is forecast to come from Australian delegates.

Business Events Industry Aotearoa has appointed Michael Shah as its new partnerships and exhibition manager. Shah was most recently chief executive of Auckland's Northern Club.

A collective of Rotorua operators, in partnership with Copthorne Hotel Wellington Oriental Bay, hosted event organisers across two Wellington sessions to update them on regional developments.

More than 40 suppliers and 100 guests gathered at Tauranga's Cargo Shed for a Tourism Bay of Plenty showcase of the coastal Bay of Plenty business events offering.

IHG Hotels and Resorts has launched The Alva Hotel Brisbane, Vignette Collection, in Fortitude Valley, rebranding and refreshing the former Hotel X. The revamped property features bright, airy rooms and a new lobby housing a spacious reception, the Alva at Home shop and commissioned artworks.

Queenstown-based destination management company Roam DMC has appointed Leah McNeill as event executive, based in the company's Queenstown office.

Australian hotel occupancy data for July showed Queensland's strongest nights driven by sport rather than business events, with Brisbane occupancy reaching 91.3 per cent on 8 July for a State of Origin game and 87.3 per cent on 11 July for a Wallabies v France test.

micenet's round-up of appointments across the hotel and venue sector includes Craig Kelmar as precinct general manager for Accor's hotels at Sydney Olympic Park, alongside moves at Pan Pacific Perth and Langham Hospitality Group.

Expo Centric WA has launched as a joint venture between Expo Centric and Perth-founded Event Mill, offering custom exhibition stands and event environments. The business operates a 2,200sqm manufacturing facility in the Perth suburb of Jandakot.

SITE ANZ held its annual conference in Sydney, where NSW 24-Hour Economy Commissioner Michael Rodrigues discussed streamlining planning, licensing and entertainment regulation to make the city easier to host events in. The 5,000-delegate International Astronautical Congress, spread across 24 venues in Chippendale, was cited as a template other large global conferences are now considering.

SkyCity reported a net profit of NZ$18.2 million for the last financial year, with reported profit down 37.6 per cent on the year prior. Revenue from the New Zealand International Convention Centre, which opened in February, partially offset shortfalls elsewhere.

Brisbane Economic Development Agency, which includes the city's convention bureau, drove a $2.3 billion economic impact last financial year. Its support for major events contributed $411 million of that total.

Venue and catering group Doltone House has signed a strategic partnership with BESydney, Sydney's business events bidding organisation. It comes as Doltone House prepares to open Doltone House Harbourside, a 4,500sqm venue in Mirvac's Harbourside development near ICC Sydney.

New Zealand welcomed 3,674,579 international short-term visitors in the year to June 2026, a 94.3 per cent recovery of pre-pandemic numbers according to Stats NZ. Conference visitors recorded the largest proportional rise of any segment, up 16.7 per cent year on year.

The annual New Zealand Cruise Association conference was held at Shed 10 on Auckland's Queen's Wharf on 13 August, drawing regional cruise leaders and stakeholders. Speakers included Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston, CLIA Australasia and Asia executive director Joel Katz and NZ Cruise Association chief executive Jacqui Lloyd, with attendees told New Zealand is back on track in providing infrastructure certainty to cruise lines.

Burwood RSL in Sydney's Inner West will be renamed Club Burwood and relocate to a $230 million, 19-storey mixed-use development on George Street designed by Buchan. The staged project includes a four-storey entertainment podium with a major events level for conferences and performances, plus a 200-room 4.5-star hotel in stage two, with early works due to start in mid-to-late 2026.

The $915 million Powerhouse Parramatta in Western Sydney will open to the public on 7 November with five exhibitions and more than 3,000 objects on display. The museum will offer seven event spaces, the largest seating up to 972 theatre-style, 800 for cocktail events or 540 for banquets.

Crystalbrook Collection has revealed the event offering for Crystalbrook Sam, its 196-room hotel in the Adelaide CBD, comprising three event spaces plus pre-function space and an outdoor terrace. The largest space, Halifax, holds 112 for standing events, 103 for conferences or 80 for banquets, and the hotel's meeting spaces will be free of single-use plastics and run on a digital-first basis.

Leadership and team performance specialist Keegan Luiters will deliver a keynote on team performance at the Spice Knowledge Sessions during Events Uncovered at Hyatt Regency Sydney on 1 September 2026. Yasmin London will open the programme and Bondi Rescue's Quinn Darragh will close it.

Leading international industry bodies have launched a coordinated advocacy movement called The Athens Promise to strengthen recognition of the meetings and events sector. It is led by IAPCO in partnership with AIPC and other associations.

Sydney Airport's master plan has been approved, covering expansion of terminals 1, 2 and 3 and the integration of terminals 2 and 3 into a combined domestic and international terminal. The integration could add up to 12 new international gates in the T2 and T3 precinct.

Ovolo Sydney, the 100-room heritage-listed hotel on Woolloomooloo's Finger Wharf, is undertaking a major renovation of its rooms, food and beverage offering and event spaces while remaining open. Its largest event space, the combined Piper Rooms, can host 400 for cocktails or 200 for banquets.

Spice News has revealed its Hot 100 Services and Suppliers list for 2026, recognising suppliers working across the Australian events industry.

Geelong's new convention centre, Nyaal Banyul, hosted more than 12,200 people across 15 events in its first month, including the Associations Forum National Conference. Opened in late June with a 1,000-seat plenary and 3,700sqm of flexible space, it is offering subvention funding of up to $60,000 per event to build its pipeline.

Sydney has won hosting rights for the 33rd Annual Meeting of the RNA Society (RNA 2028), secured by BESydney with RNA scientists from Sydney and Canberra. The five-day meeting runs 30 May to 4 June 2028 at ICC Sydney, is expected to attract 1,200 delegates and inject $5.1 million into the NSW economy.

The New Zealand International Convention Centre has enrolled 20 staff across event operations, planning, and sales in Te Haeata, the nationally recognised New Zealand Certificate in Business Events developed by BEIA, ServiceIQ, NZQA and Grow Tourism.

Accor has signed two midscale Mantra hotels in Hamilton, New Zealand - the 52-room Mantra Hamilton Pembroke Street and the 40-room Mantra Hamilton Karewa Place - both due to open in 2027.

The New Zealand International Convention Centre has appointed Te Raukura Hawke as Pou Tikanga (cultural advisor), making it the first New Zealand convention centre with a dedicated Maori cultural advisor. The role is intended to foster Maori values at the venue, which opened in February 2026, and to deepen NZICC's partnership with Ngati Whatua Orakei, the tangata whenua of Tamaki Makaurau.

Mandala Hotels and Resorts and Radisson Hotel Group have opened The Merchant Hotel on Turbot Street, Brisbane, the first Radisson Individuals property in Queensland. The 58-room boutique hotel sits in Brisbane's legal precinct alongside Heritage Lanes and offers flexible spaces for business, leisure and lifestyle travellers.

Around 110 events and companies have been shortlisted for the 2026 Australian Event Awards, with winners to be announced in Coffs Harbour, NSW, on 21 October; business events in contention include AWS Summit Sydney 2026 and the 76th International Astronautical Congress.

Hamilton Island has named Chris Mills, currently CEO of Sunshine Coast Airport, as its incoming CEO, joining the Queensland resort island later in 2026.

Business Events Industry Aotearoa has released its election priorities ahead of New Zealand's national election, positioning business events as the country's "silent strategic economic and intellectual asset". BEIA's agenda calls for using business events more deliberately to accelerate economic development and priority sector growth, creating long-term funding mechanisms to attract events, and establishing a national accommodation levy and a short-term rental accommodation register.

The New Zealand International Convention Centre has become the first business events venue in New Zealand to commit to Te Haeata, enrolling 20 team members in the New Zealand Certificate in Business Events (Level 4). The qualification is delivered by Business Events Industry Aotearoa.

Adelaide has been named an emerging destination in American Express's latest Amex Trendex: Business Travel Edition, alongside Manchester and Hyderabad. Its innovation precincts, business events sector, growing air connectivity and luxury hotel developments were cited, with Business Events Adelaide welcoming the global recognition.

AV and integration trade show Integrate Expo and digital signage software specialist Fusion Signage are marking a decade-long partnership, with Fusion Signage having designed and supplied the event content and wayfinding signage across the Integrate Expo floor at ICC Sydney for ten years.

Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA) is urging the next New Zealand government to recognise business events as a silent strategic economic and intellectual asset. Ahead of November's general election, its Business Events Election Year 2026 paper argues the sector's value extends beyond visitor spend, hotel nights and regional dispersal.

Business Events Industry Aotearoa is calling for business events to be recognised and used more deliberately as a strategic economic and intellectual asset for New Zealand. The call comes in an election-year document released ahead of the November general election.

Monica Kent-Giles has been appointed marketing director of AIME, Australia's business events trade show owned by the Melbourne Convention Bureau, following the departure of John Wilson. She joins from PMY Group and previously held senior marketing roles including at the Australian Grand Prix Corporation and Melbourne Airport.

Coastal Bay of Plenty is pitching its business events offering to organisers under the positioning "Out of the boardroom and Into the Blue".

Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event has appointed Brooke Campbell as buyer engagement director and Monica Kent-Giles as marketing director. The appointments come ahead of AIME 2027 in Melbourne next February.

The Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME) has made two executive appointments, naming Brooke Campbell buyer engagement director and Monica Kent-Giles marketing director.

Accor has announced the signing of two new Mantra-branded hotels in Hamilton, expanding the group's New Zealand portfolio. Accor is the largest hospitality group in New Zealand.

Nearly 3,000 delegates are expected at the International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS) World Congress 2027 at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre in April 2027. The winning bid, led by the Fertility Society of Australia and New Zealand, is expected to deliver about $10.8 million into the local economy.

Josquin Crepelliere has been appointed hotel manager at the 339-key The Langham, Gold Coast, moving from Crystalbrook Kingsley. Further appointments were announced at The Fresh Collective and Journey Beyond.

Brisbane Airport welcomed a record 25.2 million passengers in the 2026 financial year, up four per cent on 2025, with international passenger numbers rising 7.9 per cent.

Brisbane has won the bid to host the International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS) World Congress 2027 at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, expected to draw almost 3,000 delegates.

The Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre hosted 105 events between July 2025 and June 2026, with repeat business making up more than 60% of events; medical, wellbeing, education and retail sectors led activity.

More than 60 event planners are attending This is Gold Coast 2026 (TIGC26), Experience Gold Coast's annual business-events familiarisation, positioning the destination for high-end corporate incentives and sustainable conferences.

The Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre contributed an estimated $383 million to the local economy in FY26, with repeat business making up more than 60% of its events.

After Ben Carroll became Victoria's Premier, ministerial changes affect the state's business-events portfolio, while Business Events Tasmania outlined plans to drive more business to Northern Tasmania.

Cvent and the New Zealand Events Association have expanded their partnership, with Cvent powering end-to-end registration for NZEA's Eventing the Future 2026 conference, released alongside a new NZ event industry outlook.

ICC Sydney has received hundreds of enquiries for business events at The Cutaway in Barangaroo as the first client events at the refurbished venue hit delivery milestones.

Wellington's Takina Convention Centre hosted the 21st WONCA World Rural Health Conference, the capital's largest international association conference to date, welcoming almost 1,000 delegates from 40 countries with support from Business Events Wellington and Tourism New Zealand Business Events.

Qantas Group and Melbourne Airport have signed a commercial agreement supporting the airport's $4.5 billion international terminal expansion, including five additional widebody gates and a 15-year commitment to the third runway scheduled to open in 2031. Qantas will also build a larger international business lounge above Terminal 2, due for completion by 2029.

Cairns Convention Centre has released economic impact data to mark its 30th anniversary, reporting three million delegates across more than 2,500 conferences and events, 2.9 million room nights and $1.67 billion delivered to the Tropical North Queensland economy. The venue completed a $176 million Queensland Government-funded expansion in 2023.

The former Holiday Inn Express in Maroochydore has been rebranded as Holiday Inn & Suites Sunshine Coast following an extensive renovation. The 181-room hotel adds Nineteen Restaurant & Bar, two large meeting rooms and a rooftop events space for up to 70 people with a heated pool.

This is Gold Coast 2026 (TIGC26) welcomed more than 60 business-event organisers and decision-makers from 3 to 6 August, representing an estimated $50 million in potential business.

The ACT Government has released a tender for a specialist consultant team to develop the business case and reference design for a proposed new National Convention and Entertainment Centre in Canberra, intended to expand on the capacity-constrained existing National Convention Centre Canberra.

Port Macquarie has won hosting rights for Destination North Coast's North Coast Tourism Symposium and Regional Tourism Awards Gala in 2027, expected to draw around 220 delegates.

MEETINGS 2026 was the largest and most valuable edition of the trade show in its three-decade history. The event is run by Business Events Industry Aotearoa.

Experienced industry executive Avril Harris has joined the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre as director of event delivery.

Canberra's planned National Convention and Entertainment Centre has advanced with a tender released to appoint a consultant team for its business case and reference design, backed by a A$31 million Australian Government commitment.

Post-event buyer surveys project NZ$170 million in business-events transactions from MEETINGS 2026, held in Auckland — a 55 per cent jump on the 2025 show. It was the largest MEETINGS to date, with 1,600 participants including more than 700 qualified buyers and over 260 exhibitors.

Mercedes Ibbett, managing director of Sydney-headquartered EVT Incentive Marketing, has won the Incentive Industry Influencer Award from the US-based Incentive Marketing Association. She has led EVT since 2009 and sits on the board of the Australia/New Zealand chapter of the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE).

The Tasmanian Government's four-year visitor economy action plan identifies events as key demand drivers and sets out eight actions specific to business events, including supporting the new $10 million Launceston convention centre, growing hotel capacity, and expanding the Business Events Tasmania Visionary ambassador program.

New Zealand's business events tradeshow MEETINGS 2026, held at the NZICC in Auckland, generated a projected NZ$170 million in deals, a 55% rise on 2025, with over 260 exhibitors and a record 700-plus qualified buyers.

ICC Sydney has opened a permanent Quiet Room, developed with and accredited by Aspect (Autism Spectrum Australia), providing a low-stimulus space for visitors. Located in the venue's convention centre section, its design considered wall and carpet colour, lighting, textures and furniture.

Six Brisbane researchers will each receive up to $5,000 under the 2026 Lord Mayor's Convention Trailblazer Grant to attend international conferences and help the Brisbane Economic Development Agency win future conferences for the city.

AI and the rapid evolution of events technology will headline a panel at the Spice Knowledge Sessions during Events Uncovered at Hyatt Regency Sydney on 1 September 2026.

Canberra will host the two-day CAPA Airline Leader Summit next June, bringing together airlines, policymakers and aviation-sector stakeholders. The venue and precise dates are yet to be confirmed.

The Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre has appointed Avril Harris, formerly of Experience Gold Coast, to the new role of director of event delivery, overseeing event delivery, venue operations and technology. The round-up also covers new leadership at The Porter House Hotel Sydney and Sofitel Queenstown.

Canberra has secured the rights to host the CAPA Airline Leader Summit in 2027, bringing global aviation leaders and decision-makers to the national capital.

ICC Sydney unveiled a permanent Quiet Room accredited by Aspect (Autism Spectrum Australia), a low-stimulation space to help neurodivergent delegates rest and regulate, as part of the venue's accessibility offering.

The Australian Business Events Association (ABEA) has appointed Samantha Glass, founder of Glass Advisory and former ICC Sydney corporate affairs director, to its board following the resignation of Penny Lion.

Melbourne will host RoboCup and the RoboCup Symposium at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre in 2028, expected to draw 3,000 delegates and 15,000 spectators with an economic impact above $14 million.

Marriott International will bring its Westin brand to the Gold Coast for the first time, with a new-build 138-room hotel, The Westin Gold Coast, opening late 2029.

BESydney has secured the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) APAC Summit for ICC Sydney across 2027, 2028 and 2029, with about 3,000 participants expected annually after the event moved from Melbourne.

Marking three decades since it opened in June 1996, Cairns Convention Centre has hosted more than 2,500 events for three million delegates and generated $1.67 billion in economic impact for Tropical North Queensland.

Christchurch will host the Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA) annual conference on 28-29 October and The Bizzies awards, with the welcome function at the new One NZ Stadium and the gala dinner at Te Pae Christchurch.

Conventions held at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre generated almost NZ$74 million for the local economy over the past 12 months, including more than $60 million directly for Canterbury, underlining the centre's role in attracting world-leading events.

Christchurch's Te Pae convention centre hosted 189 events in the year to June, including 56 conferences, delivering an NZ$73.9 million economic contribution to New Zealand.

Former ICC Sydney corporate affairs head Samantha Glass has been appointed to the board of the Australian Business Events Association (ABEA), replacing Penny Lion.

Conventions at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre generated almost NZ$74 million for the local economy over the past 12 months, including more than $60 million for Canterbury. The venue hosted 56 conventions and 133 other events, welcoming over 125,000 attendees.

Registrations have opened for the BEIA Annual Conference 2026 and The Bizzies awards, held in Christchurch from 27-29 October across OneNZ Stadium, Christchurch Town Hall and Te Pae Christchurch.

The Australian Business Events Association has appointed Samantha Glass, principal of Glass Advisory and a former ICC Sydney executive, to its Board following the resignation of Penny Lion.

Sydney and Melbourne event and party hire firm Party Hire Group has acquired the styling and furniture business of D Plus D Events, which ceased operations on 1 July 2026, expanding its event styling and hire inventory.

Frenchville Sports Club in Rockhampton, Central Queensland, has completed a major redevelopment adding a purpose-built functions centre for conferences and events, seating up to 230 banquet-style or 350 cocktail-style.

SkyCity Entertainment Group has signed a non-binding agreement to sell its 312-room Grand Hotel, adjacent to the NZICC, with the sale subject to Overseas Investment Office approval and expected to complete this year.

IHG has opened New Zealand's second voco hotel in Queenstown, converting a 227-room Holiday Inn Express & Suites and refreshing its rooms, lobby and ground-floor meeting/private-dining space.

Sydney will host the 2029 congress of the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) at ICC Sydney, expecting more than 2,000 delegates and $13.8 million in direct delegate spending.

Brisbane Pop-Up, the Brisbane Economic Development Agency's annual industry showcase, returns to the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on 3 September 2026, connecting event planners with local venues, hotels and suppliers.

Sydney has secured the SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation symposium for 2030, expected to draw around 2,000 delegates and deliver an estimated $14 million to the NSW economy.

Spice has revealed sales resilience expert Michael Licenblat among the keynote speakers for its Events Uncovered industry showcase, held at Hyatt Regency Sydney on 1 September 2026.

A 227-key voco hotel has opened in Queenstown, repositioning the former Holiday Inn Express & Suites Queenstown into IHG's premium upscale brand. It is the second voco in New Zealand following the Auckland launch.

Accor has opened Mercure Tauranga in New Zealand's Bay of Plenty, expanding the operator's presence in the region.

Radisson RED Auckland has opened 33 South, a restaurant off the hotel lobby at 33 Lorne Street in the CBD with an emphasis on New Zealand flavours and ingredients. It caters for breakfast catch-ups, working lunches and after-work drinks.

micenet's industry roundup reports Western Australia Premier Roger Cook taking back the tourism portfolio in a cabinet reshuffle, alongside new business-events client wins and an airport fast-pass initiative.

Melbourne has secured hosting rights for a regional proteomics congress, a win for the city's business-events sector. Proteomics, a life-sciences field studying protein sets, is central to precision medicine and drug development.

Australia raised the subclass 600 Visitor visa charge 25 per cent (A$200 to A$250) on 1 July without advance notice, leaving some Asian incentive operators absorbing unexpected costs on already-approved client budgets. Planners expect little long-term impact on corporate incentive demand.

Darwin's Mindil Beach Casino Resort has completed the latest stage of a multi-million-dollar refurbishment, with further upgrades signalled to come.

Sydney's Manly Pacific hotel will leave Accor's MGallery portfolio next month to become the city's first Elysium-branded hotel, with general manager Dylan Cole staying on.

Marriott International will bring its Westin brand to the Gold Coast with a new-build hotel in Surfers Paradise slated to open in late 2029, offering 115 rooms and 23 suites within a 42-storey mixed-use tower.

Brisbane has won the right to host LNG2029, the world's largest liquefied natural gas conference, at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, with more than 4,200 delegates from over 80 countries expected.

International conference delegate arrivals to New Zealand rose 15.4% year-on-year in May 2026, and Business Events Data Programme figures show a 15% rise in events for the April to June quarter, signalling a sustained sector recovery.

At Cvent Connect, CEO Reggie Aggarwal unveiled a multi-year US$1 billion product-innovation investment and flagged 70 new product developments, 34 of them AI capabilities, including conversational event-building tools for planners and an attendee chatbot.

Perth will host the Australian American Leadership Dialogue for the first time in 2027; WA Premier Roger Cook called securing the annual forum, which alternates between Washington D.C. and Australian cities, a major win for the state's international profile and economy.

Darwin will host an Asia Pacific qualifying event for the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge in September 2027, the first such qualifier outside Europe. Up to 10 university teams are expected, with the winner advancing to the world final in Monaco.

The Professional Conference Organisers Association (PCOA) signed a three-year partnership with speaker bureau ICMI Speakers & Entertainers, which joins as a Platinum Partner.

Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre has won the bid to host LNG2029, expected to draw more than 4,200 delegates from over 80 countries and inject up to $19 million into Queensland's economy.

The Professional Conference Organisers Association has signed a new three-year partnership with ICMI Speakers & Entertainers, which joins as a Platinum Partner. PCOA says the deal reflects a shift towards fewer, stronger, long-term industry relationships.

The Australian Business Events Association (ABEA) and Business Events Australia are funding 30 scholarships in the 2026 Leadership Development for Emerging Leaders Program, delivered with Leading Well and Turnkey Event Solutions. Workshops run in Sydney in August and Adelaide from November to December 2026.

The International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO) has named Business Events Australia its newest Destination Partner under a new two-year agreement focused on destination marketing, sustainability and professional education. The deal connects Australia with IAPCO's global network of accredited PCOs to win more high-value international association conferences.

Tourism Australia's business events unit has become a destination partner of the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers under a two-year deal, building on an existing sustainability partnership.

The New Zealand International Convention Centre has appointed Te Raukura Hawke as its first Pou Tikanga (cultural leader), while catering company The Fresh Collective named Chloe Hutchinson as head of sales in Victoria.

Experience Gold Coast will run its signature business-events famil, This Is Gold Coast (TIGC26), from 3-6 August, welcoming event organisers back for the showcase's 12th year.

The Australian Federal Government will phase out paper incoming passenger cards, investing A$56.1 million over four years to roll out the digital Australia Travel Declaration at international airports and seaports, aiming to speed up arrivals for tourists and business travellers ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

The New Zealand International Convention Centre has appointed Irette Ferreira and Xanthe Smythe to its international sales team as the Auckland venue builds momentum in its first year and pursues more international conferences.

New Zealand's business events sector is nearing pre-pandemic levels, with international delegate arrivals up more than 50 per cent year-on-year in Q1 2026 (over 16,500 delegates), driven by strong growth from Australia and the US, according to BEIA.

Australian PCO Think Business Events became an accredited member of the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO), having delivered more than 300 conferences since 2006.

ICMSA, which bills itself as Australasia's oldest professional conference organiser, held its annual staff conference at the newly opened Nyaal Bunyal Geelong Convention and Event Centre as it marks its 60th anniversary.

The Australian Business Events Association and Business Events Australia have launched a 2026 Leadership Development for Emerging Leaders Program, offering 30 sponsored scholarships across Sydney and Adelaide intakes, delivered with Leading Well and Turnkey Event Solutions.

Bertoni Hospitality's "State of Hospitality 2026 Sydney Edition" report found 54 per cent of surveyed Sydney venues broke even or ran at a loss over three months despite steady patronage, citing rising wages and softer consumer spending squeezing margins.

IAPCO's 2026 Global Socio-Political Impact Survey found geopolitical instability affected 74 per cent of respondents' ability to plan or host international meetings, up from 54 per cent in 2025, with reduced attendance, travel disruptions and higher costs reshaping destination choices.

Business Events Cairns & Great Barrier Reef, led by Tourism Tropical North Queensland, ran its first-ever business events mission to New Zealand, pitching planners in Auckland and Christchurch. The push follows a 45.6 per cent surge in New Zealand visitor arrivals to the region.

The Australian Business Events Association (ABEA) opened entries for its 2026 awards with a refreshed 24-category program and a new Best Corporate Event category, to be presented in Adelaide on 2 December 2026.

Business Events Sydney has appointed six new Global Ambassadors, including senior academics and industry leaders, to help attract international conferences to the city; BESydney won 102 events worth an estimated A$340 million to the NSW economy over the past year.

Tourism New Zealand has set a record target of NZ$253 million and 110 international conference bids for the 2026-2027 financial year, after hitting 110 bids worth NZ$185 million the year prior, supported by new government funding announced at MEETINGS 2026.

The New Zealand government announced an additional NZ$1m to help attract international business events, supporting Tourism New Zealand's Conference Assistance Programme, a move welcomed by BEIA.

Tourism New Zealand is targeting a record NZ$253 million in international conference business next financial year, up from NZ$185 million, with Asia identified as a key growth market. The higher value target follows the opening of Auckland's NZICC and updated industry data.

The $449 million Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre opened as regional Victoria's largest events venue, with a 1,000-seat theatre, exhibition halls and an adjoining 200-room Crowne Plaza.

Business Events Industry Aotearoa has welcomed a NZ$1 million government funding boost for the Conference Assistance Programme, announced at MEETINGS 2026 to help attract more international business events.

Business Events Industry Aotearoa confirmed its flagship trade show MEETINGS will remain at the New Zealand International Convention Centre in Auckland for the next three years, giving the sector long-term certainty.

Adelaide Convention Centre hosted 125 business events over the past 12 months, generating a record $314 million for South Australia's economy and more than 62,000 interstate and international visitors.

The Gold Coast has been named host of the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) Global Conference in February 2028, the first time the event will be held in Australia or the Asia-Pacific. The conference draws more than 500 incentive travel professionals, corporate planners, destination management companies and destination marketing organisations.

Registrations are open for SITE ANZ's Incentivise Live 2026, the Australasian incentive travel and business events conference, held on 18 August 2026 at W Sydney under the theme Forward by Design.

ICC Sydney will operate The Cutaway, a 5,000sqm event space beneath Barangaroo Reserve, hosting major creative and corporate events from August. The appointment follows an expansion of the Darling Harbour Live consortium with Placemaking NSW.

Cvent's Event Industry Report (Australia and New Zealand edition) found 65 per cent of event professionals plan to increase their number of events in 2026, with cost, data security, sustainability and AI as dominant themes.

A Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA) report found business events contributed $925 million to New Zealand's economy in 2025, generating about 1.5 million visitor nights.

The $750 million New Zealand International Convention Centre in Auckland officially opened, with 33 meeting spaces and a 2,850-seat theatre, expected to attract about 33,000 international visitors annually.

BEIA's 2025 conference in Auckland drew over 220 delegates and hosted the inaugural Bizzies awards; the 2026 conference will be held in Christchurch in late October.

Meetings and Events Australia (MEA), the peak body for the meetings and events sector, announced it would cease operations and enter voluntary administration after 50 years, citing declining sponsorship and rising costs.

ICC Sydney's FY2024 review reported 507 events and 1.2 million visitors delivering A$718 million in visitor expenditure, including 25 international conventions and 62 exhibitions.

Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA) will hold its annual conference and The Bizzies awards in Christchurch on 27-29 October, the week before New Zealand's general election, with CEO Lisa Hopkins positioning the business events sector as a strategic economic asset.

Nominations have opened for New Zealand's Bizzies Awards 2026, recognising excellence, innovation and leadership across the country's business-events industry.