With the holiday break over and business facing the realities of the year ahead, applications from exhibitors at this year’s Event ConneQion continue to accelerate.

Already acknowledged as the ideal showpiece for Queensland’s burgeoning Business Events industry, the event will take place for the third consecutive year on Wednesday and Thursday March 29 and 30 at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC).

Gary Fitz-Roy, Managing Director of Expertise Events, Australia’s leading exhibition company and organiser of Event ConneQion and some 30 other leading events across Australia and New Zealand each year, said he was very pleased with the positive  response of the industry to the new developments and initiatives to be included this year.

“Event ConneQion exists to support the events industry throughout Queensland. We are committed to meeting the needs of the market and have been working with industry figures to ensure this year’s event delivers even higher standards of effectiveness for exhibitors and visitors,” Mr Fitz-Roy said.

Mr Fitz-Roy’s initiatives and consultation with the industry have been enthusiastically supported by several leading industry executives and operators.

Acting CEO of Brisbane Marketing, Paul Lewin, is outspoken in his support of Event ConneQion and its potential not only to promote Brisbane but as an opportunity for attractions and operators around the State. He points to the latest industry data on pre and post touring by delegates from both international and national delegates.

“With Brisbane climbing the international conference city rankings and asserting itself as the destination to hold a conference or event, the time has never been better for the local leisure industry to get involved and be part of the action. With its extensive offering of unique experiences, the Brisbane region is perfectly placed to meet the pre and post touring needs of delegates.

“In fact, Event ConneQion is the ideal gathering for leisure industry providers from around  the State to showcase their products and make themselves known to key decision-makers and industry buyers,” he said.

Paul Lewin cited the latest data from the National Business Events Survey, showing that of the 20,000+ international delegates who travel to Brisbane each year almost 50 per cent undertake pre or post touring, with an average daily spend of more than $260 per head.

The survey also shows that 13 per cent of the 42,000+ national delegates spend more than $230 per day on their pre or post conference touring.

“That shows a whole lot of people are spending money on leisure activities, fun things to see and do and places to stay, whose operators can benefit by being part of Event ConneQion,” Paul Lewin said.

Danielle Geddes is CEO of Riverlife Convention Centre, which won the Award for New Tourism Development in the 2005 Queensland Tourism Awards.

As a very new company, Riverlife participated in Event ConneQion last year and Danielle Geddes admits she did not really know what to expect or how to present the business – but she says it was a good learning experience and she has booked again for this year.

“We wrote very little business at the event last year, but what we saw and learned has changed our approach for this year and I am confident that we will achieve a good level of enquiries and sales as a result,” she said.

Danielle Geddes applauds Expertise Events for their initiative in establishing the event and encourages the Queensland industry to take full advantage of it; “Expertise Events is a professional, 100% Australian company with a great track record. Their event is supporting our industry and we in turn support their event.”

Mary-Clare Power, Manager Market Development, Destination Management for Tourism Queensland, said that while participation in Event ConneQion is a matter for individual bureaux, she can see benefits for those who become involved.

Gold Coast Tourism is another major bureau that has committed to be represented at Event ConneQion. Sandra Passaro, Director – Business Tourism said they were supporting the event as a commitment to the continued promotion of Queensland and the Gold Coast as the perfect business destination.

“We feel this show has the potential to become a valuable annual showcase of this diverse state. At the 2005 event, Gold Coast Tourism representatives worked hard to ensure the event provided a return on investment and we look forward to achieving even better results this year,” Ms Passaro said.

Mr Fitz-Roy confirmed that a major promotional program involving media advertising, direct mail and electronic communication will commence across the eastern states in February to support attendance at the event.

He also confirmed that the special incentives available to Queensland bureaux for both exhibitors and delegates announced earlier are available and are being accepted. These include:

Hosted Buyer program repeated; a cash incentive offered to Queensland bureaux when they fly in key buyers from national companies in Sydney or Melbourne, chosen by themselves and relevant to their products, to do business with Queensland’s best suppliers.

Free participation for Queensland bureaux Underlining Event ConneQion’s position as an event for all regions of the State, Expertise Events is offering all bureaux the opportunity to become part of the 2006 event at no cost when they enter the event with five other members of their region.

NZ Famil initiative: In yet another move to expand the audience for Queensland’s event industry, the organisers are working with New Zealand’s Meeting Newz Magazine to bring in a famil group of buyers from across the Tasman. The visiting industry delegates will be introduced to exhibitors from all sections of the Queensland event industry.

“These initiatives support the creation of a truly Queensland showcase that gives both state and national buyers a full view of Australia’s Sunshine State and what it offers to the business event industry,” said Mr Fitz-Roy.

For further information about Event ConneQion 2006: Bookings are being received and premium spaces are allocated in the sequence received. To make sure of your position before space becomes limited, contact Angela Morrisby on (07) 3358 3010 or by email at angelam@expertiseevents.com.au