Representatives of the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (at right) in Queensland, Australia, are celebrating a banner effort after securing 140 new conventions for the 2015/2016 fiscal year. Those events are expected to generate 256,000 hotel room nights for 71,235 delegates, resulting in a $143 million economic benefit for Brisbane and Queensland.
The facility underwent a major renovation and expansion that was completed in 2012 and increased the venue’s size by more than 50 percent to encompass 1.8 million square feet of space. The project added 18 new meeting rooms, a new ballroom, a large outdoor terrace, and two auditoriums as well as a restaurant and retail space. At the time, officials promised the $140 million expansion would enable BCEC to drive new business to the area, and the current forecast for the facility validates that claim.
New events attracted to the venue deal in the healthcare, scientific, and medical industries, as well as education, engineering, and aviation. Notable among recent bid wins is the acquisition of Routes Asia 2018, a three-day event that brings hundreds of airlines and airports together to discuss the future of aviation in the region.
BCEC officials say the center’s success can be credited to teamwork among the staff and a program called Convention Advocates Partnership, which teams BCEC with influencers in the business community and has earned the region a $91 million economic boost since its start six years ago.
