Just like so many other countries around the world, the MICE industry has been suffering due to the impact of COVID-19. With barely any travel taking place and people for the most part sheltering in place at home, the meetings and events industry has virtually shut down, no pun intended.
- Without in-person meetings, not only event venues suffer, but all the infrastructure that goes along with it, from hotels to transportation to restaurants to tourist sites.
- The Western Australia Federal Government is offering a Business Events Grants Program for delegates and exhibitors to attend business events.
- The Business Events Grants Program will be instrumental in kick starting Western Australia’s business events sector with grants available to cover up to 50 percent of costs.
Before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the business events sector in Australia was estimated to be worth $35 billion in direct economic impact to the national economy, with Western Australia’s share worth about $2.5 billion.
Today, 20 Western Australian (WA) business events have made it onto the approved schedule of business events, which are eligible for the Business Events Grants Program that is offering between $10,000 and $250,000 to offset the cost for delegates and exhibitors to attend and present at pre-approved business events.
Business events in Western Australia will get this much-needed boost with the opening of applications for the Federal Government’s $50 million Business Events Grants Program. Chief Executive of Business Events Perth Gareth Martin urged local exhibitors and delegates to apply for the funding, saying it would provide welcome relief to the business event sector.
“As we all know the COVID pandemic has caused monumental challenges to the business events industry, with gathering restrictions and the inability for international and interstate visitors to come to WA, sparking widespread postponements and cancellations of events over the past 12 months,” Mr. Martin said.
“By reducing the cost for buyers and sellers to meet, connect, and collaborate at a business event, this program is not just aiding in the recovery of the events sector, it’s also stimulating increased activity in the business events supply chain.”
Mr. Martin said supporting local business events would have far-reaching benefits.
“Business events are a huge economic contributor to the local economy with conferences and exhibitions providing opportunities for many local businesses like caterers, photographers, hire companies, audio-visual and staging personnel, as well as attracting high yielding business visitors that stay in Perth’s hotels, and dine at our cafes and restaurants,” Mr. Martin said.
“The Business Events Grants Program will be instrumental in kickstarting Western Australia’s business events sector, with generous grants available to cover up to 50 percent of costs incurred as part of participating in a pre-approved business event.”
Grants are available to Australian businesses to participate as buyers or sellers at pre-approved exhibitions, conferences and conventions held before December 31, 2021.
Applications are now open and close on March 30 at 5 pm AEDT. Lodge an application here.
To see the list of approved Western Australian business events, click here.
Expressions of interest to be included on the approved schedule of business events are still open and close on February 26, 2021. More information on the fund can be found here.
Mr. Martin said Business Events Perth’s Event Here Now campaign had supported 110 local business events since it was launched in August 2020.
“Through our Event Here Now initiative Business Events Perth is offering up to $30,000 in sponsorship to local business events, and this program has been hugely successful, bringing together more than 56,000 delegates to connect and collaborate in person,” Mr. Martin said.
