The multifaceted and digital campaign, including a new website (www.businessevents.australia.com), follows in the footsteps of Tourism Australia’s consumer marketing campaign, There’s nothing like Australia, and continued strength in business arrivals to Australia.

 

It is the first time Tourism Australia has initiated a campaign positioning for all business events marketing activity.

 

It’s hoped the new campaign and its dedicated business events website will reach decision makers for such events with the message that “Australia is a good place to do business,” Tourism Australia said in a statement.

 

The campaign has been developed based on insights from event planners in key international markets and will roll out in the USA, UK, China, New Zealand, Korea, Singapore and Indonesia – core countries to the Australian business events sector.

 

Based on “There’s nothing like Australia” the campaign targets the corporate meeting, incentives and the associations markets with two advertisements for the corporate meetings and incentives market – one featuring Sydney and one featuring Uluru.

 

Another advertisement has been developed for the associations market and features Melbourne.

 

The advertisements will be rolled out in print and digital format in around 10 countries, including China.

 

The campaign was launched at the Asia-Pacific Incentives and Meetings Expo 2012 in Melbourne, and comes off the back of strong growth in the business events sector.

 

Latest figures from Tourism Research Australia show delegates for business events contributed around A$8.4 billion to the Australian economy in 2010, up from A$7.9 billion in 2009.

 

Tourism Australia Managing Director Andrew McEvoy said business events and business visitation made a significant contribution to Australia’s tourism economy but that there was scope for significant growth long term under Australian tourism’s Tourism 2020 strategy.

 

“On average business events visitors spend 55 per cent more per day than the average visitor at A$212 per delegate per night – so the returns on our investment are strong but what’s more they are also more likely to return for a business and leisure visit to Australia in the future,” said Mr McEvoy.

 

“In the year to September 2011, international business visitation rose seven per cent to 898,000, with strong growth from Asia, a critical region as Australia increasingly positions itself for the Asian Century.”

 

Mr McEvoy said economic factors in some of Australia’s key markets were continuing to impact on travel to Australia and that the business events sector would be well aided by its new-targeted marketing approach.

 

“It is why the new campaign is so critical in telling the world how Australia can deliver on their business objectives – whether it is incentivising their teams or improving their business performance, and do this with team building activities, experience of our modern cities, unquestioned natural appeal, and great people,” Mr McEvoy said. ■