You must have noticed the uptick in the number of shows in Australia—and you are probably wondering why. Here is some background:
In Australia, the meetings and events sector contributes an estimated $17.36 billion a year to the national economy, generating 116,000 jobs. But the net worth to the nation of events far exceeds their hard dollar value. These events play a pivotal role in Australia’s economic prosperity, by:
- Boosting the visitor economy through domestic and international visitation.
- Facilitating small business growth by connecting buyers and sellers,
- Knowledge sharing is leading to innovation and business collaboration.
- Providing a platform for international trade and investment.
- Promoting and showcasing Australian expertise and innovation to the world.
- Attracting global leaders and investment decision makers.
The term “event” covers a broad spectrum of meanings. An event may be an adjunct to a trade show. For others, an event can be a stand-alone entity. Still others might put educational sessions – seminars, speaker series, or key opinion leader dinners – in the event category. “Events” is a collective term referring to association conventions, corporate and government meetings, exhibitions and incentive travel reward programs. The event may be as small as 15 business people in an off-site workshop, through to a large international scientific meeting attracting 10,000 delegates Business events produce the highest daily yield of any sector of the tourism industry.
With the support of the Australian government, Ernst & Young studied the events industry in Australia and found that in 2013-14, over 37 million people attended more than 412,000 business events in Australia. Exhibitions, (trade shows, expos, or events) were considered a subset of the event industry for purposes of this study. Exhibitions can be Business-to-Business (B2B), Business-to-Consumer (B2C) or a combination of the two.
The Ernst & Young report also learned that:
- There were 2,157 exhibitions staged in Australia, attracting 9.3 million visitors and over 65,000 exhibitors.
- Exhibition visitors spent $2.3 billion in Australia.
- Exhibitors spent $643 million in Australia.
- Exhibition organizers spent $137 million in Australia, generating $88 million in value add.
- Total direct expenditure from exhibitions was $3.1 billion, contributing a direct value add of $1.5 billion and generating over 21,000 jobs.
Globally, Australia ranks 16 among all countries in numbers of exhibitions. In the APAC region, Australia ranks 4, surpassed only by China, Japan, and Korea. International visitors spend 1 in 5 dollars attending business events in Australia.
The growing global recognition and reputation of Australian business events has led to an expanding export market for events. Australian State Governments have invested roughly $5.7 billion in business event infrastructure both directly and through public-private partnerships. These convention and exhibition centers are recognized as world-class and have the potential to attract prestigious events and position Australia as a valuable business event destination.
Australia’s current goals for the industry are:
- Build global awareness of Australia as a sustainable business events destination.
- Deliver a clear brand for business events in Australia and a marketing toolkit.
- Deliver trade-marketing programs that bring buyers face-to-face with sellers.
- Provide industry access to research and market insights.
- Provide industry leadership to promote the ongoing development of a sustainable events sector.
There remains an untapped potential for more conferences hosted in Australia to boost world best-practices in the country, and to encourage innovation across a wide variety of industry, professions, government, and academic life. Industry stakeholders must work as a united team to ensure future success, playing to the country’s unique advantages and concentrating on niches most likely to deliver the most business events.
Meetings, trade shows, and events produce the highest daily yield of any sector of the Australian tourism industry and contribute an estimated $17.36 billion a year to the national economy, generating 116,000 jobs. But the net worth to the nation far exceeds their hard dollar value. These events play a pivotal role in Australia’s economic prosperity by:
- Boosting the visitor economy through domestic and international visitation.
- Facilitating small business growth by connecting buyers and sellers,
- Knowledge sharing leading to innovation and business collaboration.
- Providing a platform for international trade and investment.
- Promoting and showcasing Australian expertise and innovation to the world.
- Attracting global leaders and investment decision makers.
Australia now has seven major trade show venues and is quickly becoming a desirable location for global trade fairs and medical congresses. Because there is a single governing body for the entire continent and because trade fairs contribute so much to Australia’s economy, there is intense political pressure for government support for the industry. Particularly for US exhibitors and their suppliers, finding a show in Australia on their schedule means investing some time in understanding the country and its practices.
Here are a few interesting facts:
- Population approximately 23,261,702
- Main language: English
- Total area of Australia is 7.7 million square kilometers.
- Australia is the world’s largest island – but smallest continent.
- Australia is also the only continent that is governed as a single country.
- Sydney = population 4.3 million.
- Melbourne = population 4 million
Given the intense government support, the state-of-the-art facilities, the fact that English is spoken, and that Australia is an exciting destination, more and more exhibitors are finding that their show schedules include events in Australia.
The exhibiting style is a blend of American and European / UK styles. When you exhibit anywhere in Australia, you use a major contractor for both shell scheme systems and custom exhibits. Electrical services will by provided by the contractor while rigging is provided by a supplier appointed by the organizer. Move in/move out times are tight, and there are strict regulations for issues such as fire safety. All stands and plans need to be approved by the venue, a process facilitated by the organizer. Rental carpet is eco-friendly but colors are limited. Needle punch carpet like that found in the US is available but expensive.
Many materials from the US, UK, and Europe are not available in Australia due to the (currently) smaller size of the exhibition market. Signage is expensive to produce. On the other hand, there is no union involvement or drayage when working in Australian venues. When an exhibitor orders a space-only stand, in most cases they only get a concrete floor. They need to source power and lighting, audio visual, and furniture, among other things.
For larger shows, a freight forwarding company is generally appointed. Smoking is not permitted onsite in any of the Australian exhibition venues. The contractor can usually take orders onsite for additional furniture, power and lighting and AV, but there are significant late order charges.
Australia, with its seven major trade show venues, is quickly becoming a desirable location for global trade fairs. Because there is a single governing body for the entire continent and because trade fairs contribute so much to Australia’s economy, there is intense political pressure for government support for the industry. There is true government support for the industry, and because of that, there are practices that make it easy for global exhibiting. For example, although visitors need a visa, Australia uses an electronic process that tags to your passport number.
Generally, there are thousands of attendees and exhibitors at Australia’s international trade shows, providing the potential for robust business opportunities. Invest in a badge scanner to gather attendee information so that contact information is available after the show.
Australia is casual. There is no need for strict formality here, like in other cultures. Using first names is perfectly acceptable. Greet with a “hello” or “how are you?” first. Business card exchange is also casual; there is no formal routine as there is in many APAC countries.
Punctuality is important. In making a presentation – avoid hype, bells and whistles, or any exaggeration. Stick to the facts and be direct. Don’t go into too much detail. Dress is always a question anywhere you go. Australia it’s no different. In Melbourne and Sydney, dress is more conservative, business professional. Suits for men and dresses or suits for women. In Brisbane and some of the beach areas, casual clothing is acceptable.
A few other things to remember about the exhibiting environment:
Local labor is preferred. For example, much like the U.S., there are very strict labor rules for installing and dismantling your stand in Australia. Certain people have jurisdiction in certain areas (usually by state). There are some reciprocal laws to allow workers to work in different states, but permits are required. Try to pull from the local labor pool to ensure workers are licensed to work at the venue or to work with your exhibit house and their labor teams. There are also many restrictions on non-Australian residents working in Australia. Make sure you always check with the local Australian government for up-to-date rules. Don’t assume you can just show up and do your own thing. Make sure you or your exhibition company submit all appropriate permits and forms to the venue or organizer for approval before beginning work.
Common exhibit construction includes pillow case fabrication, shell schemes with enhancements or. custom builds. A custom build and burn is standard practice. Rental exhibits (especially those that use extruded aluminum systems) has become popular. Just as in the U.S., many exhibitors use hybrid exhibits.
While build and burn is still a very popular choice among exhibitors, more and more companies are finding value in building and storing an exhibit for two or three years, depending on how many shows they do and the locations on the continent.
Materials used in Australia are very similar to those used in the US. These include wood, laminate, system structures, pre-fabricated laminated wood products, plastics, and so on. Fabric and graphic production is also on a scale like that of the US. Australians prefer a raised floor. Melamine is often used instead of carpet, but carpet is available if you prefer. Usually it is not as thick as the carpet in the U.S.
Not only are the documentation issues important–strict penalties are attached for non-compliance–there are health and safety laws that must be observed.
Emotions are not important in Australian business. Many companies in the US tend to market using an emotional appeal (for example, the cute baby in the commercial). That approach doesn’t work in Australia.
Cut the small talk. In the US we are prone to making conversation and getting to know someone before we ask for the business. We try to build a bond, a connectin. In Australia, they like to just get down to business.
Comments are closed.