Businesses band together in face of fires
FROM hotels to hospitality groups, businesses across Australia joined forces to support communities impacted by the recent bushfires.
Marriott International is launching a number of initiatives over the next few months, including the donation of room nights to fire service volunteers.
The Venues Collection donated to the NSW Rural Fire Service and Australian Red Cross, and also assisted clients of other venues that have been damaged by the fires to find alternative event locations.
In a true display of community spirit, more than 60 Noosa tourism operators teamed up to form the Team Noosa Bushfire Appeal, donating $100,000 worth of holiday packages to a number of fire services across the country.
Additionally, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) acted as a disaster relief centre in January, providing assistance in the way of food, water and medical supplies to those who were evacuated from Mallacoota in East Gippsland due to the fires.
Business booming in New Zealand
Last year, New Zealand ranked 46th in the world as a conference destination, climbing five places since 2017, according to data from the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA).
Events hosted in Christchurch alone pumped an estimated $15 million into the local economy between August 2018 and February 2019.
The island country is set to continue its rise as a leading business events destination, with the new Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre scheduled to open in October this year.
The centre has already secured 50 events, which are expected to bring over 28,000 people and $30 million to the city.
EEAA gets a new chief
This month, The Exhibition & Event Association of Australasia (EEAA) will welcome events and digital technology expert Claudia Sagripanti as its new Chief Executive.
Sagripanti, who was most recently Business Program Manager at Optus, will replace Joyce DiMascio after she stepped down in December last year after heading up the organisation since 2011.
