From the desk of Emma Bowyer

Convention bureaux offering financial support for meetings

Meetings and events are once again booming in Australia. Everybody, it appears, wants to reconnect and make up for lost time.

Recognising this, and hopeful of securing their own piece of the pie, convention bureaux with government funding, are offering financial support for organisations to hold their event in their city, state or territory.

The NSW Government is offering up to $60,000 in matched funding per business event held between January 1 and 30 November, 2023, in Greater Sydney, Newcastle or Wollongong. Applications close on 30 September, 2022.

In Melbourne grants are available for events held between 1 December 2022 and 31 December 2024 up to $80,000 per applicant and there are $40,000 grants per applicant for those who want to hold a meeting in Regional Victoria during the same period.

Applications also close on 30 September, 2022.

Those considering a Northern Territory meeting should be aware the local convention bureau offers financial assistance of a minimum of AUD$100 per delegate, while in the Tropical North the Cairns Regional Council offers funding support for events in Cairns before June 2027 that attract over 250 delegates of AUD$100 per delegate to a maximum of $100,000.

There is funding available for events held in the Cairns Convention Centre through the Queensland Government Convention and Exhibition Centre Recovery Bid Support Program. If events have 350 attendees (50 per cent outside Queensland) they can receive up to $100 per delegate.

This fund is available for events held at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre and the Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre. Events must be held prior to 30 June, 2026.

Funding for meetings in Adelaide, Tasmania and Canberra and some regional cities is also possible. New Zealand is offering budget support through the Conference Assistance Programme. Not to be forgotten, the Perth Convention Bureau offers funding for Conferences, financial assistance with site inspections, and up to $25,000 to help secure a keynote speaker for 2022 and 2023 Conferences.

If you are considering bidding for an international meeting, then Tourism Australia’s specialist unit, Business Events Australia, has a Business Events Bid Fund that can assist in the bidding phase.

The challenge for busy planners is knowing who is offering what and how to access it.

Our team around the country has a good handle on what is available and we’ve had plenty of success in securing funding for a range of clients.

We know that these additional funds can be the difference between being able to afford that keynote speaker you hoped for and attendance at related events linked to profiling the event to secure greater delegate numbers and industry support.

Contact me at [email protected] for advice and assistance.

Nothing beats in-person for human connectedness

ICMSA was thrilled to read a recent article by Tessa Davis, co-founder of the paediatric community organisation Don’t Forget The Bubbles following their 2022 Conference in Brisbane in August, managed by ICMSA.

Tessa said after two years of learning online during the pandemic she was thrilled to reconnect with DFTB delegate’s in-person again in Brisbane.

“Seeing our community face-to-face was a thing of beauty.”

She said following that she felt re-engaged and inspired, with the Conference reminding her why she started the organisation in the first place.

You can read the full story here as it appeared in CIM Newsmagazine.

A University of Melbourne event that gets better each year

There is nothing nicer than receiving positive feedback from clients following their event and we were certainly chuffed with an email from the Convenors of the University of Melbourne MD Student Conference held in June 2022.

The 1,300 person Conference is a highlight on the annual student calendar and 2022 was no exception, with Convenors Cherie Chan and Daniel Tao commenting that the organising team were “…eternally grateful for the wealth of experience that you bring and for the steady hands with which you used to guide our conference to its intended destination.”

“…the feedback from our end has been overwhelmingly positive.”

They made special mention of ICMSA staffers Emma McPartlin, Jessica Moebus and Emily Glen, pictured with the rest of the team above.

ICMSA has been managing MDSC for the past seven years.

Frocking up in Alice Springs

Two years of staff working harder than ever during the global pandemic saw the entire ICMS Australasia team taken away to Alice Springs in July for a part-reward, part-development experience.

With significantly increased workloads, along with travel restrictions in place during 2020 and 2021, the staff Conference was postponed until 2022 when ICMSA owner and Managing Director, Emma Bowyer, put to the vote a potential destination for the get-together.

A unique and contrasting Australian setting was sought in order to fulfil both professional and social experiences. Alice Springs and the Northern Territory was the winner.

Attendees at the Conference included ICMSA’s senior and junior meeting and event planners, web designers, communication specialists, administration and finance staff – 27 in total.

Click here to read what we did.

New appointments for ICMSA

A strong forward calendar for 2023 continues with ICMS Australasia recently awarded the opportunity to run the Australasian Road Safety Conference in Cairns in September and being invited to manage the 2023 Don’t Forget the Bubbles Conference.

The Australasian College of Road Safety (ACRS) is the region’s peak membership association for road safety professionals, advocates, and members of the public who are focused on saving lives and serious injuries on our roads. The College provides a rich, collaborative environment to promote communication, networking, professionalism and advocacy across all spheres of road safety – including policy, advocacy, research, application and dissemination.

ICMSA was invited to tender for the business following a referral from managing the 3rd International Alliance of Academies of Childhood Disabilities held earlier this year.

DFTB 2023 will be ICMSA’s fourth opportunity to manage this highly regarded paediatric Conference.

The Director’s Cut: Kate Stevens, ICMSA Director Conferences

Purpose and Passion

In the second in our series on ICMSA Directors, what they do, how and why, this issue we talk to Director, Conferences, Kate Stevens on her role within the company and why she’s a country girl at heart.

Click here to read the full story.

The Fab Four

ICMSA has welcomed four new recruits to the ICMSA family in the past two months with appointments in Sydney and Melbourne.

Rickie Xian joins the Sydney team as Event Coordinator, moving to ICMSA from Encore Event Technologies where she was employed as Venue Events Director and Duty Manager.

Rickie is joined by Event Manager Sofia Figuera Lairet who comes to ICMSA with a strong background in project management in marketing, events and partnerships.

And our latest recruit in the Sydney office is Tiffany Lo who has been appointed Sponsorship and Exhibition Assistant. Tiffany comes to ICMSA from the University of Technology, Sydney where she worked in events and administration.

Joining the Melbourne team is new Conference Assistant Emily Low who recently completed her Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Events Management at ACU.

ICMSA is always on the lookout for talented and passionate individuals. If you think you have what it takes to make a difference across our broad spectrum of clients email Emma Bowyer today.

When Experience Matters

ICMS Australasia manages projects from concept through to final audit, providing expertise in attracting delegates, sponsors and exhibitors; budget and cash flow control, business and scientific program development; information, presentation, communication and staging technology, creation and delivery of social and recreational activities and accommodation. From idea generation to post event evaluation we provide expertise, creativity and a healthy respect for the financial bottom line.

If you are interested in bidding for an event or need help with an event already confirmed, pick up the phone or send us an email.

Our experience will matter.

Please feel free to call or email Emma Bowyer now.