ICC Sydney draws 300,000 visitors to Sydney’s CBD and the Darling Harbour precinct through 150 restriction-free events this autumn.
International business events that have returned to the International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) include the Smart Energy Conference and Exhibition, the 20th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering and the INDO PACIFIC International Maritime Exposition 2022.
In addition, a breadth of events scheduled over the coming month is set to attract large numbers of business event attendees into Sydney’s CBD. The Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPcular, Snow Travel Expo, Autumn Home Show and Mind, Body Spirit Expo are all set to occur within the bumper season.
ICC Sydney says that it is back on track to achieve pre-pandemic levels of economic contribution to the broader economy. ICC Sydney CEO Geoff Donaghy revealed: “Events this autumn have the potential to deliver AUD130 million (USD92.8 million) in visitor spend in the local economy, setting us back on our course to return to achieving AUD900 million in delegate spend annually.
“We know that events need an activated and energised CBD to be successful and provide positive experiences for attendees, but the converse is also true — business and entertainment events are essential in energising and activating the CBD,” Donaghy said.
Executive Director of Business Sydney, Paul Nicolaou, said the venue’s ability to attract events adds to the city’s cultural fabric and ensures the viability of neighbouring businesses.
“Events are part of Sydney’s heartbeat, bringing hundreds of thousands of visitors into the CBD. Over the past month, we have seen a strong return in footfall to the world-class dining and bar experiences that Sydney’s CBD offers. We look forward to the continued recovery and revitalisation of the businesses in the area, supported by ICC Sydney visitors,” Nicolaou said.
Committee for Sydney CEO Gabriel Metcalf said Sydney was all set for a comeback, better and stronger than before.
“When you look at what’s going on to get people travelling again – ICC Sydney is a core infrastructure that underpins Sydney’s economic performance, attracting global talent and giving them a reason to stay and spend time here,” Metcalf said.
“With borders open, Sydney’s strong fundamentals as a liveability powerhouse with one of the world’s great city centres stand us in great stead. We’ve had a tough couple of years but many of the actions to navigate the pandemic, including alfresco dining and support for the nighttime economy, have made us more attractive as a destination.”
Large-scale events delivered recently at ICC Sydney demonstrate continued consumer confidence with successful exhibitions including Reed Gift Fair, which attracted 23,000 attendees and the Australian Tattoo Expo attracting a further 10,000 people to the venue’s exhibition centre.
The success of events at ICC Sydney, such as Source Co.’s Source Kids Disability Expo 2022, displays the confidence in the community to get back to attending events with 2,700 people interacting with 138 exhibiting organisations at the venue over two days.
Live entertainment events Paw Patrol Live! and Crowded House collectively attracted diverse audiences of 27,000 attendees. NSW Government’s star-studded Premier’s Gala Concert brought together some of Australia’s finest stage and recording artists to celebrate NSW seniors, attracting a further 14,175 people over two days to Aware Super Theatre.
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