NSW Regional Conferencing Fact Sheet

One of the key recommendations of the Visitor Economy Taskforce Report and subsequent Visitor Economy Industry Action Plan (VEIAP) was the promotion of conferencing in regional NSW. This was in recognition of the contribution that the business events sector makes to the broader visitor economy.

The NSW Government’s response to this recommendation was the commitment of $6 million over 4 years to develop a Regional Conferencing Strategy, to create a Regional Conferencing Unit and to assist regional operators to secure more conventions, meetings and other business events across regional NSW.

In response, Destination NSW has:

  1. Developed a NSW Regional Conferencing Strategy, announced on 4 August 2017
  2. Established a new Regional Conferencing Unit within Destination NSW
  3. Created a new website – Meet in Regional NSW – to provide information and support to stakeholders in the business events sector
  4. Developed a NSW Regional Conferencing Toolkit to assist industry operators
  5. Established a NSW Regional Conferencing Development Grants Pilot Program.

NSW REGIONAL CONFERENCING STRATEGY & ACTION PLAN

The NSW Regional Conferencing Strategy & Action Plan aims to build capability, improve NSW’s competitive position, stimulate demand and return the sector to growth. Destination NSW, in partnership with industry, will implement 11 Strategic Imperatives developed in response to Action 36B of the VEIAP. For more information regarding the Strategy and full details of the Strategic Imperatives in the Action Plan, click here.

NSW REGIONAL CONFERENCING UNIT

A new NSW Regional Conferencing Unit within Destination NSW will lead the implementation of the strategy and support Regional NSW in effectively targeting opportunities for business events creation and attraction, sector capability building and undertaking promotional activities to grow the market.

MEET IN REGIONAL NSW WEBSITE

The new Meet in Regional NSW website is designed to be a one-stop shop for business events organisers looking for a suitable location and/or venue as well as an education and support resource for venues and industry operators offering tips and tools of the trade to assist them in creating and attracting new business. 

NSW REGIONAL CONFERENCING TOOLKIT

The toolkit has been developed for rural and regional NSW suppliers and will assist them in:

  • Better understanding the business events markets and current trends
  • Identifying and developing their own target markets
  • Providing ideas on how to build marketing networks
  • Providing advice on how to respond to event bids and requests for proposals (RFPs)
  • Adding value to bids, tenders or proposals
  • Developing ways to measure success and set goals and targets.

Click here to access the toolkit.

NSW REGIONAL CONFERENCING DEVELOPMENT GRANTS PILOT PROGRAM

The NSW Regional Conferencing Development Grants Pilot Program is intended to assist stakeholders in Regional NSW to create new business events and attract business events to rural and regional locations.

The two elements of the Development Grants Pilot Program are:

  1. The creation of New Events – to encourage towns and regions to create their own new conferences; and
  2. The attraction of existing National Business Events – to assist rural and regional NSW to secure national conventions.

For more information about the NSW Regional Conferencing Development Grants Pilot Program please click here.

For more information about the Regional Conferencing Program, please email Destination NSW’s Regional Conferencing Unit at conferencing@dnsw.com.au

Download a PDF version.