I AM SURE WE ARE ALL EXPERIENCING
that `time' seems to be flying past at a faster
and faster rate. The end of the financial year
is always a busy period as we conclude the
year's activities and look forward with
anticipation to the year ahead.
One of the important areas for us, as an industry, is the recently
released Federal Government Discussion Paper 10-Year Plan for the
Tourism Industry. Both MIAA and the Business Events Council of
Australia of which MIAA is a significant part, have expressed
disappointment with the content of the discussion paper and its lack of
emphasis on Business Events. You will find copies of the responses to the
plan of both MIAA and BECA on the MIAA website. I urge you to
become familiar with the issues covered in those responses and take every
opportunity to discuss these issues with your colleagues and with
influential industry figures whenever you get the opportunity.
MIAA is certainly going to be strongly pressing the critical issues for
our industry in subsequent rounds of consultation on the discussion plan
and looks forward to the development of The White Paper to address more
effectively the needs and the opportunities that arise from our industry.
On a different subject, the MIAA website also carries details of how
to enter this year's awards. Winners of the awards presented on Hamilton
Island have already used their winning to great effect in increasing
business opportunities and gaining higher profile for their respective
businesses.
The awards provide a unique opportunity within our industry to
benchmark your business against your competitors and to gain a
competitive advantage as a winner of an award at either state or national level.
I urge you all to take the opportunity to enter the awards and give
your business the opportunity to both obtain valuable business feedback
and as a winner, a valuable point of difference in an increasingly
competitive marketplace.
The next twelve months for MIAA will see our emphasis continue to
focus on membership retention and growth. We will do this by continuing
to provide high-level offerings in the field of professional development at
both state and national levels.
These will be supplemented by more effective networking
opportunities and in April next year, by what I am sure will be another
highly successful National Conference in Newcastle and the Hunter
Valley.
In conclusion, I hope that 2002/2003 will be a successful year for us
all and that we will not experience the very difficult environment that we
had to confront over the last twelve months.
Leigh Harry
National President
permeated by arrangements made between suppliers and clients, speakers
and organisers where services are provided free, or at a significantly
reduced rate (not being market value - even if that could be defined).The
hugely increased administrative burden created by enforcing the need for
both suppliers and buyers to trade invoices on things done FOC is not in
any way matched by any revenue benefits - being a business to business
relationship, the tax revenue implications are zero.
Marketing: In overview, we seek greater and better-directed Federal
Government investment in the meetings and events industry through the
delivery of three key objectives:
1) Increased funding support from the Federal and State
Government for international marketing activities aimed at both winning
bids and boosting delegates.
2) A coordinated approach to Federal Government Support involving
the Australian Tourist Commission, Austrade and other relevant
departments including the Department of Industry, Tourism and
Resources, as well as representatives from the industry and the business
community.
3) Reflecting the difference in leisure tourism and business events in
the Federal Government marketing structure and resource allocation so
that the business events sector is not fighting for a share of the leisure
tourism marketing dollar.
It is recommended that .. a new Commission be seriously considered.
The role of this new Commission would be to:
a. Coordinate the whole of government activity in the area of
meetings and events through the involvement of DISR, Trade, ATC and
industry.
b. Oversee business events international marketing activities funding
by the Federal Government, including cooperative marketing with
industry through a national convention bureaux.
c. Identify and where appropriate allocate monies to research
projects relating to business events, including funding for ongoing
statistics measuring the total activity of delegates/event attendees at
both national and international events held in Australia and the
measurement of business outcomes and export growth.
d. Ensure the promotion of meetings and events held in Australia
through overseas offices of Austrade and ATC.
e. Identification, coordination and enhancement of the bidding for
prominent international sporting and business events including economic
forums, sporting events, and other prominent world events. As
appropriate, this could involve the overseeing of bids by Australian
destinations for the rights to go forward as the federally supported
Australian destination.
f. Assisting in the achievement of regional dispersal of the business
events industry.
In this scenario, some of the monies allocated for international
marketing could be expended through the ATC, which already has the
international marketing expertise and infrastructure to handle the task.
Cooperative marketing with industry will continue to be critical to
success, ensuring not only integration with industry efforts, but also
significantly building on the total dollars available.
Visit www.miaanet.com.au for a full submission copy.
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MIAA Submission (cont)
2
P R E S I D E N T ' S M E S S A G E
MIAA Acknowledges our National Supporters
Adelaide Convention Centre
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
Melbourne Exhibition & Convention Centre
Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre
Cairns Convention Centre
