Rural City of Wangaratta

Whether you call it MICE, Business Tourism, Business Events or any other of the myriad of names that serve to explain the Meetings Industry – The Rural City of Wangaratta has it on the radar.

The Meetings industry in Australia is valued at approximately $18 billion and the Rural City of Wangaratta is gearing up to prepare local businesses with the fundamentals of how to tap into opportunities available for this sector and of course, inform those new to the industry as to the actual benefits of Business Events.

“We have outstanding conference facilities, a host of accommodation options and most importantly we have a vast range of incentive opportunities for conference delegates” commented Emma Keith, Tourism Development Officer for the Rural City of Wangaratta. “It is time that we began to fully engage with this sector and prepare local businesses so they too can benefit from the countless opportunities the Business Events sector presents”.

Data from the International Visitors Survey prepared by Tourism Research Australia and the National Business Events Study shows that delegates to business events clearly yield a greater rate of return than leisure tourists. International conference delegates can spend up to six times more (on an expenditure per day basis) than the leisure visitor and nearly 1½ times as much per trip.

 “Business Events are not simply a matter of engaging with conference facilities and accommodation providers, rather it provides opportunities for a variety of other businesses. Delegates are often involved in pre or post touring, team building activities and often bring a partner and/or family, so are looking at what else the region offers in terms of dining, entertainment, events and activities. Combine this with the average delegate spend per day, and it’s a compelling case for all businesses within the Rural City of Wangaratta to take note and become engaged with the Business Events sector.”

The Rural City of Wangaratta is currently in the process of organising a seminar aimed to informing local businesses on how to connect with this sector. The seminar will touch on the current market situation, opportunities and the future direction for the Business Events sector in Victoria.

“While Business Events and leisure tourism are complementary in their potential to attract visitors and extend their stay, marketing for the two segments have to be approached differently. While the general awareness of the region created by a leisure tourism marketing campaign is useful, it is not in any way sufficient to ‘cut through’ and secure Business Events”.

The upcoming Seminar will see the launch of a prospectus for a specific Business Events marketing tool in the form of a Conference and Events Planner Guide. Details of the upcoming seminar and keynote speakers will soon be released.

For further information or to register your interest in attending this seminar contact Emma Keith on 03 5722 0773.

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