Tourism Australia outlined its comprehensive trade marketing program to promote Australia as a business events destination and increase its share of the lucrative business events sector. Tourism Australia Managing Director, Geoff Buckley said the innovative trade marketing program promotes Australia as an aspirational destination that offers value for money in the current climate. “Competition between destinations for the business events and incentive dollar is fierce and Australia is on the front foot to ensure we continue to capture our share of this important market,” Mr Buckley said. “To stay ahead of the competition we need to market harder and smarter and that includes taking a proactive approach to highlighting Australia’s distinctive qualities. “Australia offers a wealth of incredible locations, venues and facilities for business events and, with the shift in exchange rates, presents great value for money to our international customers,” he said. Included in the extensive trade marketing program for 2009/10 is:  A new print advertising campaign An expanded media buy A four tiered PR campaign to generate more content about Australia’s offering An enhanced Business Events Australia website A year round buyer and agent famil program Participation at key international trade events such as the 12th annual Team Australia Business Events Educational (TABEE) in Asia and a trade incentive showcase, Dreamtime. The 2009/10 program also includes a partnership with industry to deliver a strategy for the associations market.

The new print advertisements, to be featured in key trade publications in UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Asia and USA, present a dramatic representation of the innovation that takes place in Australia.

Head of Business Events Australia, Joyce DiMascio said the Business Events marketing program aimed to make a powerful statement about Australia’s business events proposition for the corporate meeting and incentive market. “Australia is a place that engages, challenges, provokes and transforms - the print advertising campaign communicates this message in an original and creative way,” Ms DiMascio said.

This year, the Tourism Australia stand at IMEX has partnered with 14 Australian convention centres, convention bureaux and other tourism operators. Ms DiMascio said that participation in international trade events such as IMEX provided Business Events Australia with access to an international market. “Forums such as IMEX are the ultimate opportunity for us to showcase our country to international buyers and association representatives” Ms DiMascio said.

Australia will host the premier incentive travel trade event – Dreamtime - held in Sydney, the host destination, in October in 2009. As part of the event program five destination educationals will also be held in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Northern Territory and Sunshine Coast/Brisbane.