Welcome to our weekly wrap-up of MICE News, which covers meetings, incentives, conferences, and events across Australia and around the world. If you are in the MICE industry, this is what you need to know as our writers stay on top of the latest developments.
If you have any MICE news, please send it to editor@travelmonitor.com.au
AIME wins award 3rd time running
The Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME) has been awarded Best Exhibition or Trade Show at the 2024 Australian Event Awards. It is the third year running AIME has received the prestigious award, cementing its position as the premier business event for the meetings and events industry in Asia Pacific.
AIME was also named Australian Event of the Year at the 2022 awards. AIME connects international and local buyers with world-class exhibitors from Asia Pacific and around the world. Next year’s three-day event will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) 10-12 February 2025.
The Australian Event Awards & Symposium is the national awards program and conference for the Australian events industry and establishes Australia’s best events and event-related goods, services and innovations over the past 12 months. AIME 2025 will be the fourth event delivered by Event Director Silke Calder and her team from Talk2 Media and Events, which manages the show on behalf of Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB). Calder said the recognition was testament to the incredible work of the AIME team to continually deliver an outstanding, world-class event every year.
International airfares lose altitude as new capacity emerges
Flight Centre’s Corporate division has analysed the average cost of airfares for the most recent quarter, with international fares down by 5-10% in Q3 2024 compared to Q3 2023, equating to an average saving of more than $100 per ticket. The biggest drops were to Qatar, UAE, France, UK and Italy.
Domestic economy airfares increased in the September quarter this year by 3-5 per cent, compared to the previous year, which was an average $10-20 increase per ticket. However, the recently announced deal between Virgin Australia and Qatar would see additional capacity and competition added to Australia’s international travel market by mid-2025, if approved.
Vivid Sydney 2024 wins major Australian event award
Vivid Sydney has triumphed at the 2024 Australian Event Awards, winning Best Cultural, Arts or Music Event. The Australian Event Awards is the national awards program for the Australian events industry, celebrating excellence and innovation. Vivid Sydney, the Southern Hemisphere’s largest multi-artform festival, is owned, managed and produced by Destination NSW.
In 2024, Vivid Sydney injected more than $180 million in expenditure into the NSW visitor economy and welcomed an estimated 142,000 people on the festival’s opening night – the largest attendance on record, while Sunday 9 June shattered all records for most attendees in a single night. The event also provided a welcome boost to the hospitality industry, with more than half a million people eating meals across the festival, while there were more than 80,000 attendees at Vivid Music events.
Elements of Byron Redefines the Event Experience with Bespoke Offerings
Whether it’s a corporate wellness retreat, a high-level seminar, or an intimate creative workshop, Elements of Byron is revolutionising what it means to host a truly unforgettable event. With its stunning natural surroundings and a versatile range of event spaces, this luxury beachfront resort is the ideal destination for unique, fully customised experiences. Now, with the recent appointment of a new Conference and Events Manager, Elements of Byron is further enhancing its ability to deliver seamless, high-end events that cater to any occasion—from strategic corporate retreats to multi-day workshops and milestone celebrations.
Air New Zealand boosts capacity to support CHOGM delegates travelling to Samoa
Air New Zealand has increased its capacity to Samoa by nearly a third to carry delegates from around the world to the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). Until 31 October, Air New Zealand will operate 25 return flights to Apia, the Samoan capital. The increased capacity represents a 29 per cent boost compared with typical operations over the period to meet heightened demand and support Samoa’s hosting of CHOGM. Air New Zealand has also swapped narrowbody Airbus aircraft with widebody Boeing aircraft to increase capacity on the route, adding additional seats and more options for customers to book premium cabins. As a result, premium capacity for the period has increased by 88 per cent.
Shaw + Smith Wine Weekend at Spicers Peak Lodge
Join in on an exclusive wine weekend at Spicers Peak Lodge with one of Australia’s leading wineries, Shaw + Smith from 6 to 8 December 2024. Guests will enjoy welcome drinks and canapés upon arrival, explore the property through our elevated experiences, and participate in a wine masterclass led by renowned winemaker Adam Wadewitz.
Immerse in the serene luxury of the retreat as they present a meticulously crafted degustation menu, perfectly paired with Shaw + Smith wines. This will truly be the ultimate luxury escape. To reserve a place at this exclusive event, contact the Reception Team on 1300 253 103 or via reception.peaklodge@spicersretreats.com, or
Book online – https://spicersretreats.com/offer/shaw-smith-wine-weekend/
The sustainable incentive you’ve been waiting for
A superb location on the French Riviera, top-class hotels, gourmet restaurants…all of these are perfect reasons to love the Principality but there is so much more to Monaco than meets the eye. Monaco is a responsible country, committed to addressing sustainable development issues in everything they do, every day. This commitment is reflected in every aspect of its daily life – from sustainable events, such as the Monaco ePrix or the Monaco Energy Boat challenge, to its eco-certified hotels and soft mobility solutions. The Sustainable Event Manager’s Guide will help you to plan your perfect green incentive in Monaco.
Flight Centre Travel Group’s Stage and Screen launches new report
A new report projects growth in Australia’s sports and entertainment sectors, driven by record-breaking events, government incentives, and new international travel routes.
Australia is set to experience a golden era across its sports and entertainment industries, according to a newly launched report from Stage and Screen, a boutique subsidiary of Flight Centre Travel Group specialising in travel management for the sports, TV, film and entertainment industries. The report outlines key growth drivers in these sectors while unveiling forward-looking analysis and trends tipped to shape the industries in the years to come.
Stage and Screen General Manager Adam Moon says: “From the sporting pitch to the screen we have experienced remarkable growth over the past year, and this is setting the stage for our most extraordinary decade yet.”
Full report can be downloaded from here.
FCM Meetings & Events targets global expansion
FCM Meetings & Events, in line with its global relaunch targeting worldwide growth, can today reveal that more than a quarter of customers allocate half their travel budgets to the MICE sector, according to its landmark global State of the Market* survey. The inaugural survey, undertaken by Flight Centre Corporate, shows a healthy portion of customers allocate more than half of their travel budget to the MICE sector.
Surveying Flight Centre Corporate customers, overall, 28 per cent of businesses said more than 50 per cent of their budget goes towards travelling for MICE, with 11 per cent revealing an allocation of between 25-50 per cent, and 10 per cent stating that 15-25 per cent of their travel spend goes towards the MICE sector.
FCM Meetings & Events Global General Manager, Simone Seiler, said the findings came at a time when the business was repositioning worldwide to deliver a unified offering, leveraging itself as a subsidiary of FCM Travel, and harnessing its global scale, but with regional customisation.
“Globalising the FCM M&E business will allow us to add consistency and scale for customers looking for a global meetings and events provider, with hub offices in all four regions, global consistency but with local nuance to understand specific client needs,” Ms Seiler said.
“We now operate in more than a dozen countries globally, with future expansion plans in the works. Australia, India, and Mexico are currently thriving for us, and we really see North America, Asia, and Europe as key regions with the largest opportunities for growth.
“FCM M&E is targeting exponential growth and we’re already expanding into the likes of United Arab Emirates and South Africa – which will allow us in future to expand our workforce to the more than 365 that we already have servicing our valued customers.
“Our global vision for the future of meetings and travel management is centred around innovation, sustainability, accessibility and seamless integration of technology like our new FCM Venue Finder platform to enhance the overall experience for our clients.
“By combining our expertise in event management with cutting-edge technology and a commitment to sustainability, we aim to lead the industry in creating future-proof, impactful, and responsible meetings and events.”
As part of the global relaunch, FCM Meetings & Events has now welcomed a new Global Director of Enterprise Sales into its London office, Joanne Shaw. Ms Seiler said Ms Shaw enjoyed extensive experience in both sales and account management.
Wellington wins bid to host international urban health conference in 2025
Wellington is set to host the 21st edition of the International Conference on Urban Health (ICUH) in 2025, the first time the event has been in Oceania in its 21-year history. The International Society for Urban Health’s (ISUH) flagship conference has the goal of transforming urban environments to improve health, equity, and environmental sustainability in cities worldwide. It will take place at Tākina Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre in November 2025.
The bid for the event was led by award-winning research centre the New Zealand Centre for Sustainable Cities, based on the University of Otago’s Wellington campus. It was supported by Business Events Wellington and Tourism New Zealand Business Events. The conference will bring together researchers, academics, policy makers, philanthropists and the nonprofit sector to further health and wellbeing research and policy.
Distinguished Professor Philippa Howden-Chapman, Director New Zealand Centre for Sustainable Cities, Department of Public Health, University of Otago | Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka says: “We are delighted to announce that the 2025 International Society of Urban Health Conference will be held at Tākina, our new state of the art, 5-star Green Star conference centre on the harbour in Pōneke, Wellington, the capital city of Aotearoa, New Zealand.
Australia’s most in-demand corporate acts
A new visualizer clip featuring Australian World Music Star Mitch Tambo at AIME 2024 in Melbourne has been lauded for its futuristic innovation. The clip was released this week for the Australian performer’s new single “The Best” – a reimagined version of the of the Tina Turner classic – sung in Tambo’s traditional Gamilaraay language.
It features Tambo performing the song at the Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event earlier this year surrounded by dancers and circus performers in hyper colourful outfits lit up in lights. The costumes, which took months to create, were embedded with up to 10,000 individual pixel lights as well as LED lights. The dazzling performance was conceptualised by top creative entertainment company, Circus Bizurkus, who proudly proclaim they are “Australia’s loudest entertainment curators”.
“We’ve had people say they were astounded by the costumes and show, and had never seen anything like it in the events space before,” says Circus Bizurkus founder Fernando Barraza. “We programmed the costumes, powered by rechargeable batteries, to flash their lights in time to music. It’s an exciting concept as you can also create incredible shapes, logos and patterns with the lights as well.”
