Sydney and Melbourne, vibrant metropolises already buzzing with activity, experienced an extra surge of energy as Taylor Swift, P!NK, and Blink 182 graced their stages in the month of February. With hundreds of thousands of fans flocking to witness these international sensations, the cities were abuzz with excitement and economic opportunity. It’s now important to examine the intricacies of running business events like conferences alongside such major events and what learnings have come from the experience.
Economic Boost and Infrastructure Support
The Taylor Swift phenomenon saw 320,000 fans — interstate and international guests included — attending the American superstar’s four Sydney concerts and over 288,000 attended Melbourne’s three concerts from 16 – 18 February 2024.
The total injection directly into the Australian economy as a whole is at least $558 million. “The economic impact will likely extend beyond New South Wales and Victoria, positively affecting the entire country.” – Angel Zhong, Associate Professor of Finance at RMIT University.
However, amidst the economic boom, it’s essential to consider the implications for other events unfolding simultaneously. According to Julia Swanson, CEO of the Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB), “Melbourne’s infrastructure gives rise to highly successful events with both business and major events taking place across the city.”
Julia is confident in Melbourne’s ability to deliver. “Visitors attend a business event or major event for entirely different reasons and have different requirements. As such the two can successfully run alongside each other. In fact, the city excels with world-leading venues from conference facilities, arenas and stadiums with excellent connectivity and quality accommodation.”
“Many international associations and corporate incentive planners choose to take advantage of the major events calendar as an appealing proposition for attracting delegates to their event and enhancing their program.”
“One recent event that springs to mind was the BestCities Global Forum held in late January. The event organisers chose to shift the event date to align with the Australian Open.”
Strategic Planning and Collaboration
When faced with hosting a business event alongside major events, Julia offers her advice. “Firstly, engage with your local convention bureau right at the outset of planning. MCB has an extensive network of accommodation and venue partners and suppliers right across the events supply chain.”
Moreover, aligning conference dates with major events can serve as a strategic advantage, attracting delegates drawn to the allure of concurrent happenings. Julia Swanson further highlights, “many international associations and corporate incentive planners choose to take advantage of the major events calendar as an appealing proposition for attracting delegates to their event and enhancing their program.”
Challenges and Learnings
Whilst Taylor Swift was in Melbourne, Arinex was managing a Conference running at the same time, 7th International 4 Corners of Cardiology (4CC) Meeting from 16-17 February held at the Pullman Melbourne on the Park. The Pullman Melbourne on the Park happens to be directly across from the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) where Taylor Swift played all three concerts. Arinex managed the accommodation and contracted hotels prior to the concert being announced meaning Arinex were able to lock in rooms at a great rate that was honoured right up until the Conference.
One significant challenge was the competition for accommodation outside of the official Conference hotels. With Taylor performing Friday – Sunday and 4CC falling on the Friday and Saturday, any attendees wishing to stay at the hotel outside of the event room blocked nights or hoping to stay at a different hotel faced a significant increase in cost and limited to no room available.
In addition to booked out accommodation, there was also limited restaurant options available for booking social functions (ie. speaker dinners). The team struggled to find a venue able to take the required capacity and when they could, they often had limitations such as reduced menus and strict time slots. This feedback has also been echoed by our event partners and sponsors who also had issues with finding suitable spaces.
Whist the team did not face an issue with securing suppliers for the event ie AV and stand builders, the team noticed a delay in response times due to these vendors working on a multitude of events related to the Taylor Swift concert and affiliated events.
Speaking with the Project Management team they had the following learnings:
- early communications to suppliers
- locking in contracts early to avoid additional costs or unpreferred suppliers
- careful monitoring of accommodation room block uptake
- incorporating budget contingencies for any unexpected price increases due to demand
A final key learning was to consider pre-planning for parking. The hotel parking was at maximum capacity for the duration of the Conference and there wasn’t parking nearby. The team had reserved 15 parking spots for attendees but in hindsight, looking at the split of Melbourne based attendees, should have double this number. The lesson here was to emphasize in attendee communications that parking was going to be very limited and recommend public transport (rather than promoting the parking rates at the hotel).
Balancing Act: Maximising Opportunities
While challenges may arise, the overall impact of running conferences alongside major events remains overwhelmingly positive.
Another Conference taking place during the busy period was Ottawa 2024 from 24-28 February 2024. Planning began in 2022 and when asking the Project Manager it was ever considered to change the dates of the meeting she said, “it was discussed amongst the Local Organising Group however it was never a question of changing the dates, but rather what steps to ensure delegates are not negatively impacted.”
The team actively pushed the message that accommodation needs to be booked early to avoid missing out and Arinex also have a partnership with Qantas that we hoped delegates would take advantage of since it offers a small discount on both local and international flight bookings. Attendees were surveyed post event and it’s clear the active messaging worked as when asked did you experience any challenge with booking accommodation and flights 82% said no. One comment received, “No challenges as I was aware of these events and alerted many as per the advice being provided on the Ottawa website.”
As we navigate the intricate dance between business events and major spectacles, strategic planning, open communication and adaptability emerge as guiding principles.
By harnessing the synergy between diverse events, we can unlock new avenues for growth and innovation, transforming challenges into opportunities for collective success.
In the end, it’s not just about managing logistics—it’s about embracing the dynamic spirit of our cities and harnessing its potential to create memorable and impactful experiences for all involved. So let’s embrace the buzz, seize the opportunities and continue to elevate the landscape of business events in our vibrant cities.
Questions? Contact us today.