International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney), managed by ASM Global, has reported that it has fulfilled its dual purpose of driving economic and social contributions through an increase in event visitor attendance and spend in the community since the previous financial year following the release of its 2022/23 Annual Performance Review.
The convention, exhibition and entertainment venue attracted over 1 million visitors that delivered A$600 million ($389 million) in visitor expenditure across 500 events—up from 470,000 visitors and an economic contribution of A$190 million ($123 million) in FY2021/22.
ICC Sydney CEO and ASM Global (APAC) group director of convention centres, Geoff Donaghy said the efforts of the team to build its ranks, partner with organizers on successful events and prioritize social impacts were recognized by event planners, the business events industry and community alike. “Despite the headwinds we faced to scale and train our delivery teams to match business demand, we are proud to have reported 99 percent client satisfaction, 96 percent delegate satisfaction and 83 percent team member engagement during the period,” Donaghy said.
Over the year, ICC Sydney hosted a healthy calendar of domestic and consumer events, and a rising number of international events including 18 international conventions, 106 national conventions, 54 exhibitions, and a record-breaking number of 84 live entertainment events helping the venue team to exceed its revenue and profit targets for FY2023—all while supporting a range of social causes and community programs.
Events for consumers, including entertainment shows, have celebrated particular bounce-back—performing stronger than in pre-COVID years. ICC Sydney welcomed audiences of 360,000 patrons to sold out concerts and entertainment events, and looks forward to a host of cultural events in the pipeline including SXSW’s first-ever event in the Southern Hemisphere in October.
Donaghy advised that similar to the international leisure tourist, international event bookings and international delegate attendance were yet to recover, and it is expected to take another two to three years for all markets to fully stabilize. “During the year, and off the back of a highly successful Sydney WorldPride Human Rights Conference, we sought to be the most inclusive venue possible, and this meant building on our ‘Accessibility and Inclusion Guide’ for visitors to create a client tool kit to ensure all events delivered at ICC Sydney are as inclusive as they can possibly be.
“We are also on track to deliver all of the objectives of our second ‘Reconciliation Action Plan’ and our ‘Legacy Program,’ which aims to build opportunities for local First Nations, creative industries, entrepreneurial businesses as well as students—and reduce and report on the carbon footprint of our clients’ events at ICC Sydney,” Donaghy said.
The new financial year will see iconic events hosted at ICC Sydney including international events FDI World Dental Congress in September, World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA) conference in October and the 23rd World Congress on Safety and Health at Work in November.
For more information, visit www.iccsydney.com.
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