Host city Sydney designed an itinerary that highlighted Sydney’s harbour for the Business Events Australia Asia Mega Famil Showcase this week as Business Events Sydney (BESydney) and its industry partners provided a first-hand update for 50 influential planners and media from Asia.

Delegates from Greater China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and Singapore toured Sydney for three days kicking off with a special Aussie welcome at Taronga Zoo’s spectacular Gili Rooftop followed by a sneak preview of the Zoo’s new Nura Diya Australia precinct which weaves in Cammeraygal Country storytelling with indigenous animal encounters and a surprise-filled official Welcome dinner at the Harbourfront Seafood Restaurant. The Jackson, Sydney’s newest luxury yacht venue, continued the harbour theme with a gala dinner on the water the following day after business networking sessions. The Art Gallery of NSW showed off its recently opened North Building wing venues and Royal Randwick Racecourse did the same for the new flexible entertainment and hosting spaces at the WINX Stand, while the Handa Opera’s Madama Butterfly on the harbour concluded the Sydney experience in grand style.

The 12-person Indian delegation was also treated to a regional tour exploring Port Stephens and the Hunter Valley, experiencing the diverse culinary and nature offerings, from dolphins, koalas and stunning sand dunes to wine, cheese, chocolate and gin tasting. The return to Sydney saw the group tapping into their sporty side at the hallowed turf of the Sydney Cricket Ground, the site of many legendary clashes between our two countries with a private tour and meet and greet with Australian one-day cricket legend, Michael Bevan, and then upping the adrenalin with a Harley Davidson ride to Bondi.

BESydney CEO, Lyn Lewis-Smith said, “The Showcase partnership with Business Events Australia has been the perfect opportunity to provide a taster of the breadth and depth of new product across our changing city and regional areas nearby. Sydney offers such a unique and seamless blend of ancient indigenous history, modern culture, rich nature, luxurious experiences and big city vibes. Sydney Harbour provides one of the most stunning backdrops in the world, a stage like no other for our global corporate and incentive clients to motivate and inspire delegates from the minute they arrive to the time we say farewell ‘til next time”.

Tourism Australia’s Executive General Manager of Commercial and Business Events Australia, Robin Mack said, “BESydney has really seized the opportunity as host city partner of the Business Events Australia Asia Mega Famil Showcase to deliver a diverse and memorable program for our international guests, shining the light on what this amazing harbour side city has to offer for business events.

“The purpose of the Showcase was to provide international planners from the Asia region with confidence to pitch Australia for their next business event, and based on the feedback I’ve heard so far, we have delivered on this. Already the Showcase has generated business leads for Australia, highlighting the real tangible results of our distribution activity.”

International Planner from China Cyts M.I.C.E. Service Co., Katherine Tam, said, “Sydney is fully open and more active than before. It’s great to see the potential of a booming business and incentive event market in Sydney. There are new attractions providing new facilities and services and Sydney provides unique seafoods and wines. It [Sydney] has always held a special place in our heart because of its liveliness”.

International Planner from India, Akbar Holidays, Sajin Nawshad, Director, said, “I would recommend the countryside of NSW if we had our guests coming into Sydney for a trip extension. It was pristine and the experiences are outstanding, the hospitality was just brilliant. We will definitely add our experiences to our [client’s] itineraries and promote with corporate and FITs.