Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events are back in full swing across Australia and around the world with more news and updates filtering through every week. This is the latest news in the MICE industry that we have wrapped up in one easy to read update.
Sustainable events made easier in Cairns & Great Barrier Reef
A carbon offset program for business events and online hubs designed to make sustainable and accessible travel easy to access are among the new initiatives to be revealed by Business Events Cairns & Great Barrier Reef at AIME 2023.
Business Events Cairns & Great Barrier Reef General Manager Rosie Douglas said the new partnership with Reforest will assist event planners in calculating their event’s high-level carbon footprint and offset it through a localised tree planting and revegetation program in endangered Mabi rainforest on the Atherton Tablelands.
“Events can fully offset their carbon footprint through the Reforest program or make a partial contribution and offer delegates the opportunity to contribute to the program throughout the event,” Rosie Douglas said.
“This month, a Sustainable Travel Hub has launched on the Cairns & Great Barrier Reef destination website to help visitors and events travel with a greater purpose in the only destination where two World Heritage areas meet, the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest.
Virtual and hybrid event interest drops significantly in 2022
The fourth quarter of 2022 wrapped up the corporate travel industry’s year of recovery, kept buoyant by strong growth in both Q2 and Q3, with specialists FCM Meetings & Events highlighting a stark drop in interest for both virtual and hybrid events last year. Data showed by the end of 2022, clients planning for virtual and hybrid conferences had dropped by 75 per cent compared to 2021, the clearest sign yet that businesses were returning to face-to-face meetings, events, and conferences.
“With budgets ready and no concerns about interruptions or cancellations, corporates are booking events throughout 2023 and 2024. Significantly more events are being planned for than in 2019,” said FCM Meetings & Events General Manager, Simone Seiler.
ECHO Festival celebrates the senses of Tasmania’s beautiful East Coast
ECHO Festival is back for another year of celebrating the senses of Tasmania’s beautiful East Coast, with tickets on sale now. The East Coast Harvest Odyssey – ECHO – runs over the weekend March 31 to April 2 2023, and brings together local winemakers and producers, and chefs along with artists, musicians, scientists, and thought leaders.
ECHO 2023 has been artfully curated to help festival lovers switch off from their busy lives and switch ON the senses for a playful exploration of mind, body, and spirit – yes there’s gin and whisky tastings, but there’s a whole lot more than that. The 2023 program offers a diverse range of experiences across culture and arts, food, science and nature – all centred around this year’s theme – Waterbirds.
