$5.5 million is now available to business event organisers to host conferences, conventions, training courses, trade shows and exhibitions in Greater Sydney and regional NSW to give the state’s visitor economy a significant boost.

The NSW Government’s Business Events Industry Support package – part of the $51.5 million Tourism Support Package – will turbocharge the state’s business events calendar, generating critical visitation and expenditure.

Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said the support package would help reboot the business events sector in Greater Sydney and the regions by incentivising businesses and event owners to make NSW their next host destination.

“This package provides targeted relief to the business events industry, which has been among the hardest hit by the pandemic, by stimulating activity immediately and creating a pipeline of events into the coming months and years.

“The business events industry is a powerhouse of the NSW visitor economy because it attracts high yield visitors who stay multiple nights, and these events engage many industry partners from accommodation and catering to staging, AV and other event delivery services.

“We’re letting event organisers across private and public sectors, chambers of commerce and industry associations know that NSW and Sydney are open for business and we are ready to facilitate COVID-safe corporate events in spectacular locations,” Mr Ayres said.

The package includes two funding programs:

• $4 million Kickstart 2021 Sydney Business Events Fund:Up to $45,000 for one-day events and up to $90,000 for two-day events in Greater Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, matched dollar-for-dollar by event organisers
• $1.5 million for Regional Conferencingto include an additional round of the Regional Business Event Development Fund: Up to $15,000 for events with up to 150 delegates, and up to $30,000 for events with more than 150 delegates

To apply for the Business Events Industry Support package grants and for more information including eligibility criteria and the LGAs relevant to each fund, visit www.meetinsydney.com.au for the Greater Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong program and www.meetinnsw.com.au for business events elsewhere in regional NSW.