ibis Adelaide Exterior

The Adelaide Convention Bureau, in partnership with the Space Industry Association of Australia (SIAA) and State Government of South Australia has announced the bid by Adelaide to host the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in September 2017 has been successful.

The IAC in September 2017 is expected to attract more than 3,000-plus delegates from around the world including 200 astronauts and will contribute AUD$18 million to the state’s visitor economy.

It will also provide 22,000 bed nights for Adelaide’s hotels and create more than 170 jobs.

The South Australian capital beat strong competition from Germany (Bremen), USA (Orlando), Turkey (Istanbul) and Ireland (Dublin) in its bid to secure what will be the largest congress ever to be hosted by Adelaide.

An announcement, made at the 2014 IAC in Toronto on October 3 was the icing on the cake following a four-year bid process (including an unsuccessful bid for the 2014 event).

The Adelaide Convention Bureau, SIAA and State Government, in addition to preparing a spectacular audio visual submission presentation, forged strong relationships with the IAF and its members, including securing places on several of the IAF technical committees in order to maximise its potential for success.

Earlier this year, the Executive Director from the International Astronautical Federation visited Adelaide to view the conference, hospitality and key city tourism facilities. The Adelaide Convention Bureau also shared its ‘delegate experience’ video on the IAC17 bid website enabling committee members and potential delegates a first-hand look at what they may experience by attending the event should Adelaide be successful in its bid.

“The IAC is the world’s most important annual interdisciplinary meeting for the space industry, regularly attracting over 3000 participants from more than 70 countries, including space professionals, academics, major corporations, government representatives, students and media,” said Adelaide Convention Bureau CEO, Damien Kitto.

“The legacy to be left to South Australia’s space and related industries as a result of this win is priceless. For the duration of the event, the eyes of the space industry will be firmly on this state.

“It will increase opportunities for international collaboration and regional leadership, especially relevant as Australia – and South Australia in particular is recognised as an emerging participant in the international space community.

“The recent experience of host destinations has shown that hosting an IAC brings significant attention to the capabilities of the destination and provides a framework for further advancing their development and international partnerships,” he said.

James Wilkinson

Editor-In-Chief, Hotel Management