Corporate events are returning to NSW in strong numbers with over 70 business events booked for Sydney alone between now and end of 2023, according to Business Events Sydney (BE Sydney).

BE Sydney CEO Lyn Lewis-Smith met with 30 General Managers from Tourism Accommodation Australia and the Accommodation Association’s leading NSW hotels this week to discuss the events planned for the city over the next 12 months.

Business events – conferences, exhibitions and corporate meetings – were worth AU $10.4 billion annually to the NSW economy in 2019, of which AU$5.7 billion was spent in the Sydney metropolitan area, according to a new EY Report.

TAA NSW CEO Michael Johnson said that events will play a huge part in the recovery of hotels in major cities.

“There are 31 large events booked in this year and then another 41 locked in for 2023 – 16 of those events will have more than 1,000 delegates and seven will have over 2,000 delegates,” he said.  

“It is just the type of news our city hotels need after two very tough years.”

BE Sydney also reported that the NSW Government is offering to fund up to $60,000 per business event with 100 delegates or more to be held in 2023 in Greater Sydney, Newcastle or Wollongong as part of the third round of the Accelerate Fund.

“Ms Lewis-Smith explained there is $60,000 in matched funding available for business events held between 1 January and 30 November 2023,” said Johnson.

“The funding is to offset venue costs to the organiser and is a great initiative that will hopefully make what already looks like a bumper year even better.”

Johnson praised the work of BE Sydney in supporting the return of business events to the city.

“Business events bring locals and visitors into cities, they support accommodation and hospitality, and play a significant role in re-building confidence,” he said.

Beyond corporate events, Sydney can also look forward to a packed calendar of music, art, culture and sporting events this summer.  

On the sporting front, there is the 2022 UCI Road World Championships, FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, Sydney Super Cup, T20 ICC World Cup 2022, and the Spring Racing Carnival. Other events include two Bruno Mars concerts at the recently opened Allianz Stadium, Opera on Cockatoo Island, the opening of the Art Gallery of NSW’s Sydney Modern, as well as Sydney WorldPride.

Minister for Tourism Ben Franklin expects these major events to draw millions of visitors to the state and deliver over $500 million of visitor expenditure to the economy.

“We are delivering on our promise to make NSW the major events destination of Australia and giving people the opportunity to witness the best athletes, artists, sportsmen and musicians right here in Sydney,” Franklin said.

“Our summer of major events will grow the NSW visitor economy, create jobs and secure a brighter future for our state.”