Bid for success – securing and marketing international events

Mon, 28 February 2011

To host an international conference in Australia, local associations are required to put forward a winning bid, and follow through with strategic marketing to ensure success. Third Sector spoke with Business Events Sydney, who assist associations to lure events to Sydney, about the process.

Securing the bid

Bidding for international events is the core activity of Business Events Sydney (BES), and they submit approximately 80 association bids per year. Virginia Loyola, Head of Bidding at BES says they have had a 70 per cent success over the past five years.

“Business Events Sydney uses its experience and expertise (as well as four international offices) to prepare a comprehensive bid strategy for each bid. We take on many of the administrative tasks and provide our clients with professional bid documents, presentations (giveaways, PowerPoint slides and videos), lobbying support and logistical expertise for site visits without cost to the association.”

“Bidding sometimes starts many years before the event, as the management structures of associations means that decision-making processes can take some time and need to be fair and transparent,” she says.

The importance of marketing

Marketing the conference to potential delegates is a key part of ensuring the success of the event.

“Associations are not-for-profit, but that does not mean that they are not-for-revenue. The international (one-off) conference is often a revenue stream and at the very least, should not lose money,” says Loyola.

Marketing the destination, as well as creating an attractive program (speakers, tutorials, exhibition, technical tours, and social program) are important elements of running a successful association conference.

Attracting delegates

Australia’s location presents particular problems for international events, so Loyola suggests specific strategies for different geographic markets.

“With a clever bid strategy that demonstrates the benefits of hosting an international conference in Australia, objections of cost and distance can be overcome. We have strengths of experience and organisational skills, plus the Australian host association is often highly respected internationally,” she says

Support from BES

After the bid is won, BES supports the host committee to optimise the opportunities the event has to attract international delegates through activities such as:

Assisting the set up of appropriate communication channels for marketing
Promoting the Sydney event through related local and international events
Outlining a public relations plan to raise the profile of the event.

CASE STUDIES

International hydrogen convention finds a perfect match in Sydney

With strong support from BES, the Australian Association for Hydrogen Energy (AAHE) has recently secured the bid to host the World Hydrogen Technology Convention (WHTC) at the Sydney and Exhibition Centre in 2015.

“BES approached us and we embraced the opportunity. For the association it’s a perfect match – we’re supporting the development of hydrogen activities in Australia and providing networking opportunities and exchange of information,” says Attilio Pigneri, Chair of the organising committee for WHTC, and a board member of AAHE.

Pigneri says that, along with input from the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, BES provided extensive support in putting together the bid package, including helping to establish the organising committee, and sponsoring side-events at the 2010 WHTC in Germany, where the bid was made.

Pigneri views the lead time as an advantage to market the event. “As well as promoting the event at other international hydrogen events, the Association will be focussing on generating a lot of activity in hydrogen in Australia over the next five years, then we’ll use that wealth of activity to attract international visitors.

“We see this as an opportunity for Sydney, and Australia, to be at the centre of the industry for 2015.”

Major infrastructure event coming to Sydney in 2013

The International No Dig, a long-running event from the International Society for Trenchless Technology (ISTT) focusing on underground construction via innovative ‘trenchless’ technology, will be coming to Sydney in 2013.

The local branch of the association, the Australasian Society for Trenchless Technology (ASTT), along with partners Great Southern Press (GSP), beat strong competition from China to secure the event during the recent 2010 No Dig in Singapore. In 2011 the event goes to Berlin and then Sao Paolo in 2012 before Sydney in 2013.

In addition to the solid and reliable financial case that was mounted, the ASTT/ GSP bid was successful, because Sydney’s lure as an international destination was sure to maximise delegate numbers, with the facilities of the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre also a strong drawcard.

Supported by BES, who provided crucial marketing assistance, GSP took the lead on organising the bid and ASTT Executive Secretary Jeff Pace said, “This win for Australia would not have been possible without GSP’s innovative ideas and strong track record.”

Great Southern Press partners with associations to publish magazines and deliver events, and having secured the bid, will be setting themselves on the real job of actually organising the conference which is expected to attract over 1,000 delegates.

Appeared in issue: Third Sector - January 2011 Third Sector — January 2011