Sydney has retained its position as the world’s favourite Australian destination for business events according two global rankings announced at IMEX Frankfurt.
IMEX Frankfurt is Europe's key exhibition for incentive travel, meetings and events. International planners from the conference, convention and corporate events industries gather there annually to do business.
The city ranked number one in Australia and eighth in the Asia Pacific in the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) 2024 Country and City Rankings.
ICCA CEO Dr Senthil Gopinath said: “This year’s rankings highlight not only where meetings happen, but why they matter. Destinations that integrate purpose, innovation, and community benefit into their event strategies will define the future of our industry.”
Sydney’s popularity with the global event planner community was also recognised by the city securing Top 3 Meeting Destination in the Asia Pacific in the annual rankings by meetings, events and hospitality technology provider Cvent.
The Cvent Top Meeting Destinations list analyses and rank cities that stand out for their exceptional ability to attract group business through thoughtful event planner collaboration, distinctive experiential offerings, and unique hotels and venues.
Rankings are determined based on sourcing and request-for-proposal (RFP) activity through the Cvent Supplier Network, one of the world’s largest venue-sourcing platforms.
The 2024 global rankings come as BESydney reports an early 2025 winning streak, securing a surge of major international conference wins. In 2025 to date BESydney’s bidding team has secured 34 new meetings to be attended by more than 29,000 delegates generating an estimated $126 million in direct expenditure to the visitor economy.
The future is also bright, with more than $580million worth of events heading to Sydney between now and 2030.
Business Events Sydney (BESydney) CEO Lyn Lewis (above) said: “Sydney’s industry strengths and connectivity are competitive advantages for event owners choosing our city to host their delegates.
"The expertise of our business events industry has the most discerning global Associations and companies entrusting their events with us each year.
“Sydney’s ability to deliver innovative and creative events with ideas that inspire is born from the great people of this city. Working in partnership with First Nations and local communities, our NSW industry partners, global ambassadors and government help us to tailor new experiences for delegates, connect thought leaders and generate business outcomes that will guarantee a sustainable pipeline of events."
Learn more here.
Destination NSW is a major investor in BESydney, with the aim of securing more international conventions, incentive travel reward programs, corporate events and exhibitions for Sydney.
