INDUSTRY WELCOMES JOBKEEPER 2.0

AUSTRALIA’S business events leaders have hailed last week’s Government announcement about the six month extension of the JobKeeper program, but are also calling for additional targeted support for the sector.

Andrew Hiebl, CEO of the Association of Australian Convention Bureaux (AACB)

(pictured), said without JobKeeper 2.0 “the tourism and events supply chain would have faced financial ruin”.

“For an industry that generated over $35 billion in economic activity in 2018-19 and employs over 229,000 people, JobKeeper is a lifeline to 96% of industry businesses,” he said, noting that the payments were supporting almost half of the business events workforce.

AACB has dedicated some of its resources to work alongside the Business Events Council of Australia (BECA) under its COVID-19 Business Events Recovery and Rebound Framework (BEN 21 Apr), noting acknowledgement last week by Prime Minister Scott Morrison that some businesses were still experiencing a 90%-plus drop in turnover.

“Ahead of restrictions on the industry being lifted, Australia’s convention bureaux are dedicated to supporting their members and stakeholders by working in close collaboration with event organisers, hotels, venues and service providers and continuing to plan for business events, which will drive jobs across the tourism and events supply chain and help aid the recovery of key industries beyond the visitor economy,” Hiebl said.

BECA warned that despite the extension of JobKeeper, more support was needed to save the industry and the “thousands of jobs that hang in the balance”.

BECA Chair Vanessa Findlay cited a new survey of the sector highlighting the stark reality of COVID-19 which has seen major job losses already.

Key concerns highlighted including 67% of business confirming they have no events booked for 2020, while almost half reported they had nothing lined up for 2021 either at this stage due to ongoing uncertainty about borders.

Findlay said it was vital for the sector to engage closely with governments in a coordinated effort to ensure any support “targets those areas most critical to the industry’s recovery and its successful rebound”.

She noted that the industry hoped to emerge from the crisis in a position to grow Australia’s share of global events in what will be a “highly competitive and disrupted market”.