BECA CALLS FOR TARGETED SUPPORT

THE Business Events Council of Australia (BECA) appeared before the Senate Select Committee on COVID-19 last week, with Chair Vanessa Findlay and Australian Association of Convention Bureaux CEO Andrew Hiebl highlighting the heavy impact the pandemic has had on the business events sector.

The pair (pictured) appeared in a session alongside representatives of the Australian Federation of Travel Agents, presenting a combined front from the hardest hit parts of the economy.

Findlay highlighted ongoing engagement with governments in line with BECA’s recovery and rebound framework, urging “industry specific support packages that will regain business confidence and drive momentum to see the return of business events”.

She highlighted the massive impact that ongoing border restrictions were having on any recovery of the business events industry, and described to Senators the importance of distinguishing between mass public gatherings and the range of measures which enable business events to take place in COVID-safe environments.

BECA thanked the Government for the Job-Keeper program which is currently estimated to be supporting around 110,000 employees across the industry.

However conditions overall continue to be bleak, with two thirds of businesses recently surveyed by BECA confirming they had no bookings for 2020, while almost half had nothing confirmed for next year either.

Hiebl said enquiry levels remain relatively high, but the risk of future lockdowns and restrictions imposed on business events by states and territories were making it very difficult for organisers to sign supplier agreements and pay deposits.

Findlay said the industry had now faced close to zero revenue for six months.

“While it might be reasonable to expect a business to look after itself for that period of time, anything beyond that is now very serious danger territory for every business in our industry,” she warned.