New look for NoVacancy

THE revamped hotel industry expo NoVacancy checked in at the International Convention Centre Sydney yesterday for two days of business among Australia’s top hoteliers and suppliers.

Now operated by National Media, the event has been redesigned to put an emphasis on the products and services of 170 vendors, rather than its past focus as a conference.

“It’s not 150 people sitting in a room listening to the same thing,” said event director Brad Langton.

“People are making purchasing decisions right here that don’t happen at a conference,” he said.

This year’s event involves almost 8,000m2 of exhibition space, with four different theatres running concurrent feature sessions.

“Over the last 12 months, the team has made over 9,000 phone calls to different job functions to many different hotels, motels, serviced apartment groups, etc, to understand what it is they are looking for,” he said.

“It’s an interesting approach that has allowed us to deliver a content program that is relevant.”

Organisers are expecting 2,000 attendees this year, aiming for “quality over quantity”.

“The return on investment from these visitors is quite high,” said Langton, pictured.

The event continues today - see novacancy.com.au.