Darwin is continuing to build on its reputation as a destination of choice for business events delegates proven by the end of year results for the Darwin Convention Centre.
For the 2019 financial year the Darwin Convention Centre had its highest number of national and international delegates on record. Close to 20,000 delegates attended business events across the year resulting in over $54 million in delegate spend for the local economy.
Darwin Convention Centre General Manager, Peter Savoff said event planners are discovering Darwin is a popular choice for their delegates and they are seeing higher than expected attendance.
“We had several conferences over the year exceed their attendance objectives.”
“Darwin is a destination that delegates want to visit. It provides an opportunity for people to escape the bigger cities and the cool winter weather. The Top End allows delegates to come away and network with their colleagues, and create meaningful connections in a unique destination.”
The trend is continuing this week with the National Housing Conference, hosted by Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, being ‘sold out’ with over 1,100 delegates registered to attend the event.
The impact the Darwin Convention Centre has on the local economy is significant continued Savoff.
“Delegates attending conferences eat in the local restaurants, stay in hotels and visit attractions around the city and region. The benefits are far reaching.”
Conferences also bring benefits beyond the economic impact for the region. The social outcomes can have significant opportunities.
The National Housing Conference this week will include national and local government departments and organisations discussing topics relevant to the local region. The unique experiences, challenges and opportunities of Indigenous people in the Northern Territory and around Australia are one of the key areas of discussion.