Looking forward to seeing a broader recovery

Fu Bingbing

Located in the waterside center of the harbor， International Convention Center Sydney （ICC Sydney） is Australias premier global meeting venue that integrates the state-of-theart convention， exhibition and entertainment center， where you can encounter vast halls filled with art， science or fascinating displays on any number of themes as exhibitions are presented. The key features of the halls are approximately 35，000sqm of exhibition space， direct access from the upper halls to the 5000sqm open-air event deck featuring an outdoor lounge and bar area and Sydney skyline views across Tumbalong Park.

Recently， the reporter interviewed with Geoff Donaghy， CEO of ICC Sydneys Exhibition Centre and Group Director of Convention Centers Asia Pacific， ASM Global， to explore the current exhibition industry in Australia under the pandemic.

Confidence grows alongside high vaccination rates

Geoff Donaghy tells the reporter that ICC Sydneys Exhibition Centre has been home to hundreds of exhibitions and events over the last four years. In a typical pre-COVID pandemic year， ICC Sydney would have welcomed up to 70 major exhibitions as part of wider event mix and which ranged in footprint and length of tenancy. Due to the impact of COVID-19， most exhibitions have been postponed until 2022 and beyond as gathering restrictions have been in place for several months. “Sydney is emerging from the current lockdown and is able to host exhibitions set at one person per two square meters for fully vaccinated patrons until 15 December， when the Centre will be able to stage events and exhibitions under further eased restrictions，” adds Geoff Donaghy.

Geoff Donaghy says， due to the impact of COVID-19， from March 2020， exhibition delivery in Sydney， Australia came to an abrupt halt. As gathering restrictions were eased in the second half of 2020， a small number of exhibitions were able to be held between November 2020 and June 2021， including the Australian Tourism Exchange， Australian Healthcare Week and other national trade exhibitions. Over the course of these months regulations shifted from allowing one person per four square meters to one person per two square meters. However， with the onset of the COVID-19 Delta strain in late June 2021， exhibitions were once again postponed.

Rules of nations aligned for international event attendance

“Sydney， New South Wales （NSW） is now emerging from the recent lockdown ahead of the NSW Governments Roadmap to Reopening timeline. There is great demand from exhibition organisers for dates within 2022 calendar and we are certainly seeing confidence grow alongside vaccination rates，” adds Geoff Donaghy.

Geoff Donaghy adds again， the return of ICC Sydneys exhibitions calendar is expected to deliver significant benefits to Sydney and NSW with direct and indirect delegate expenditure boosting the state economy and positively impacting suppliers up and down the business events supply chain.

Geoff Donaghy points out that ICC Sydneys team has been continuously refining its safety processes for many months in preparation for the recommencement of in person events and exhibitions. To continue to support the delivery of exhibitions and events during this time， ICC Sydneys established EventSafe Operating Protocols have consistently been adapted to reflect best practice safety measures. ICC Sydney has also embedded automated processes into venue operations， such as contactless payments and reduced touch points in food service delivery as part of its enhanced measures.

Geoff Donaghy says， it is anticipated that exhibitions will start to once again play a major role in the business mix as confidence to resume continues to build. ICC Sydney will continue to monitor the situation and adjust safety measures accordingly as health and safety is of paramount importance not only to the venue， but to the industry at large.

“Certainly in Australia， a challenge for the exhibition industry following the onset of the pandemic is planning to deliver exhibitions that are compliant with government health and safety regulations which can be fast evolving in response to the public health situation. We have kept in close dialogue with our exhibition organiser clients， stakeholders and industry suppliers to support and guide them through the planning process，” Geoff Donaghy says.

Geoff Donaghy tells the reporter， in Australia， exhibitions are largely a domestic business attracting local attendance and it is anticipated this market will rebound very strongly over the coming months. There is an opportunity to grow international event attendance if the rules of nations from around the world， in terms of international travel and safety precautions， are aligned. This will help to positively impact the size of exhibitions in the future.

When referred to the relationship with China， Geoff Donaghy says his first visit to China was in 1979 and ever since he has held a admiration with China and Chinese culture. Over the years he has visited China many times for various business reasons. ASM Global – ICC Sydneys parent group， also manages the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center. Shenzhen World is a mega exhibition and convention complex integrating exhibitions， conferences， events catering and commerce. He has also held strategic discussions with other major venue operators in China.

Geoff Donaghy also tells the reporter， prior to the COVID-19 pandemic， ICC Sydney conducted an annual roadshow into China and other Asian nations. The CEO Asia Roadshow series aimed to strengthen regional ties and attract more business events to Australian shores. Over the course of the tours， the ICC Sydney team visited Beijing， Shanghai and Guangzhou to meet business event agents， corporate firms， associations and media as well as guests from further afield. He looks forward to again being able to travel to visit their counterparts and clients in China.

Leading adaptability and innovation demonstrated

Geoff Donaghy says that the pandemic has certainly challenged venue operators around the world. It has also forced them to reevaluate their product and service offering. As a result they have had to innovate and adapt to the changing market conditions and demands. Taking the 2020/2021 financial year specifically， the venue demonstrated industry leading adaptability and innovation in the face of lockdowns， border closures and operating restrictions by hosting 352 events. Despite the ongoing impact and restrictions created by the COVID-19 pandemic， providing opportunities for social engagement and economic benefits across Sydney and through our supply chain into regional areas was crucially important.

Geoff Donaghy thinks， as they continue to emerge from the pandemic and related restrictions， client demand to deliver events is healthy. For instance， prior to the Delta outbreak during the month of May， they experienced a return to nearnormal domestic activity. This confirmed the teams success in maintaining client and stakeholder confidence throughout the pandemic. The results – and in particular those achieved during May 2021 - further laid the foundations for long-term recovery.

The recovery of a broader industry measures more

Geoff Donaghy indicates that as they have heard from the Australian Federal Government， the international border will reopen for states that have reached 80 per cent vaccination rates for fully vaccinated Australian travelers， starting with New South Wales. The Australian Federal Government is also currently reviewing the regulations for international students， business and leisure travelers. While they dont expect any significant return to normal levels for international business events until the second half of 2022， they continue to work with this important market to keep their brand front and centre of decisions makers around the world.

When speaking of the recovery of the industry， Geoff Donaghy frankly says that they are excited to be able to get back to what they do best， running extraordinary events for their clients and community. Theyre also keen to restart the benefits of attracting audiences back to the city to facilitate the knowledge and experience economy when the top minds of industries gather to share information. Of course， the benefits of delivering events will also run through to their deep supply chain and legacy impacts will reach out into regional New South Wales through their food and wine producers as well as their First Nations communities， young people and emerging artists and entrepreneurs and the many charities and communities they support. “We are ready to welcome events back to ICC Sydney， and we are looking forward to seeing the broader industry get back together，” says Geoff Donaghy.