The Adelaide Convention Bureau is increasing its push to attract conferences from the health sector in a bid to capitalise on the Government’s recent investment into health industries with 2 new events announced in the past week being The Independent Hospital Pricing Authority Conference 2015 and GE Health conference 2015.
Adelaide Convention Bureau Chief Executive Officer Damien Kitto said whilst the bureau had already been relatively successful in attracting events within the health and medical genre, this new level of investment from the State Government has enabled it to focus more strategically on this robust conference category.
“The opening of the SA Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), the new Royal Adelaide Hospital and other associated institutes is key to our strategy,” he said.
“The bureau is also working closely with the State Government’s recently established HealthInSA with its focus on research and economic growth within the sector, to identify national and international conference opportunities.”
The calendar of confirmed health sector events to be hosted by Adelaide through to 2017 is looking good with 37 events secured already.
“These events combined are expected to generate 98,800 bed nights and $97.4m to the state economy and importantly create 808 jobs. A further 15 conferences with a combined 12,000 delegates have already been identified with the bidding processes currently in the pipeline,” said Kitto.
Health Industries Minister Jack Snelling said “the Government of South Australia is pleased to be able to support the Adelaide Convention Bureau in whatever way we are able, to assist them in attracting these events to Adelaide.”
In recent years, the Adelaide Convention Bureau has become a founding member of the Global Science Alliance – also comprising Daejeon (South Korea), Hyderabad (India), Toulouse (France) and recently joined, Prague (Czech Republic) which is already paying dividends.