usiness Events Week will return in 2014, according to Karen Bolinger (pictured), chief executive of the Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB).
The inaugural Business Events Week took place in February this year and featured a week-long program of activities that illustrated the value of business events to the nation's economy, knowledge base and tourism industry.
Speaking at Tourism Australia's Dreamtime 2013, which is currently being held in Melbourne, Bolinger said that next year’s event will be held from February 17-21, 2014. She also announced that Professor Ian Chubb, Chief Scientist for Australia, has been appointed to the role of official Ambassador for Business Events Week 2014.
"Conferences span the entire business and knowledge sectors, providing a major platform to collaborate, innovate and educate," she said. "The scientific community in particular is a major beneficiary of the legacies produced by conferences and who better to convey the significance of this than our Chief Scientist.
"Professor Chubb has provided a major contribution to our country and was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia for service to higher education, including research and development policy and to the facilitation of a knowledge-based global economy.”
Chubb said he was proud to be involved in Business Events Week.
"The long term economic benefits of business events are extremely valuable and varied; from attracting inward investment and generating knowledge economy jobs to securing research funding for academic institutions," Professor Chubb said.
"I am a firm believer in what business events can do to support the development of the research and knowledge sectors and am honoured to be involved in driving awareness via Business Events Week."
The Centrepiece of Business Events Week 2014 will be the Asia-Pacific Incentives & Meeting Expo (AIME), a two-day trade event showcasing the best Australian, Asia-Pacific and international destinations, products and services. Also confirmed to take place during the Week is the annual Associations Forum CEO Symposium where 100 to 120 senior decision makers from domestic and Asia-Pacific not-for-profit organisations will partake in business sessions, as well as a networking and social program.
The week will also see the return of Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre's Open House - a public event showcasing innovation in the business events space. Open House will feature addresses from the chief of CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering, Dr Cathy Foley; Cato Brand Partners chairman, Dr Ken Cato; and The Gruen Transfer's Todd Sampson.