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CEO Update – February 2021

04 Feb 2021

ICC Sydney continues to successfully operate at one-person per four square metres without a capacity limit in our Convention Centre and Exhibition Centre while running at 75 per cent capacity in our theatres. In fact, despite the challenges of the end of the year, we ran 44 successful events in December alone.

With border restrictions easing and our EventSafe Operating Guide in place, we are ready to host your events safely – whether that’s a 100% in-person, virtual or in a hybrid format.

We have taken the opportunity to refresh and expand our products and services including the launch of our 2021 Menu Collection which continues our commitment to showcase the very best of New South Wales produce.

The events of last year severely impacted businesses and livelihoods up and down our supply chain including more than 135 New South Wales farmers, growers, artisan producers and winemakers. As our national event schedule picks up, we are certainly looking forward to reinstating our supply lines and reigniting the flow on benefits from the events we host to reach businesses, communities and individuals.

While we are encouraged by the roll out of an effective vaccine for COVID-19 in Australia coupled with the easing of restrictions locally in New South Wales and state borders opening, we know that the year ahead requires our continued resilience, a spirit of community and above all else, a unified approach.

To that end, we remain closely involved with and fully supportive of the lobbying efforts of the business events industry and advocacy groups calling for greater clarity and consistency on the definition and management of COVID-19 hotspots nationally, so that business events can proceed with more certainty. A unified approach to hotspots and equally border restriction management will make a considerable difference to the comeback of our national sector to a more robust level.

We know it will be some time before the pandemic ends and it’s an agenda we will tirelessly pursue to support a business-led recovery.

I look forward to welcoming you back at ICC Sydney in 2021 as we pull together to support the meaningful return of the business events sector.

Geoff Donaghy, CEO