Released to Warren Beaumont by the Adelaide Convention Centre, 28 May 2003.
Concentrating upon attracting events in the medical-scientific-technological fields, the Adelaide Convention Centre continues to record a steady stream of bookings for national and international conferences and exhibitions, which they claim is now producing benefits from a strategy introduced three years ago. "We're not a New York or a Sydney" says the Centre's CEO Pieter van der Hoeven, "but we are the Oxford and Cambridge of Australia, and to an extent, this is our core market."
He cites as an example, a record three month period in which 18 events were booked for 2003 to 2005, expected to involve 12,000 delegates. "Our book of business is spread well ahead, and this of course is the fortunate cushioning effect the long term nature of our industry has in damping effects of short term downturns. We have experienced no effect from the SARS scare, which we all hope is well within the short term category, " he says, "and we are optimistic this will remain a short term factor."
Recent bookings include the International Symposium in Information Theory, to be held in the southern hemisphere during 2005 for the first time in their 55 year history, and the International Society for Plant and Molecular Biology's Congress in September 2006. The week long International Conference on Coordination Chemistry will involve 1,000 delegates from 70 nations during 2010.
According to Mr van der Hoeven, the Centre's successes in the medical, scientific and related fields stem from a growing awareness that South Australia has established a global reputation as a leader in many fields of medicine, science and technology. "There are other advantages of course, which include a general price structure which is lower than most mainland states, and in Adelaide it's so easy to get about," he says.
"Adelaide's the 20 minute city- 20 minutes from the airport to a CBD hotel, 20 minutes maximum to any conference attraction, and only one or two minute's walk from hotel to the Convention Centre. The Centre's ranked amongst the world's best, and we have a very enviable reputation for attention to detail and quality where we promise five star service for every aspect of an event," Mr van der Hoeven says.
The Adelaide Convention Centre accommodates a range of events including conferences, with or without an exhibition component, stand-alone exhibitions, banquets, seminars, weddings and product releases. The Centre offers 10,400 square metres' exhibition space, 4,500 guests in banquet style or 7,000 in flat-floor theatre style seating. The kitchen has the capacity to produce 9,000 freshly cooked meals at one sitting, and an added feature is Regattas Bistro on the Torrens Riverbank, where delegates can select a break in the structured conference programme, enjoying an innovative, changing menu in a quality, five star setting.
