UPDATE FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER
The month of June marked an important milestone for BCEC with the Centre entering its 30th year of delivering world-class events in Brisbane. There are exciting times ahead as Brisbane unites for the hosting of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
As a key Olympic venue and city partner in maximising the opportunities of hosting the Games, we were delighted to welcome Cindy Hook, Chief Executive Officer, Brisbane 2032 Olympic & Paralympic Games Organising Committee, who provided a rare insight for our BCEC Advocates and principal stakeholders.
A back-to-back calendar of events over the year to date has had the Centre buzzing with energy and activity. BCEC also delivered its second best ever result in the 2023/24 Financial Year.
Over the 12-month period we welcomed 110 conferences including the Convention of Zonta International in June, which brought 1,600 delegates to Brisbane and delivered some 6,000 room nights to city hotels, with Zontians taking their Human Rights agenda of a NO to violence against women for a public walk through the South Bank Precinct.
As sustainability remains a key focus for us, in this newsletter we check in with Saffron Benner, who earlier this year took on the role of BCEC’s Sustainability & Community Engagement Advisor, tasked with aligning the Centre’s practices and activities with the United Nation’s Sustainability Development Goals.
We were thrilled to take out two major categories at the Meetings & Events Australia (MEA) National Awards – Association Event of the Year in partnership with the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show, as well as top honours in the Banqueting & Catering category.
This award was endorsement and recognition of the Centre’s much applauded catering and the perfect segway to announce the launch of the Centre’s 2024/25 Menu, developed by our Executive Chef, Matthew Arnold in collaboration with his talented team. Make sure you take the opportunity to explore our new Menu in this newsletter.
I hasten to say none of these achievements would be possible without the commitment, enthusiasm and passion of our extraordinary team of whom I am so proud.
KYM GUESDON
General Manager
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
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Fresh produce and culinary craftmanship are the heroes of the Centre’s 2024/25 Menu collection, Seasoned by Queensland, launched at a gala event in the popular Boulevard Room, attended by many of our Convention Advocate partners, clients and industry and business leaders.
Queensland produce was on show with a spectacular display of menu items prepared by Executive Chef, Matthew Arnold and his fellow chefs, together with local producers on hand accompanied by their amazing produce, for some serious taste testing, including gourmet mushrooms, locally made cheese and what’s said to be the world’s biggest table quail.
Matthew compares his role to that of a conductor of an orchestra with its four sections. BCEC kitchens also have four sections and according to our Executive Chef they all must work in tune together to deliver a great culinary experience for clients and guests.
The Centre has a long history of advocacy for Queensland produce and working closely with local farmers, fishers and producers, many of whom feature in the new Menu, including our city fringe producers, part of a burgeoning sustainable urban agricultural trend.
The incredible flavours of the saltiness, sweetness, sourness and bitterness of Australian native ingredients spice up the Menu and continue to be a favourite with clients.
The mission of Matthew and his team is to curate inventive Menus that surprise, delight and appeal to all tastes, while encouraging healthy and sustainable dining choices.
BCEC General Manager Kym Guesdon said the new Menu demonstrated the culinary team’s passion, dedication and inclusiveness.
Make sure you take the opportunity to explore the BCEC Menu.
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Strategically located in the heart of the South Bank cultural and lifestyle precinct, BCEC delivers a unique experience for delegates and organisers.
It is also a vibrant business hub, evidenced by the 25th anniversary of Business South Bank, celebrated at BCEC, with CEO Bob O’Keeffe AM, the first Chair of the highly successful business association, delivering the welcome speech and acknowledging the presence of Bill Grant, former CEO of South Bank Corporation and a founding Director of Business South Bank.
Business South Bank is considered the voice of the precinct, with 180+ members and strong relationships with government and other industry authorities. With South Bank set to be a part of the Olympic experience and integral to showcasing Brisbane to the world, the Association will have a role to play maximising the opportunities for its members and the precinct, according to Bob O’Keeffe.
The precinct is always buzzing with activities and entertainment and recently the spotlight has been on the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art with two outstanding exhibitions.
mudunama kundana wandaraba jarribirri is a comprehensive Survey of the work of one of Australia’s most acclaimed contemporary artists, Judy Watson. BCEC is privileged to have a major art work by the artist, Blood and Bone 1992, as part of its art collection, which can be viewed on the Centre’s Plaza Level. For those who wish to visit GOMA, look out for Judy Watson’s tow row sculpture at the entrance, where you can scan the QR code on the ground near the sculpture for an immersive experience of Watson’s artwork.
Fashion, art, design, science and technology collide in the work of the Dutch couture designer Iris van Herpen, the subject of the blockbuster exhibition, Sculpting the Senses, exclusive to Brisbane and continues until 7th October.
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BCEC continues to ensure future business for the Centre and Brisbane, securing 148 conferences during the 2023/24 Financial Year. Of these, 26 are international conferences, with many reflecting Brisbane and Queensland’s world leading research and science excellence in medical research, health care, technology, agriculture and energy sectors.
These future events are expected to bring 74,000 delegates to Brisbane, delivering 260,660 room nights at city hotels.
One of the recent bid wins for Brisbane and BCEC, is the World Congress of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition (WCPGHAN) 2028 for 2,000 delegates, a first time event for Australia.
The Congress is set to highlight Queensland’s leading research and best practice in gastroenterology, with the Director of the Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Liver Transplant service at Queensland’s Children’s Hospital, Professor Nikhil Thapar, who led the bid together with the BCEC international team, stating there are still too many children dying in the world from gastrointestinal-related illnesses.
Queensland, known as Australia’s agricultural and resource powerhouse, will also host evokeAG 2025, the premier agrifood tech event, at BCEC in February 2025. The event creates an international platform connecting the agrifood innovation community across the Asia Pacific and gives Queensland innovators the opportunity to demonstrate, learn and share advances in Ag-Tech.
With over 2,000 delegates expected, BCEC is perfectly positioned to shine during evokeAG, showcasing its award-winning Food and Beverage offerings. The Centre remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting Queensland growers and local businesses and continuously finding new ways to celebrate and highlight our exceptional local produce.
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Following her appointment as BCEC’s Sustainability & Community Engagement Advisor, Saffron Benner, who previously held a similar role at Griffith University, is well into an ambitious agenda.
Saffron is deep into developing the Centre’s formal Sustainability Strategy, outlining BCEC’s many significant achievements in both social impact and environmental sustainability to date, as well as BCEC’s vision for a sustainable future, including targets for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of 2030.
“Collaboration plays a crucial role in the success of sustainability initiatives. I am looking forward to building further relationships within BCEC and across the sector to address both environmental and social issues, as well as working to reduce waste and emissions for events.”
As BCEC’s EarthCheck Coordinator, Saffron says she has seen first-hand why BCEC continues to hold EarthCheck Platinum Certification and is already working on new ideas to further reduce the Centre’s impact on the environment.
A member of the Australian Business Events Association Sustainability Council, Saffron says she is motivated and fulfilled by the meaningful impact that working in sustainability can have on society and the environment.
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Following the endorsement of our first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) Reflect, we are continuing our journey of gaining knowledge and strengthening relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians through the development of our second RAP, Innovate, with the assistance and passionate support of our First Nations Advisor and good friend, Aunty Bridget Garay.
The Innovate RAP is about actioning much of the work already done in partnership with Aunty Bridget, including cultural awareness training and creating a culturally safe workplace, with 66 staff to date participating in Cultural Awareness workshops.
“There is a strong commitment from the staff firstly to be open to learning more about culture and community and also to take responsibility for their contribution to the reconciliation journey, both personally and professionally,” she says.
Aunty Bridget, who tells us she feels very much a part of the BCEC family, says her work on the RAP is about fostering open dialogue and building strong relationships, with everyone eager, she says, to learn more about the culture and history of the First Peoples of this continent.
As well as her advisory role, Aunty ‘B’ has been spreading the word about the Centre and its resources and activities, encouraging First Nations organisations to take advantage of the Centre’s Plaza Gallery space, home to a museum quality collection of paintings by first-generation Central Desert Indigenous artists.
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Treasures from Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre’s art collection were recently taken off display, some for the first time since their commissioning for World Expo ‘88 Brisbane, while they underwent specialist conservation work.
Paintings and sculptures from the collection were identified for specialist conservation treatment earlier this year by some of Australia’s leading conservators, with the larger art works, some over two metres in height, transported to Sydney.
The paintings were conserved as part of the Centre’s ongoing care and custodianship of its celebrated collection, which comprises more than 60 works by leading First Nations and contemporary Australian artists.
The collection includes paintings from Papunya Tula Art Centre in the Northern Territory, the birthplace of the contemporary Aboriginal art movement in the late 1970s. Considered one of the greatest collections of Central Desert Art in the world, it includes paintings by Kaapa Tjampitjinpa, Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri and Johnny Warangula Tjupurrula, who are seen as key figures in the history of Australian art.
Alis Jitarescu, Principal Conservator at International Conservation Service based in Sydney, said it was a privilege to be entrusted with the BCEC collection and ensuring their continued care so they can be enjoyed by future generations of visitors to the Centre.
Thankfully, with the completion of the conservation work, this unique and valuable cultural asset for BCEC, is back home and on display in the Centre’s Plaza Gallery and throughout the building.
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The Brisbane Truck Show 2023, which shattered all previous records including attracting a whopping attendance of 43,000, took centre stage at the Meetings & Events Australia (MEA) National Awards, winning the coveted Association Event of the Year award.
Heavy Vehicle Industry Association CEO, Todd Hacking took to the stage alongside BCEC General Manager, Kym Guesdon and other members of the BCEC team, to accept the award at MEA’s National Conference in the Hunter Valley.
“We cannot execute the event successfully without a stable of loyal suppliers. From bump in to bump out, the BCEC Team work meticulously in one of the most reliable, consistent and incredible displays of professional partnerships I have ever witnessed,” Todd Hacking says.
Due to the continuing popularity and success of the event, the show is now a week-long festival of all things trucking, extending into the South Bank Parklands and other locations around the city, with many hundreds of visitors taking over the city of Brisbane, soaking up the local hospitality.
We are happy to announce that the Brisbane Truck Show, which is one of the standout events on the BCEC calendar, will be back in 2025 from the 15th to 18th May and with exhibition space sold out – it’s heading for another record-breaking event.
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We were thrilled to welcome many of our industry colleagues when we hosted the 31st Asia-Pacific Venue Industry Congress 2024, attended by a record 550 delegates from the Asia Pacific Region.
The three-day conference exceeded expectations on all levels, with 23 education sessions, 72 speakers and a sold-out trade floor with a fitting finale Industry Awards and Gala Dinner.
The Venue Management Association said the event delivery across all areas of the BCEC Team was exceptional. “Being able to host all aspects of the Congress under one roof delivers a seamless experience for our delegates. Attention to detail and customer service experience was second to none,” he said.
Delegate feedback echoed that sentiment:
“Thank you for a fantastic conference – connecting with so many great people from across the industry, the high-quality content in the panel discussions and the BCEC venue and food.”
“Great networking opportunity – the food was amazing.”
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Meet Jusita Roderick and Bridie McGough – behind-the-scenes team members who support BCEC in delivering more than 900 successful events each year, seven days a week.
Jusita and Bridie work in the busy Building Services Department carrying out maintenance and repairs, making sure all is in top working condition for hosting events.
Jusita, a qualified carpenter who enjoys building and creating things, loves her job as a casual at BCEC, which she says gives her more time and flexibility to do carpentry work renovating her home.
Trade Assistant Bridie, who describes herself as a ‘fixer upper’ earned her tickets working for her father, a fitter and machinist, during COVID. She also used the time to gain a Bachelor of Entertainment Business Management which she says gives her some understanding of the business of events. “It’s a nice fit, the best of both worlds,” says Bridie.
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BCEC is well and truly upholding its reputation as the home of comedy this year, with an impressive line-up of celebrity comedians on stage, many with sell out performances, including the incredible Queen of British Comedy, Dawn French, international comedy festival winner, Urzila Carlson and Golden Globe winner, Ali Wong. The trend continues with comedian, actor and master storyteller Stephen Fry, who has been entertaining international audiences for decades, in house on Saturday November 2 with comic maestro, Bill Bailey on stage Saturday, November 23 and Sunday, November 24.
We look forward to welcoming back many of our favourite exhibitions in the coming weeks including watching top chefs cook up a storm at the Good Food and Wine Show 2024 Friday October 25 to 27, Brisbane Disability Expo Friday November 1 and Saturday November 2 and the ever-popular Supanova Friday November 8 to Sunday November 10.
Visit What’s On for more.
