Update from the General Manager
Queensland Day 2025, June 6, marked a major milestone in the history of the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre.
BCEC celebrated 30 years of bringing people together as a meeting place for conversation, innovation and most importantly – connection. After much preparation and a deep dive into the archives, we have embarked on a year of celebration and appreciation.
A living legacy of Expo ’88, BCEC has delivered 26,082 events for Brisbane over the past three decades, generating $6.26 billion in economic benefit for the state, while showcasing the best of Queensland on the world stage.
In acknowledging this milestone, our focus remains firmly on the future. We are committed to creating meaningful economic and social outcomes for our city, and continue to work closely with our Advocate partners, the Queensland Government and our universities on areas critical for research and innovation to attract key sector conferences.
As I reflect on the 2024-25 year that was, BCEC held 862 events, welcoming 765,820 visitors, and generating an anticipated economic impact of $299 million to the city of Brisbane. Thank you to all those new and repeat clients who made this kind of impact possible.
June delivered a standout performance for conferences, with 19 held, including eight internationals – it was the largest number of conferences held in any June since we opened in 1995!
We have released the Centre’s 2025-26 Menu Planner – a culinary showcase of Queensland flavours. In this newsletter Executive Chef Matthew Arnold takes you through what’s new, including the introduction of a dedicated Instagram account @seasonedbyqld bringing the Centre’s culinary story to life.
Previously we brought you the story of All Shades, a compelling exhibition by Kamilaroi documentary photographer and filmmaker, Dean Saffron, our first collaboration with an artist to support and host an exhibition. The opening, held during National Reconciliation Week was a great success, with the artist also holding a yarning circle with BCEC staff as part of NAIDOC Week.
The BCEC team and I will continue to share stories, BCEC ‘urban legends’, from over the decades as well as new initiatives we are planning during our 30th anniversary year.
Thank you all, for allowing us to be Your BCEC.
Sharing Our Story
“We want to be the best convention centre in the world, and we want to be a strong constant and a pillar of the community.”
That was the vision of the Centre’s opening General Manager and current CEO, Bob O’Keeffe AM, back in 1995.
On June 6, 2025 Queensland Day, Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre celebrated 30 years of success: 26,082 events attracting 21.6 million people through its doors, generating $6.26 billion in economic impact for Brisbane, and garnering 198 awards, including BCEC being named World’s Best Convention Centre.
Scientific trailblazers, world leaders, international performers, along with our many valued clients and partners have all left their mark during the Centre’s 30-year journey.
The Centre marked the occasion with a gala dinner in the venue’s Plaza Ballroom with a specially devised menu, inspired by those of 30 years ago when the Centre opened, to the delight of many long-term clients and guests. The four course menu showcased Queensland’s famous seafood and local produce from the much-celebrated Scenic Rim.
As a city landmark, it was fitting to have Brisbane’s Lord Mayor, Adrian Schrinner, a great supporter and friend of the Centre, as a guest of honour at the event. We were also delighted to have Kay McGrath OAM and Pat Welsh, of Channel 7 fame and long-term friends and supporters of BCEC as MCs for the evening.
BCEC General Manager Kym Guesdon especially thanked long-term partners, some of whom have been with the Centre since the beginning, saying it was an incredible reflection of their loyalty and trust. She also paid tribute to Team BCEC, acknowledging them as the true owners of the BCEC success story.
While recognising the Centre’s significant milestone, Kym Guesdon insists her focus is firmly on the future. “Thirty years of continued success has laid the foundations for a bright future, and we remain committed to creating meaningful social and economic impacts for our city.”
Enjoy the video of our 30-year summary, and visit our website to see more of our history and industry firsts over the last three decades.
A Yarn With Dean Saffron
All Shades, an exhibition of compelling photographs by acclaimed Kamilaroi documentary photographer and filmmaker Dean Saffron, opened at BCEC during National Reconciliation Week.
The exhibition portrays Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples from remote communities as they choose to be seen; with strength, pride and authenticity.
A first for BCEC, the exhibition of 32 large-scale portraits, which shows across two levels of the Convention Centre, is creating interest with visitors to the venue as well as BCEC staff members.
The exhibition was opened by the Mayor of Cherbourg, Bruce Simpson, with an Acknowledgement of Country by Louisa Bonner, whose portraits are part of the exhibition.
During NAIDOC Week a small gathering of Centre staff participated in a yarning circle conducted by BCEC’s Indigenous Advisor Aunty Bridget Garay and artist Dean Saffron on the art of storytelling, reconciliation and the personal stories and inspiration behind the exhibition images.
Feedback from the yarning circle was extremely positive: “A truly inspiring experience, hearing how the collection came to life through trust and heartfelt conversations, with stories shared and moments honoured – I walked away grateful to work in a place that makes space for these voices to be seen and heard” ..… “It was an eye opener into the culture and work of Dean Saffron and the stories behind each photograph – I was very grateful to be part of this experience.“
And from the artist – “I walked away full. Not just with pride, but with gratitude. The energy in that space felt grounded and real. People leaned in, asked with openness, and listened. I couldn’t have asked for more.”
Conventions In House
Brisbane’s world-leading science and the innovation and expertise of the city’s priority sectors were on show recently in a series of international and national conventions held at the Centre, with a number involving BCEC’s Convention Advocate partners.
Global experts from a range of interdisciplinary, scientific sectors were on site for the Lancefield International Symposium of Streptococci and Streptococcal Diseases (LISSSD), providing a global platform for Queensland’s ground-breaking human vaccine trials for Strep A, a virus responsible for more than 500,000 deaths globally each year.
A first-time event for Australia, Queensland’s world-leading biomedical sector was on show at the International Conference on Microneedles 2025. Brisbane-based biotech company Vaxxas joined the University of Queensland as a presenting partner for the event held at BCEC. The company’s high-density-microarray patch technology has the potential to transform the way vaccines are delivered in the future. The successful bid to secure the event for Brisbane was spearheaded by The University of Queensland’s (UQ) Associate Professor David Muller and BCEC Advocate Professor Paul Young.
With Queensland a major hub for conservation biology research, in June BCEC was proud to host the International Congress for Conservation Biology. Former Queensland Chief Scientist, BCEC Advocate, and Conference Chair, Professor Hugh Possingham, a champion of opening up scientific conversations to a wider audience, together with his conference committee, organised a popular comedy evening, a sell-out event at the Centre during the conference.
Asia-Pacific Vaccine and Immnuotherapy Congress brought together experts from multiple scientific sectors to discuss the latest advancements in vaccine development and immunotherapy, a field attracting major interest from both academics and the biopharma industry.
During this time the Centre was also pleased to welcome much valued, long-term repeat events Australian Energy Producers Conference and Exhibition 2025 with 2,000 delegates and Hort Connections 2025, Australia and New Zealand’s largest Horticultural Conference & Trade Show.
New Menu Planner
Carefully crafted by Executive Chef Matthew Arnold and our talented kitchen team, the new menu reflects a sophisticated evolution in our food philosophy, where refined presentation meets the vibrant soul of Queensland produce.
This year’s offering embraces the growing appetite for wellness-driven dining with dishes that are as nourishing as they are beautiful and thoughtfully composed with premium local ingredients.
Reflecting the creativity and cultural diversity of our culinary team, the menu brings global flavours to life through the lens of regional produce. Executive Chef Matthew Arnold says, “Creating this menu has been a genuine team effort. We’ve drawn inspiration from Queensland’s incredible produce and the blend of backgrounds that enrich our kitchen teams to craft dishes that are fresh, balanced and beautifully presented.”
Sustainability remains at the heart of everything we do, from reducing food waste with mindful menu planning and our organic dehydrator, supporting local charities like Emmanuel City Mission, and our ongoing investment in energy-efficient practices.
The 2025-2026 Menu Planner is now available and you can also explore the menu in action on our new dedicated Instagram page @seasonedbyqld.
Event Snapshot
Our dynamic and packed calendar of events has something for everyone.
Brisbane Airport put on extra flights for the arrival of thousands of British and Irish Lions’ supporters, as they descended on Brisbane this month with the Centre delighted to host 4,500 attendees at a pre-match event before guests made the journey to our sister venue Suncorp Stadium for the test match.
As we prepare for a bumper exhibition season with 11 new events on the calendar, we also look forward to welcoming our many long-term exhibitions back to the Centre.
In June BCEC was the host venue for WorldSkills 2025. The Australia National Championships & Skills Show occupied three Exhibition Halls over a three-day period attracting a crowd of more than 30,000 patrons.
The Centre enjoys 67% repeat business and as the year unfolds, we look forward to welcoming back our many local and loyal corporate clients who are the backbone of our corporate business and provide audiences with the latest insights and updates on politics, the economy, and everything in between.
For on-stage lovers, Urzila Carlson returns to BCEC this year bringing four shows in August which are selling fast, with September’s Air Supply 50th Anniversary almost sold out and Tim Minchin adding a second show in November.
The iconic Cliff Richard has put out the full-house sign.
We were thrilled to see BCEC ranked number nine in the world on the Billboard Charts in the first quarter of 2025 for the 2500-5000 Capacity Venues category – which can be attributed to sold out shows from Goo Goo Dolls and PJ Harvey to Jack & Michael Whitehall, Graham Norton and Sarah Millican.
July welcomed back one of the Centre’s favourite events – Creative Generation (CGEN) – State Schools Onstage, for four sold out shows! CGEN provides students, teachers and the school communities the opportunity to be part of a professionally produced award-winning arena spectacular, acquiring new skills working with some of Australia’s leading performers and industry professionals.
