The Business Events Council of Australia (BECA) is calling for an extension of the Government’s JobKeeper scheme and more targeted support for the industry.
BECA says the business events industry will not be able to keep its large workforce employed without support.
Without the workforce in place, BECA claims the industry won’t be able to bounce back once market conditions improve.
BECA Chair, Dr Vanessa Findlay said losing JobKeeper in September and receiving no Government support would mean the industry faces “total dislocation and complete loss.”
“We would be facing a total rebuild of an industry from the ground up. We are uncertain whether we will ever get back to being able to compete globally if this situation transpires.”
To prevent this situation, BECA is proposing a Business Events Recovery and Rebound Framework, which calls for targeted support for MICE businesses and employees.
The Framework focuses on getting support for the areas that are not covered by existing stimulus measures and meeting the needs of the domestic market.
“Close engagement with the Australian Government and a coordinated effort across industry stakeholders is essential to ensure the support targets those areas most critical to the industry’s immediate needs, its recovery and its successful rebound,” BECA’s statement reads.
“As an industry, we want to emerge from the crisis in a position to help build business confidence across the Australian economy and, when the time is right, grow Australia’s share of global events in what will be a highly competitive and disrupted market,” Dr Findlay said.
