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Fund delivers much-needed boost to business events sector in Geelong and Great Ocean Road

A state-funded Business Events Attraction program has successfully enticed 54 events to Geelong
and the Great Ocean Road, kickstarting the sector’s recovery.

It’s estimated the 54 business events will bring a combined estimated economic benefit of $3.4
million to the regions, while supporting local tourism jobs.

The program is delivered through a partnership between Business Events Geelong, which is a
division of Tourism Greater Geelong and The Bellarine; Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism; and
Regional Development Victoria.

Established in 2021 in response to COVID-19 challenges impacting the sector, the program has
assisted conference and meeting planners to get back to holding in-person events and building
confidence to meet again.

Business events secured through the program are scheduled up until late 2023, with 36 in Geelong
and The Bellarine and 18 along the Great Ocean Road.

As part of the program, events deemed to be suitable and beneficial to the region were offered a
$50 incentive per delegate to host their event in Geelong and The Bellarine or the Great Ocean Road.

The program has also supported regional tourism operators to connect with complementary
businesses in the region, to collaborate, and learn new ways of approaching challenges.

The Victorian Government invested $400,000 through its $10 million Regional Recovery Fund to
establish the program to reinvigorate business events in the Barwon South-West region.

General Manager of Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism, Liz Price

“This investment played a critical step in the region’s tourism recovery, supporting local businesses as we emerge from the pandemic and promoting our region to the highest yielding sector of the visitor economy. The uptake of the funding represents that, especially for the business events sector, there is strong demand now for regional in-person activity.”

Business Events Geelong Convention Bureau Manager, Mark Day

“We thank the Victorian Government for their support of the program which has enabled the development of a healthy future pipeline of business events.”

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