This week’s Australian Event Symposium will close with a discussion of how to maximise the opportunities of Brisbane’s 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

CEO of the Australian Olympic Committee and director of the organising committee for the Brisbane Games, Matt Carroll AM, will take to the stage with Sandy Hollway AO, former CEO of the Sydney Organising Committee for the 2000 Olympic Games.

The pair will explore a variety of big questions on Brisbane’s moment in the spotlight in 2032.

Topics up for discussion include what the events industry should be doing now to prepare, lessons learned from both Sydney in 2000 and Paris this year and potential legacies from the Brisbane Olympics.

The moderator of the session will be Australian Event Awards judging panel co-chair, Brenda LaPorte, who was recently on the board of Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ).

“This will be a very exciting session for the events industry to hear insights from two of the most influential people in Australia’s last and upcoming Olympic Games,” says Australian Event Awards and Symposium managing director, Ian Steigrad.

“With the Paris Games still fresh in our minds and plans for Brisbane 3032 advancing, this will be a unique opportunity to take stock of what’s come before and to share thoughts on what we can do now to make the most of this once-in-a-generation opportunity for Australia and its events industry.

“This plenary represents a moment in time that cannot be repeated. We’re privileged to be able to host it at the Australian Event Symposium.

“We always envisaged that the Symposium would provide a forum for discussion about the future of our industry and how we can collaborate to grow our already-strong industry even further. This session really hits that mark.”

Other questions to be addressed during the session include how planning now can create a Brisbane Games that caters for both locals and international visitors, how Brisbane is trying to differentiate itself from past Olympics and whether Olympic infrastructure is on track in Brisbane given the changes to venue plans.  

The Symposium will take place on Wednesday, October 23, at Le Montage in Sydney.

Other sessions on the agenda include a forward-looking panel discussing the technology and trends revolutionising the events industry, from AI to immersive virtual experiences, alongside best practice interactive sessions on event design, event engagement, event risk and digital marketing for events.

The Event Symposium will be followed by the Australian Event Awards in the evening, during which the best event work across the Australian industry over the last year will be announced.

An independent judging panel of industry leaders have determined Wednesday night’s winners from amongst 91 nominees, who made the shortlist after an initial round of judging.

Registrations for the Australian Event Symposium include a ticket to the Australian Event Awards Ceremony and can be booked at eventawards.com.au/bookings

The Australian Event Symposium program is available at eventawards.com.au/sessions

Event Details:

Date: Wednesday 23 October 2024

Venue: Le Montage, 38 Frazer St, Lilyfield NSW

Bookings: www.eventawards.com.au