ICC Sydney Approved to Host 1,500 Delegates at Events

ICC Sydney, one of Australia’s premier MICE venues, has been approved by the New South Wales (NSW) Department of Health to host 1,500 delegates at corporate events and conferences.

Corporate events, including conferences, meetings, AGMs, awards and banquets, will be subject to one person per four square metres and allocated to groups no larger than 300 people in Separate Areas within ICC Sydney.

The exemption is an acknowledgement of the thorough health and safety standards in place at ICC Sydney and follows the recent announcements that ICC Sydney can host uncapped exhibitions at one person per four square metres and welcome 2,400 patrons to its Aware Super Theatre.

ICC Sydney CEO, Geoff Donaghy, believes the increased capacity limit for corporate events is a vital next step in recovering from the coronavirus crisis for ICC Sydney and the business events sector.

“We are pleased to receive an exemption from the NSW Department of Health, which is testament to ICC Sydney’s ability to safely resume running larger events,” Mr. Donaghy said. “Our industry has been hard hit since March. This exemption will significantly improve ICC Sydney’s ability to attract corporate events, which is essential for the wider recovery of Australia’s business event’s sector – worth over $36 billion annually to our economy.”

Following the exemption, preparations are now underway to welcome back larger conferences. The first of these events to be staged at ICC Sydney will be the 43rd COSPAR Scientific Assembly, in hybrid format. In conjunction with a Space STEM Park, the Assembly will attract up to 1,500 local participants. A bespoke virtual platform will stream to an audience that is anticipated to exceed 3,000 attendees.

Prof. Russell Boyce, Chair of the Assembly said, “This Assembly will showcase the very best of Sydney and we welcome the news that we can host 1,500 in-person delegates now that ICC Sydney has received this exemption.”

In over three years of operations, cumulatively, ICC Sydney has generated over A$2 billion in delegate expenditure for the state economy and hosted 3.5 million visitors, who have created 4 million overnight stays in Sydney.

To ensure the safe running of events in an environment transformed by the coronavirus pandemic, ICC Sydney has made the following operational changes:

- Limit of 1,500 people in groups of 300;

- Separate entrances and exits for each group of 300 people;

- Check-in and Service NSW contact tracing information collection;

- Regular cleaning of high-traffic and high-touch areas with hospital-grade disinfectant;

- Hand sanitiser stations in all paths of travel, frequently accessed areas and near bathroom facilities; and

- COVID19 safety training for all operational, frontline and contract staff, as well as on-site COVID-19 Safe Hygiene Marshals.

See latest Travel News, Video Interviews, Podcasts and other news regarding: COVID19, MICE, ICC Sydney.