Business Events Sunshine Coast Wins MEA State Award for Excellence

Business Events Sunshine Coast (BESC) has been announced as the winner of the Meeting and Events Australia (MEA) State Award (Queensalnd) for Excellence. The BESC team won the 'Regional Destination Marketing Organisation' category at the event attended by over 100 at the State Library in Brisbane, Queensland Australia. 

BESC is a division of Sunshine Coast Destination and CEO, Steve Cooper congratulated the BESC team on this winning submission. "This is a terrific accolade for the BESC team led by Pippa McCreery and supported by Lauran Hofman and Tracy Lawrence. They have worked relentlessly for the business related travel and conference sector on the Sunshine Coast. As deserved winners, BESC and the wider Sunshine Coast region will enjoy considerable profile and recognition within the meetings industry and general public."

Pippa McCreery & Lauran Hofman

"As a new organisation, this is the first time we have entered the MEA awards assessed on criteria including financial results, challenges, marketing initiatives and importantly industry development and engagement," said Business Events Sunshine Coast Manager, Pippa McCreery. "We have achieved a great deal in a short period of time and ultimately aim to improve the Sunshine Coast's understanding and participation in business events."

MEA is a national, independent not for profit organisation dedicated to fostering professionalism and excellence in all aspects of meetings management. It also promotes the value and effectiveness of meetings as an important high-yield sector of tourism.

The 2011 Awards recognise activities, responses and outcomes relating to the financial year of 1 July 2010 to 30 June 2011.

Caloundra

Business Events Sunshine Coast (BESC) has:

• Secured more than 14,700 room nights for venues through successful bids and placed business.

• Works towards attracting more corporate incentive and association conference business.

• Contributed to the achievement of increasing visiting business by 19%.

"We work hard on these results and it is pleasing to see it funnelled back into the Sunshine Coast business events community, benefiting both the local companies directly, and indirectly event organisers coming to the region in the future," said Pippa.

A reported $60 million dollars is generated from the 50,000-plus delegates travelling to the Sunshine Coast annually.