A state-funded Business Events Attraction program has successfully enticed 54 events to Geelong and the Great Ocean Road, which are estimated to bring a combined economic contribution of $3.4 million to the regions.

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. It was established in 2021 in response to the pandemic’s impact on the business events sector, the program has assisted conference and meeting planners to holding in-person events and built 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.

“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,” Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism general manager, Liz Price said.