On 13 February, 2025, Park Hyatt Sydney will host Destination Marketplace: Where Imagination Meets Destination, at which attendees will make connections and discover new destinations for incentives travel and business events.
The new event has been conceived due to anticipated growth in demand for Australia’s incentive market from international destination management companies during the next two years.
Representation company Tourism Portfolio says its destination management company partners expect growing business from Australia, leading to Destination Marketplace taking flight.
The Sydney event will see visitors from Europe, the Americas, Africa and the Middle East in attendance.
Tourism Portfolio general manager Sharon Levingston says there are signs 2025 and 2026 will exceed 2024 incentive travel levels, citing the joint Incentive Research Foundation and Society for Incentive Travel Excellence Incentive Travel Index 2024 study.
“We have more of our international clients travelling to Australia next year than we’ve ever had before because they recognise international corporate meetings and incentive travel rewards are extremely strong and getting stronger,” she says.
“They will be exhibiting at AIME 2025 in Melbourne and then extending their stay in Sydney to exhibit at Destination Marketplace to meet with agencies and meeting and incentive planners who can’t attend AIME, or did so and only had limited time to catch up.”
CEO of European destination management company Terra Events, Heather Williams, says Australia is one of her company’s leading incentive markets.
“We continue to support the Australian market as it has supported us, and we believe with the increasing necessity of incentive travel rewards to recognise and reward employees, we expect more business from Down Under in coming years,” she says.
Tourism Portfolio director and owner Donna Kessler is excited to welcome the company’s destination management company partners and venues to Sydney.
“Attendees of Destination Marketplace will be inspired by unique and creative itineraries that will leave a lasting impression,” she says.
