EEAA marks Adelaide Convention Centre development

EEAA marks Adelaide Convention Centre development

The Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia (EEAA) and its Members celebrated the completion of the Adelaide Convention Centre’s redevelopment – a major milestone in the South Australian government’s commitment to supporting the business events industry.

EEAA President, Spiro Anemogiannis and Chief Executive, Joyce DiMascio were on site with past EEAA Presidents – Domenic Genua and Matt Pearce – as well as other EEAA Members, to welcome the official opening of the Adelaide Convention Centre’s East Building – the final element of the $397 million redevelopment.

“This building was nine years in the making – its opening adds another jewel in the treasure chest of Australia’s infrastructure for the business events sector,” DiMascio said.

“Australia’s competitiveness in bidding for major events and in developing home grown meetings and exhibitions hinges on the availability of fit-for-purpose venues.

“We welcome the opening of the magnificent East Building and congratulate our Member, Alec Gilbert, CEO of the Adelaide Convention Centre and his team, as well as all the companies who worked on the project.

“The opening of the new facility will be a major boost for the South Australian economy and will provide new opportunities for Australian and international event organisers,” DiMascio added.

“The EEAA Board visited the Adelaide Convention Centre last year for an update on developments so it is wonderful to see the venue completed and ready for use.

“This is another milestone in the South Australian government’s investment in business events and all those industries that prosper around doing business face-to-face through meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions. We commend the South Australian government and Premier Jay Weatherill for their continued investment in exhibition and event infrastructure.”

South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill MP said the expansion and renewal of the Adelaide Convention Centre is expected to bring an extra $1.92 billion into the State’s economy over the next 25 years.

He said it establishes another premium Riverbank venue for events and conferences, and also provides yet another reason for people to visit South Australia.

The first major event to be held in the new East Building will be the 68th International Astronautical Congress in September.

Tourism Minister Leon Bignell MP said that 95 conference events have already been secured for the Adelaide Convention Centre between now and 2020, bringing more than 71,000 delegates to Adelaide and delivering $200 million in economic benefits to the State.

Adelaide Convention Centre Chief Executive, Alec Gilbert said the opening of the East Building doesn’t simply mark the completion of the expansion of the Convention Centre, it marks the start of a new era.

“The East Building brings together rotating drums, hinged seating and operable walls in one building for the first time, making it one of the most flexible convention centres in the world.

“We will be hosting a series of public tours in early September providing the opportunity for people who have watched this amazing building take shape to tour the East Building and learn more about its striking design features,”Gilbert said.

The new East Building has a state-of-the-art 3,000sqm Plenary Hall with a 3,500 seat capacity. The hall can be divided into more than 15 configurations to accommodate a wide range of conferences, exhibitions and other events and features the world’s largest rotating seating platforms, which can be rotated 180 degrees in a matter of minutes.

It also features tiered hinged seating stored in the roof, which can be lowered to convert the room into a theatre-style auditorium, and operable walls, which can be used to subdivide the space or retracted to open up the Plenary to full capacity.

Stage Two of the redevelopment also included an 800sqm paved plaza fronting North Terrace, providing a striking entrance as well as an ideal space for trade or public displays.

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