ICC Sydney's Annual Performance Review reveals a steady road to recovery

ICC Sydney has demonstrated agility and resilience in the face of adversity over the past year. Staying open through one of the venue's most challenging periods, we stayed connected to our customers and stakeholders, we strived to shield our extended supply chain and community networks and where possible, the careers of our team members.

I am pleased to share key updates about these results and contributions in our Annual Performance Review for FY 2020/21. These results stand is in good stead to assist in the recovery of our CBD and economy more broadly.

In a period defined by its ever-changing operational environment, our team consistently fulfilled its obligation to communicate with clients while scheduling, planning and running 352 events (200 in person, 80 virtual and 72 hybrid events) welcoming 200,000 attendees to the venue and an additional 200,000 people online.

To safely do this, we developed our EventSafe Operating Guide based on advice from the NSW Health department and our parent company, ASM Global’s worldwide VenueShield program. These operational protocols ensured ICC Sydney was able to maintain the safety and security of both our building and the people within.

Meanwhile, our team’s focus on achieving results for activities within our control was stronger than ever. During this time, ICC Sydney developed and launched several initiatives to enable the continued delivery of successful events. Most importantly, COVID safe operating measures, an internal COVID Taskforce to facilitate speedy responses to the shifting landscape and end-to-end technology-driven solutions including online event platform, ICC Sydney Connect.

Through constant dialogue with our industry colleagues and representative bodies, we aimed to ensure our industry’s medium and long term recovery strategy was on the agenda of decision makers at the state and federal levels. This included my roles with business events peak body, the Business Events Council of Australia, the Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s Tourism Restart Taskforce, as well as our industry associations.

These industry-wide efforts contributed to positive outcomes including the launch of the Federal Government’s $50 million Business Events Grants Program and state-wide eased restrictions for exhibitions and corporate events, including an exemption for ICC Sydney to operate larger conferences as a result of its size, capability and reputation for running events to strict COVID safe measures.

Despite the challenges of the year, ICC Sydney did not lose sight of the benefits to Sydney’s community and culture that reach beyond economic impact. Our industry leading Legacy Program continued to deliver social and environmental benefits, including First Nations dance performances and Welcome to Country addresses during events, seven tonnes of food donated to charities to help people in need and 600 hours of industry advocacy contributed by the team participation on panels, taskforces, conferences and workshops. In the second half of the year, 12 team members contributed 51 volunteering hours with charities.

Despite the bumps and obstacles on our industry’s road to recovery, I am encouraged by the achievements of our professional, dedicated team throughout this period and confident in the role ICC Sydney continues to play in our state’s recovery.

Geoff Donaghy

CEO, ICC Sydney 

Read: ICC Sydney's Annual Performance Review FY 2020/21

Read: Media Release: ICC Sydney's Annual Performance Review Reveals a steady road to recovery