Asian hubs to be targeted as The Perth Centre opens

PERTH The newest addition to the Asia Pacific convention and exhibition scene has been hailed as an 'icon venue' at its Western Australian base in Perth. Officially opening to the public on August 26, the A$220million (US$152m) Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre has already notched up 370 event bookings up to 2011. According to The Perth Centre chief executive Paul D'Arcy, among 68 national and international conferences, currently 5 per cent of these originate from Asia Pacific. "We're hoping to grow that significantly," he told CEI Asia Pacific. Added to this, approximately 105 national and international exhibitions or trade shows have already been earmarked by the facility. D'Arcy flagged key regional target markets for The Perth Centre: "Singapore is the hub we're going to concentrate on (as well as) Taipei and Hong Kong — we see Asian trade exhibitions as a huge opportunity." Counting a 2,500-seat tiered auditorium, 19 meeting rooms, six exhibition pavilions and ballrooms spanning 16,500sqm and a 300m-long floor-to-ceiling glass foyer, the centre can accomodate 5,000 people at any one time. On opening night, 2,300 VIPs, Perth dignitaries and media joined celebrations coinciding with Western Australia's 175th anniversary. The centre is a joint public and private sector collaboration between owners the Wyllie group, management firm Spotless Services and construction company Multiplex. "Perth has punched above its weight with the centre — our view is we now have the best centre of its kind in Australia," said Perth Convention Bureau managing director Anne-Maree Ferguson. "The strength we offer is two-fold: that the destination in its entirety will work to deliver the best convention; and that Western Australia has extraordinary natural attractions that first time visitors are blown away by." According to Ferguson, regional competition from the likes of Hong Kong's AsiaWorld Expo — set to come online in 2005 — will be complementary. "One of our strengths is to encourage satellite commentary for the huge conventions. "Technology works very well in our sector — it's also cost-effective for associations," she added. The Perth Centre is slated to welcome 500,000 visitors in its opening year.