Tourism Australia has announced that its flagship incentive showcase, Australia Next, will return to Sydney/Warrane in December 2027 – marking the first time the city has hosted the event in 16 years.
The biennial program will resume its regular every-second-year cycle following three consecutive editions delivered post-pandemic to accelerate international business events recovery. Australia Next has been held in Adelaide/Tarntanya (2023), Cairns/Gimuy (2024) and Melbourne/Narrm (2025).
Tourism Australia’s acting managing director, Robin Mack, said the decision to run the showcase back-to-back had paid off, generating “hundreds of business leads worth many hundreds of millions of dollars”.
“As we emerged from the pandemic we made a strategic decision to increase the frequency of our incentive showcase and hold it three years in a row to help turbocharge the industry’s recovery, and that’s what we have done,” Mack said.
He thanked the Melbourne Convention Bureau for hosting the 2025 event, adding that the series of annual showcases had provided a platform to highlight new business events product across the country.
“Hosting the showcase each year since 2023 has given us the opportunity to highlight so much of the new product on offer around the country and now we have had the chance to do that we will return to the regular cycle of every two years,” he said.
“We can’t wait to welcome international business events planners to Sydney in 2027. Business Events Sydney has plenty of new product to show.”
BESydney CEO Amanda Lampe said the timing of Australia Next’s return to the city aligns with major developments in aviation and infrastructure, including the opening of Sydney’s second international airport at the end of next year.
“With our second international airport coming online at the end of next year, and the resultant increase in 24-hour air capacity and new routes to Australia’s gateway city, we are very excited to welcome the global incentive community to Sydney in 2027,” Lampe said.
She added that Sydney’s incentive and corporate meetings market is expanding rapidly, supported by significant new venues, accommodation and experiences.
“Whether it’s a new take on beloved favourites like the Harbour Bridge and Opera House, or completely new infrastructure like the Sydney FishMarket and the Waldorf Astoria, we can’t wait to offer international buyers a first-hand experience of the new Sydney.”
Australia Next 2027 will be delivered by Tourism Australia in partnership with BESydney.
