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CEO Update – March 2023

03 Apr 2023

Bujari Gamarruwa,

At ICC Sydney, we firmly believe events of all formats – whether they are congresses, exhibitions, banquets or meetings, are made ever more extraordinary when delivered in partnership with our diverse team of talented events professionals.

As your trusted event partner, we remain committed to providing an inclusive environment for all visitors to feel welcomed, respected and safe to collaborate when planning successful events. This commitment to diversity, equality, accessibility and inclusivity recently came to the fore as we worked with Sydney WorldPride to ensure the memorable delivery of Asia Pacific’s biggest LGBQTIA+ Human Rights Conference. We are also immensely proud that our approach to sustainability as activated through our pioneering Legacy Program supported Sydney WorldPride to achieve their corporate social responsibility goals at the event.

In addition to ICC Sydney’s built-in accessibility features and services, ICC Sydney implemented bespoke changes to the venue including for instance non-gendered bathroom signage, a wellbeing lounge, sensory room and therapy room, with additional creative spaces in The Gallery. ICC Sydney’s strong commitment to environmental sustainability included removing all single-use plastic water bottles from the event, replacing them with glass and PET bottles. A focus on providing mixed recycling and organic waste bins and signage helped to divert waste from landfill and reduce the event’s overall landfill footprint. Find event inspiration through the Sydney WorldPride Human Rights Conference case study: Sydney WorldPride Human Rights Conference 2023 Case Study – YouTube

In line with our steadfast commitment to fostering diversity, equality and inclusivity, we were pleased to recently provide an update to our anti-harassment policy, which reinforces our belief in respectful behavior and communication at every interaction in our venue. Read the update here, Anti-Harassment Policy Update | ICC Sydney

Events of all sizes can be optimised with sustainability in mind. Recently we supported Salesforce to host their annual World Tour for the sixth time, welcoming over 8,000 attendees, VIPs, and C-suite executives across our convention and exhibition centers. Seemingly small changes to operational plans can have a significant impact when it comes to corporate social responsibility. Read the case study to discover how ICC Sydney’s initiatives across solar power, food, water and waste management helped to reduce the overall environmental footprint of the event.

As part of our continued investment in the future of events, we are proud to have onboarded the next generation of audio visual professionals through the fourth iteration of our AV Graduate Program. Read more about how ICC Sydney’s AV graduate program is helping to meet the needs of event organisers: ICC Sydney invests in next generation of AV professionals | ICC Sydney.

As we approach the upcoming Easter period, I wish you a safe and restful break. Please note, ICC Sydney, apart from the Darling Harbour Theatre which will operate on Friday 7 April 2023 for the Bonnie Raitt and Mavis Staples concert, will be closed from 7-10 April (inclusive).

We hope these initiatives inspire you to plan your next sustainable, inclusive and extraordinary event at ICC Sydney.

Best regards,

Geoff Donaghy
CEO, ICC Sydney