In an operational triumph, International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) has staged Sibos, the world’s premier financial services event, welcoming more than 7,600 business leaders, academics and entrepreneurs from 150 countries to Sydney shores.
Delivering a trifecta of meticulous preparation, premium service and best-in-class facilities, ICC Sydney collaborated with event organisers, SWIFT, to create a dynamic delegate experience featuring a complex multi-day conference program and world class trade show with 180 exhibitors alongside custom-built stands, interactive zones and live activations.
To support the premier event, both the Convention and Exhibition Centres were exclusively activated for four days, while an additional 75 private meetings ran concurrently to the official program in a range of ICC Sydney’s flexible spaces.
Pop-up and multi-purpose locations were also set up for delegates to enjoy between sessions, taking full advantage of the venue’s waterside location and natural light. This included the transformation of the 5,000sqm open-air Event Deck into a connected garden sanctuary – the ultimate place to rest and reflect on sessions from the industries top experts, complete with early morning Tai Chi classes.
New South Wales Minister for Finance, Services and Property, Victor Dominello said Sibos is a prime example of the magnitude of benefits global meetings generate for their host city, delegates and industry.
“Sydney is recognised as an international finance hub and business centre, and the scale of knowledge creation and trade investment that took place at Sibos was unprecedented. It has firmly positioned our city as a premier business events destination with outstanding facilities, leading expertise and creative problem solvers.”
ICC Sydney CEO, Geoff Donaghy said it takes a collaborative city to win and host a high-impact, international event like Sibos.
“Along with many great partners, ICC Sydney supported BESydney to win the bid for this high-impact event. The entire city worked tirelessly to ensure Sibos delegates enjoyed the full-spectrum Sydney experience – from the Convention Centre ferry services, the calibre of local restaurants to the brilliant City of Sydney volunteer guides across the venue and the precinct.
“We are also immensely proud of our team and the multifaceted event concept we delivered, which reflects almost five years of planning and includes our most complex catering effort to date.
“This included the delivery of customised food and beverage options daily, the creation of a 1,800 seat, purpose-built Sibos Restaurant housed within one of our Exhibition Halls, menu design for 78 exhibitor cocktail parties, on stand catering for a staggering 130 exhibitors and more. The foundation of this was our culinary team’s use of the very best produce from our network of farmers and suppliers across New South Wales.”