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Business Events Adelaide issues statement on COP31 hosting decision

Over $1 billion worth of business events will be held over the next three years in Adelaide

Nov 21, 2025

adelaide_australia — Photo: Business Events Adelaide

Business Events Adelaide commends the Albanese and Malinauskas Governments on their bold bid for COP 31. Hosting the event in Adelaide would have provided a significant boost to the global perception of our city and assisted in efforts to bring world-class business events to South Australia.

That said, being a candidate city has raised Adelaide’s profile, and encouraged global business event organisers to consider the city as a venue in the future. Over $1 billion worth of business events will be held over the next three years in Adelaide, with a pipeline of more than $3.1 billion in additional opportunities over the next five years that will be strongly pursued.

Damien Kitto

Business Events Adelaide Chief Executive Officer

Business Events Adelaide Chief Executive Officer Damien Kitto said, “Although not directly involved in the bidding process, Business Events Adelaide shares the State Government’s disappointment that COP31 will not be held in Adelaide. Our initial conversations with organisations planning to attend COP – and many others in the sustainability sector – indicated a strong interest in Adelaide as a destination renowned for its environmental credentials. We will continue those conversations, and although the ‘main event’ won’t be in South Australia next year, we hope we have piqued the interest of associated organisations to consider Adelaide in future”.

Business Events Adelaide works over the horizon to fill city hotels and venues, with confirmed high-quality business events stretching well into the future. Having secured record values of business won in each of the last two financial years, Mr Kitto is confident that the organisation can support its members in the long term. “We understand that many hotels and business event venues were restricting confirmed bookings for October and November 2026 in anticipation of a positive outcome to the COP discussion. Now that Adelaide will not be the host city, we have a plan to support these establishments – many of which are Business Events Adelaide members”.

“There are 18 business events valued at over $23 million to be held next spring that are currently being bid for to add to the business already on the books. That said, our forward projections are as strong as ever. As well as confirmed business, there is a pipeline of potential business events valued at more than $3.1 billion, so there is everything to play for as our global profile builds. Whilst COP would have been the icing on the cake, it is ‘business as usual’ for us as a key economic driver for South Australia,” Mr Kitto added.

Find out more about Business Events Adelaide here.