Business Events Adelaide has responded to Premier Peter Malinauskas’ announcement last week of an additional $10 million for the South Australian Business Events Bid Fund by initiating a rapid-response campaign aimed at securing new business events in 2026.
The initiative targets national associations, corporate groups and business event organisers, aiming to attract short-lead bookings specifically in the July–December 2026 period.
And, in an important additional incentive, the SA Government have also agreed to temporarily relax bid funding criteria for events held within the target period.
Business Events Adelaide CEO Damien Kitto said the additional funding comes at a critical time for the sector. “This investment allows us to move quickly to fill a key booking window in 2026. The State Government’s confidence in our ability to deliver strong economic returns means we can now proactively pursue these short-term opportunities, as well as target high-value events that would otherwise be out of reach in the longer term,” Mr Kitto said.
“Adelaide is already Australia’s most affordable business event destination, but these offers make an exceptionally compelling case for choosing South Australia.”
Demand for 2026 is anticipated to be strongest among small to medium domestic business events (150-1,000 delegates) and corporate incentive programs, although the offer remains open to all eligible business event types.
To support the campaign, Business Events Adelaide members have developed exclusive, value-added offers for business events held during winter and spring 2026 – an ideal time of year in the festival state. “Our members have shown a strong commitment to attracting additional business events in the second half of 2026, and the rates they have created reflect that,” Mr Kitto said. “Adelaide is already Australia’s most affordable business event destination, but these offers – available during one of our peak periods – make an exceptionally compelling case for choosing South Australia.”
In his announcement, Premier Malinauskas said, “Business events deliver incredible value to our tourism and hospitality sector, and Adelaide is now well and truly on the national and international stage to host these events. As a government, we are determined to harness this momentum and translate it into even more events for our state. Our state has built incredible momentum, and now is the time to push even harder and secure the next wave of events that will deliver benefits for years to come”.
Learn more about Business Events Adelaide here.
