• Benefits of bidding
• Your bidding partner
  • How we help you
  • How conference bidding works
  • Our winning experience
• Success stories
• Incentive events in Sydney

• Home
• Bid for an event
• Your bidding partner
• » How conference bidding works

How conference bidding works

The process of bidding for - and winning - events for Sydney can be complex and often long-term. Business Events Sydney (BESydney), in conjunction with its bid partners, manages the process from start to finish, overseeing everything from strategy to relationships and communications. Every bid is different but generally the process goes like this:

1. Plan the strategy

Before launching into the bid process, it’s important to assess the association’s criteria for the event, and analyse its previous events. Strategy planning also means reviewing Sydney’s competitors, and taking into account political agendas that may influence the final decision.

2. Prepare the bid document

The bid document provides host organisation and destination information on which the final decision is made. It must clearly assess the association’s criteria, emphasise the advantages of hosting the event in Sydney, and detail the support available to the association if they bring their event to Sydney.

3. Lobby for votes

Part of lobbying for votes is to analyse the voting process. It’s important that we know who will vote, and the best way to get our message across to decision-makers. The goal is to ensure the message we craft will motivate them to vote.

4. Conduct a city inspection

During the bid process, we often invite representatives from the association’s international committee to visit Sydney and take a tour of our congress infrastructure, to ensure the city and its venues meet their requirements. All their expenses are covered while they’re in Sydney.

5. Make the final presentation

Often a final presentation is made to the association’s international board, or to association delegates from each country. Less formal lobbying also frequently takes place among delegates and participants at this time. 

6. Manage the post-bid relationship

The work doesn’t stop after a bid has been won. Business Events Sydney continues to guide the association as it plans the event. Depending on the scale of the event, we help the association appoint a professional conference organiser (PCO), assist with marketing activities and collateral, and promote the event in the media.

If the bid is not won

In the uncommon circumstance that Sydney loses its bid, BESydney continues to work with the association or organisation to research other conference possibilities. It’s often the case that we mount other winning bids within a few years of losing the first bid.