The Brisbane Convention Bureau and The University of Queensland (UQ) have secured a trio of language conferences expected to add AUD2.1m to the city’s economy.
The three events, supported by the UQ’s School of Languages and Cultures, are expected to attract more than 800 national and international delegates across 11 days.
Brisbane will host the 9th International Conference on Intercultural Pragmatics and Communication (INPRA) in June 2020, the 6th Biennial Colloquium of the Languages and Cultures Network for Australian Universities (LCNAU) in November 2021, and the 6th International Conference on Conversation Analysis (ICCA) in July 2022.
Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said business events delivered many benefits for Brisbane, with those won by the Bureau and partners last financial year worth over AUD96m in economic impact.
“Every business event that flows into Brisbane supports our tourism and hospitality businesses including hotels, restaurants, service providers and retailers,” he said. “These conferences will bring together scholars and researchers from around the world, boosting our local academic and research capabilities, and raising Brisbane’s profile as a destination of choice for business and leisure.”
Brisbane Convention Bureau general manager Juliet Alabaster said partnering with academics and industry professionals to attract conferences to Brisbane was a key strategy of the Bureau.
“Through our expertise in event bidding and staging, we help world-class institutions such as UQ to attract high-calibre conferences that build Brisbane’s knowledge economy and support local industries,” she said. “That is one reason why we launched the Lord Mayor’s Convention Trailblazer Grant, which is so far supporting seven local researchers and professionals to attend leading international conferences to help us and our partners attract future rotations to Brisbane.”
Professor of Linguistics and Head of the School of Languages and Cultures, Michael Haugh, said the conference wins were a great coup for UQ and Brisbane.
“Hosting these three conferences will raise the school’s profile in teaching and research, particularly as the two international conferences have historically been held in Europe and North America. I’m delighted with the support offered by the Brisbane Convention Bureau to secure these conferences and bring the world’s top minds in the field to Brisbane.”
Written By
James Lancaster
AMI editor James
Lancaster is a familiar face in the meetings industry and international
association community. Since joining AMI in 2010, he has gained a reputation
for asking difficult questions and getting lost in convention centres. Proofer, podcaster, and panellist - in his spare time, James likes to walk,
read, listen to music, and drink beer.
