State Governments quietly end support for sport exports agency

With just days until the start of the London Olympics, another event at which Australia's sport events expertise is being praised while also earning valuable export income for the country, Australasian Leisure Management has learned that the agency that has promoted Australia's major events expertise to the world is being quietly wound down.

The Australian International Sporting Events Secretariat (AISES), active since the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games and continuing a tradition of Government support for sports exports that has existed since the Sydney 2000 Games, has been backed by the Governments of New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. Established by Labor administrations in each State, on its website, AISES describes itself as a 'joint initiative of the New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.'

With news on the AISES website last updated in March 2011 (and only two news items posted in 2011) and requests for listing on the AISES directory by businesses going unanswered, inquiries by Australasian Leisure Management have revealed that AISES has ceased being an active agency with each of the State Governments no longer committing staff and funding to the initiative.

With none of the Governments having made any form of announcement on AISES' future, this appears to be a result of "changed priorities" by new administrations in each State.

In relation to an inquiry about listings on the AISES website, Eric Winton, AISES' outgoing NSW contact wrote "unfortunately this process has not worked well of late due to changes in staff ... and their changed priorities.

"Trade Queensland has totally moved away from this sector and (the) NSW Government has also decided to scrap its interests in the business of major international events.

"At this point of time AISES is not highly active.

"The NSW cuts are due to changed priorities and much reduced resources/funding ... arguably at a time when the business of major events is growing and becoming more competitive, with Sochi (2013 Winter Olympics), Brazil (2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympics), and 2020 Olympics opportunities around the corner."

The goals and activities of AISES had been to market and support globally Australian expertise in planning and implementing major events. In that work, AISES claims to have been successful in building Australian branding and reputation and in promoting the involvement of Australians in major sporting events, such as the London Olympic Games.

Inquiries to Victoria's Department of Business and Innovation revealed that sports events companies are to be invited to be part of future general trade missions organised by the Victoria Government while a spokesperson for NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Trade and Investment Andrew Stoner maintained "the States and the Federal Government will continue to collaborate on major opportunities in the sports business arena."

The spokesperson did not elaborate on what such collaboration would consist of.
Updated at 5.05pm EST, 25th July 2012

The AISES website can currently be viewed at www.aises.gov.au