Sydney Showground named MEA NSW State winner for event venue with capacity over 1,000

At an awards function held in Sydney last night, Sydney Showground was named as the 2021-2022 Meeting and Events Australia (MEA) NSW State winner for Best Event Venue, having a capacity of more than 1,000.

Known for delivering innovative experiences, the venue was judged against a rigorous criterion which delved into the business’ operational and event planning, recent challenges, contribution to the industry and venue sustainability from January 2021 – December 2022.

Over the qualifying period, Sydney Showground excelled in a range of areas, including the execution of the 2021 Sydney Royal Easter Show, its COVID support model for event planners, and the management of staffing and its broader business throughout the pandemic.

Director of Sales & Marketing Andrew Roberts noted “2021 – 2022 was an incredibly challenging time for the Australian event industry, and as an event venue run by a not-for-profit organisation, adaptation and collaboration were vital to us.

“During this period, we had to rethink our business strategy, how we utilised staff and supported our clients. For us, it was about ensuring the future of our business and working hand in hand with our clients to overcome challenges and do our part to get the event industry back up and running.

“To be recognised by our industry and peers for all of that hard work is a tremendous honour.”

To secure its future, Sydney Showground successfully revisited its business strategy in 2021 to focus on viable contracts such as film and Government leasing while also building a ‘covid support’ document that supported clients during uncertain times.

In addition, the venue hosted the 2021 Sydney Royal Easter Show, which was the largest ticketed event in the world to take place at the time, working side by side with its parent company, the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW, to deliver a safe and successful event that led the way for many other organisers post-pandemic.

As the NSW winner, Sydney Showground will now go on to compete against other states in its category, which will be announced and presented at the National Awards Dinner on 8th June 2023.

For more information about Sydney Showground or to plan your next event, please visit the website.

Image. The Sydney Showground team at the NSW MEA Awards (from left) Adrian Gleeson, Melissa Goodman, Lorraine Elysee, Brialey Davis-White, Caylie Bush and Andrew Roberts Credit: Sydney Showground