Organisers of smaller corporate conferences and events say they have been excluded from a $50m grants program designed to help the struggling sector and need the rules changed urgently to ensure their survival.
A group led by Pause Fest, a business innovation conference, last week wrote to the prime minister, Scott Morrison, urging him to loosen the rules of the business events grant program to allow them to participate.
The program allows companies – including fossil fuel groups – to claim up to $250,000 towards the cost of attending and exhibiting at 150 events approved by the government.
Event attendees can claim half of costs including accomodation, travel and running an exhibition booth, although luxuries such as limo transfers are excluded.
But in his letter to the prime minister, Pause Fest chief executive George Hedon said the eligibility criteria were “very narrow” and excluded events such as his that are conducted online or lack exhibition halls.
“Given the current eligibility bar is so high, very few events in Australia will be able to fulfil the obligations and receive the support they need,” he said.
“In framing this program, the government has not fully considered the ongoing impact of the pandemic; in particular, in-person events should not be the only option considered for support.”
Organisations co-signing the letter included TEDxMelbourne and Sydney, startup festival Spark and technology festival Southstart.
The group has asked Morrison to reduce the minimum spending to be eligible for a grant from $20,000 to $10,000, make online events eligible, and allow claims for attending seminars that are not full-blown conferences.
They also want event organisers to be allowed to claim towards their own expenses. Under the rules as they stand, organisers need to set up an exhibition booth at their own event to be eligible for a grant, Hedon said.
Documents seen by Guardian Australia show that government agency Austrade placed Pause Fest on the scheme’s approved list of events just before Christmas.
However, Austrade removed it from the list this month because Pause Fest is being held online.
“This program is aimed at supporting in-person B2B events, not virtual events,” an Austrade officer said in an email to Hedon on 14 January.
“The support of in-person events will generate economic impacts in the form of jobs, overnight stays and visitor spend in metro and regional areas across Australia.”
Hedon was invited to submit a short business case if he wanted the decision revisited.
“It’s very discouraging and a little bit disappointing that we don’t get support,” he told Guardian Australia.
“Our industry, and the tourism industry, has been obliterated.
“There are a few of us that are hanging in there and we really need that support because it was promised.”
The prime minister’s office and Austrade did not directly answer Guardian Australia’s questions.
“Events must have a business-to-business component that brings together delegates and exhibitors for a product and service exchange,” an Austrade spokesperson said.
“The program will support events that combine in-person and online elements.
“There are currently 145 pre-approved events where businesses can receive a grant to cover costs, and these cover a range of sectors including enabling digital technologies and new events are being added regularly.”
