While COVID-19 put a pause on life as we know it, it didn’t completely stall momentum in Adelaide, South Australia – a city that continues to grow from strength to strength as a business events destination.
From Adelaide’s redeveloped airport to a raft of new internationally branded and boutique hotels, the changing face of Adelaide is increasingly capturing the attention of corporate event planners, and with good reason.
“Adelaide has always enjoyed a reputation as a safe, clean, green destination. In a post COVID world delegates and planners alike are looking for low density, walkable destinations, which positions Adelaide well moving forward,” comments Melissa Reilly, Adelaide Convention Centre.
Indeed, it is these very qualities that contributed to Adelaide being judged Australia’s most liveable city – and the third most liveable city in the world in The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index 2021. The coveted Index ranked 140 cities across the world based on five categories: stability, healthcare, education, culture and environment, and infrastructure. Adelaide received a perfect score for the categories of healthcare and education, as well as 96.4 for infrastructure; 95 for stability; and 83.8 for culture and environment.
Adelaide’s hotel boom
Corporate event planners who haven’t visited the South Australian capital for some time will be impressed by Adelaide’s growing hotel landscape. Over the past nine months, the city has welcomed a series of new hotels, boosting inventory in the CBD to more than 6,600 hotel rooms, with more to come.
“Adelaide is emerging from the last two years with new business events infrastructure, international brand hotels and a significant uptick in number of accommodation rooms. This makes us better equipped to deliver world class delegate experiences and international business events,” adds Reilly.
For corporate travellers, this string of new hotels includes the 329-room Crowne Plaza Adelaide which opened in November 2020, and the 251-room Sofitel Adelaide, which opened late last year just five minutes’ walk from the Adelaide Convention Centre. Looking ahead, Adelaide is poised to welcome additional well-known brands including a new Marriott-branded hotel (2023), Hyatt Regency (2023) and Wyndham Grand Adelaide (2024).
These are complemented by a series of new boutique hotels offering great character, including the Oval Hotel, attached to the iconic Adelaide Oval, and the five-star Eos by SkyCity. Hotel Indigo Adelaide Markets—Australia’s first Hotel Indigo—also opened its doors last year. Ideally located next to the lively Adelaide Central Markets, this vibrant new hotel features intriguing interior design with deep connections to the neighbourhood.
The proximity of the aforementioned hotels to the Adelaide Convention Centre is perhaps what is most exciting for corporate event planners; all are located just a short walk away, reaffirming Adelaide’s reputation as a walkable conference destination. The laneways surrounding each are home to a vibrant array of restaurants and bars, ideally positioned to explore after conference hours.
“Adelaide has always been an easily walkable, boutique city, with an enviable climate and a globally renowned food, wine and arts culture,” adds Damien Kitto, Chief Executive Officer, Adelaide Convention Bureau. “The ability for delegates to easily connect with industry precincts and their sector leaders, along with ease of access to excellent hotels, vibrant laneways and our amazing regions mean Adelaide has become highly sought after as a business events destination.”
To discover more about the Adelaide Convention Centre, visit adelaidecc.com.au.
