In an operational triumph, International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) has staged Sibos, the world’s premier financial services event, welcoming more than 7,600 business leaders, academics and entrepreneurs from 150 countries to Sydney shores.
Delivering a trifecta of meticulous preparation, premium service and best-in-class facilities, ICC Sydney collaborated with event organisers, SWIFT, to create a dynamic delegate experience featuring a complex multi-day conference program and world class trade show with 180 exhibitors alongside custom-built stands, interactive zones and live activations.
To support the premier event, both the Convention and Exhibition Centres were exclusively activated for four days, while an additional 75 private meetings ran concurrently to the official program in a range of ICC Sydney’s flexible spaces.
Pop-up and multi-purpose locations were also set up for delegates to enjoy between sessions, taking full advantage of the venue’s waterside location and natural light. This included the transformation of the 5,000sqm open-air Event Deck into a connected garden sanctuary – the ultimate place to rest and reflect on sessions from the industries top experts, complete with early morning Tai Chi classes.
New South Wales Minister for Finance, Services and Property, Victor Dominello said Sibos is a prime example of the magnitude of benefits global meetings generate for their host city, delegates and industry.
“Sydney is recognised as an international finance hub and business centre, and the scale of knowledge creation and trade investment that took place at Sibos was unprecedented. It has firmly positioned our city as a premier business events destination with outstanding facilities, leading expertise and creative problem solvers.”
ICC Sydney CEO, Geoff Donaghy said it takes a collaborative city to win and host a high-impact, international event like Sibos.
“Along with many great partners, ICC Sydney supported BESydney to win the bid for this event. The entire city worked tirelessly to ensure Sibos delegates enjoyed the full-spectrum Sydney experience – from the Convention Centre ferry services, the calibre of local restaurants to the brilliant City of Sydney volunteer guides across the venue and the precinct.
“We are also immensely proud of our team and the multifaceted event concept we delivered, which reflects almost five years of planning and includes our most complex catering effort to date.
“This included the delivery of customised food and beverage options daily, the creation of a 1,800 seat, purpose-built Sibos Restaurant housed within one of our Exhibition Halls, menu design for 78 exhibitor cocktail parties, on stand catering for a staggering 130 exhibitors and more. The foundation of this was our culinary team’s use of the very best produce from our network of farmers and suppliers across New South Wales.”
Head of Sibos, Chantal Van Es said ICC Sydney provided the perfect intersection of energy, innovation and expertise for the event, underpinned by supreme professionalism.
“I applaud the entire ICC Sydney team for their incredible dynamism and ability to manage our wealth of events and requirements. The team’s approach was anchored by thorough planning, clear communication, expert counsel and a collaborative approach, which was an outstanding formula for success.
“We received overwhelmingly positive feedback daily from our delegates who were impressed with the friendly manner and can-do attitude of the ICC Sydney team, their efficiency and their flexibility to quickly address every and any need.”
Held from 22-25 October, the Sibos program content featured in-depth panel sessions, debates and hundreds of high calibre international and local speakers while connecting global business leaders and revealing the latest innovations in the digital economy.
Industry experts delved into the future of banking and shone a light on the world of open banking while highlighting the strength of Sydney’s surging FinTech community.
During his keynote address, ANZ Bank CEO, Shayne Elliott, commented that banks will need to increasingly partner with startups and global tech giants as the universal banking model changes.
To encourage such collaboration between the world’s financial institutions, top FinTech companies, local startups and leading universities exhibited in a new space at ICC Sydney – the Discover Zone – created for Sibos, which united innovation stakeholders from across the convention into one distinct area, providing an arena, complete with a stage, within the Exhibition Halls.
Donaghy said that Sibos will certainly exceed its estimated A$40 million in economic impact and even though the event has concluded, it will leave a lasting legacy that ripples beyond city-centre borders.
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