Chinese delegates appear to be returning to Australia in larger numbers. Photo Credit: ICMS Australasia
The ICMS Australasia-managed 32nd ACM International Conference for Multimedia 2024 is currently experiencing a surge of Chinese delegates, with targets surpassing 280% for the event.
To be held from 28 October to 1 November, the conference had an initial target of 700 delegates – but has now confirmed over 1,700 total, with 1,200 Chinese delegates confirming their attendance.
ICMSA CEO Emma Bowyer has said this surge is likely due to the reduction in travel restrictions for Chinese citizens, substantial growth in the field of multimedia, particularly AI, and a concerted effort by the ICMSA team and Organising Committee members in marketing directly to the Chinese market, including using locally preferred platforms like WeChat.
“We were aware there was a huge tech and multimedia science industry in China and significant pent-up demand for experts there to share knowledge and research with the rest of the world,” Bowyer said.
“Our combined efforts have resulted in a significant rise in delegate attendance which is fantastic news for the Australian multimedia community, the city of Melbourne, and of course attendees.”
This increased attendance has resulted in new features to improve the on-site experience for attendees, including lounge areas at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, charging stations, delegate take-aways, and additional entertainment and add-ons at social events – as well as an increased opportunity for student attendance at the conference.
“Initially we had no budget to offer student travel grants even though the committee wanted to help support them as much as possible,” said Bowyer. “Once the budget was better than anticipated we were able to offer 10 then 15 and now 25 student travel grants, with funding assisting successful applicants towards their on-site costs.”
Altogether, the increased attendance will be expected to add an additional 5,000 room nights for the hotels in Melbourne.