Australia’s most liveable city hosts major hotel conference for third year running

The Australasian Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition (AHICE) will return to Adelaide in 2023 – its third consecutive year. It’s a ‘hat trick’ coup for the recovery of South Australia’s $2 billion conference sector.

The announcement comes as AHICE 2022 wraps up its final day at Adelaide Oval today, hosting more than 1,200 delegates from over 40 countries around the world.

Delegates include hotel investors, owners, operators, consultants and suppliers for networking, panel sessions and guest speakers discussing the direction of the hotel sector in Australia, the Asia-Pacific and across the world.

Last year, Adelaide hosted AHICE for the first time and the event marked the world’s biggest hotel conference since the start of the pandemic.

AHICE 2023 will be held in Adelaide in May 2023, with two other major events – the Design Inn Symposium and Future Leaders Forum – held at key hotels cross the city.

Minister for Tourism Zoe Bettison said "it is a huge coup for our state and a real sign of confidence in Adelaide’s hotel sector to be selected as the host city of this major business event for the third year running."

"Despite the disruption of the pandemic, South Australia has seen strong investment in hotels and occupancy rates that are among the highest in the nation and reaching record highs," she said.

"We’ve seen new hotels open including the Crowne Plaza, Eos by SkyCity, Majestic M Suites, Hotel Indigo and Sofitel, adding a combined nearly 1,000 rooms to our CBD.

"It is a fabulous sign of recognition and endorsement of the strength of tourism in our state that the Australasian Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition keeps choosing Adelaide – bringing leading hoteliers and industry experts to be inspired by our city’s bright future and creating an immediate economic impact for SA."

AHICE founder, chair and convenor James Wilkinson said "Adelaide is an exciting destination for AHICE as the city’s accommodation sector has expanded rapidly, with so many new hotels opening in recent years and even more to come."

"AHICE has grown into the largest and most significant hotel industry conference in the world outside the United States, and it’s been terrific to be back in Adelaide and have South Australia firmly in the spotlight for the global industry," he said.

"We’re thrilled to announce that AHICE will return to this incredible city in 2023 and bring the event back bigger and better."