In a first for Australia, Brisbane will host the world’s most prestigious international meeting for political science scholars, the World Congress of Political Science – IPSA, to be held at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC) in July 2018.
The announcement was made during the closing ceremony at IPSA 2016 in Poznan, Poland which was attended by a delegation from Australia including Tourism Australia and the Chair of the 2018 local organising committee, Professor Kath Gelber, Deputy Head, School of International Studies at the University of Queensland.
This will be the first time that the IPSA (International Political Science Association) World Congress has been held in Australia since its inception in 1950 in Zurich, Switzerland.
The six day congress is expected to attract 3,000 delegates to Brisbane with an economic value to the city in excess of $10 million.
A strong and collaborative Team Brisbane approach by Tourism and Events Queensland, Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC) and Brisbane Marketing in partnership with our local and national universities and professional conference organiser ICMS Australasia Pty Ltd, secured the event for Brisbane.
Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said Brisbane had once again demonstrated its ability to source leading international conferences.
“Luring this World Congress to our city will generate a $10 million boost to the local economy and demonstrate the success of our collaborative Team Brisbane approach to securing major business events and jobs for our hotels, venues and services,” he said.
“Major conferences of this nature also showcase our New World City as an important knowledge, innovation and research hub with world-class institutions.”
Professor Gelber a former president of the Australian Political Studies Association, the national host organisation for the 2018 Brisbane Congress, said, “the hosting of this World Congress means a great deal to Brisbane and the field of Political Science.
“This event provides a unique opportunity for Australia’s political scientists to network and participate in an exchange of ideas and expertise with their international counterparts.”
Professor Gelber said the Brisbane congress, which will be the 25th congress and a milestone for the international association, will provide a global platform to showcase the world leading research currently being conducted by political science, governance, public policy and international relations scholars in Australia, including at the University of Queensland and Griffith University.
There is strong university involvement in the congress with support from the University of Queensland, Griffith University, the Australian National University and the University of Sydney as foundation sponsors.
Brisbane’s bid to host the World Congress of Political Science in 2018 was supported by the Queensland Government, through Tourism and Events Queensland as part of its commitment to grow overnight visitor expenditure and showcase Brisbane as a leading business, study and leisure destination.
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre General Manager, Bob O’Keeffe said being selected to host this first time event for Australia was an honour for BCEC, recently ranked the World’s #1 Convention Centre. “Events of this calibre demonstrate the world class capabilities and expertise of BCEC and the venue’s growing appeal for international scientific meetings.”
Mr O’Keeffe said securing conferences of this nature reflect the close collegiate relationship between the Centre’s Team and Brisbane’s universities and academic community.
Tourism Australia’s Managing Director, John O’Sullivan said, “Tourism Australia is proud to have partnered with Brisbane Marketing and BCEC to announce they will be holding the World Congress of Political Science (IPSA) in 2018.
“Australia is a highly desirable destination globally for business events, offering award winning facilities, quality accommodation and exclusive experiences – and Australia’s credentials for hosting international conventions like this are strong.”
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Enquiries: Gail Sawyer, Marketing and Communications Manager
T: +61 7 3308 3023 M: 0439 733 509 E: gails@bcec.com.au