FAQ - BUYERS

When and where is ATE Live? 

ATE Live will be held 6 to 9 June at the International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney). This will be for international buyers who are based in Australia or located in countries permitted to travel to Australia, domestic buyers and frontline travel sellers.   

When is ATE Online? 

ATE Online will take place 10 to 17 June, for all other international buyers who are unable to travel due to border restrictions.  

Who can attend? 

International buyers who are based in Australia or located in countries permitted to travel to Australia, and domestic buyers and frontline travel sellers who are invited to apply for consideration to attend ATE Live.  

International buyers who are unable to travel to Australia may apply to attend ATE Online.  

Why is ATE21 being held when we do not currently know when international borders will open and visitors can travel to Australia?  

Given the unprecedented challenges facing the tourism industry, participation in ATE21 is more important than ever to help with Australia’s tourism recovery. ATE is an opportunity to stay connected with industry partners, ensure you have contracted rates for 2022/23 and have access to the most up to date seller information. When the borders open, we need to be ready to welcome international visitors.  

What is the cost to attend ATE21? 

Tourism Australia is fully subsidising participation fees for all buyer delegates. Tourism Australia is also subsidising flights and three nights’ accommodation, from 6 to 8 June inclusive, for all buyers accepted to attend ATE Live who are located outside of Sydney.  

What will ATE Live look like? 

The trade show layout of ATE will be different to previous ATE events. Traditional seller booths will be replaced with networking areas defined by State and Territories, and appointments will take place throughout the trade show floor.   

As we anticipate more sellers than buyers attending the event, buyers will be stationary and sellers will move between appointments. This change will save sellers significant costs of booth design and imagery.  

The trade show will still have its great 'ATE' feel and all State and Territories will be on show.  

When will applications open for ATE21? 

ATE21 applications are scheduled to open 17 February 2021.  

Will acceptance for ATE20 be carried forward to ATE21? 

No, selection criteria will apply for ATE21 and all delegates must complete a new application which will be assessed in line with the ATE21 eligibility criteria.  

Am I guaranteed acceptance at the event? 

No, all applications will be assessed in line with the ATE21 selection criteria and buyer terms and conditions.  

When will I know if my application has been accepted?  

Tourism Australia will assess all applications and send out notifications of assessment in line with the key dates on the event website.   

What if I can only attend some of the proposed appointment days or times? 

Participation in the event requires availability for the entire pre-scheduled appointment time. Excemptions can be made on a case-by-case basis and must be written in request to Tourism Australia. 

How many delegates from my organisation can attend the event? 

Buyer organisations are permitted to register multiple delegates for the event.  

For ATE Live, each buyer should be a primary delegate with their own appointment schedule. 

For ATE Online, please register as many primary delegates as required. Each primary delegate will be required to have their own appointment schedule. 

Are flights and accommodation included for accepted buyers to attend ATE Live? 

Yes, Tourism Australia is fully subsidising the cost of three nights’ accommodation, from 6 to 8 June 2021 inclusive, as well as international and domestic economy class flights for buyers. Further booking information will be available following acceptances. Flights and accommodation are only available to buyers located outside of Sydney.  

Can I book my own flights and accommodation to ATE Live? 

If you prefer to manage your own flights and accommodation you may do so at your own cost. 

Booking details for the subsidised flights and accommodation will be advised on acceptance of your application.      

I am based in Australia. Should I apply to attend ATE Live, even though some domestic borders may currently be closed? 

Yes, apply to attend ATE Live based on the assumption that all domestic borders will be open at the time of the event.   

Tourism Australia is planning for all scenarios including all, partial and no domestic borders opening.  Delegates will be kept informed of any necessary changes to the event and your participation as planning progresses.  

I am based in Australia. What if domestic borders close and I am not permitted to travel? 

Tourism Australia is planning for all scenarios including all, partial and no domestic borders opening.  Delegates will be kept informed of any necessary changes to the event as planning progresses.  

I am based in Australia and am physically able to attend ATE Live however I would rather participate virtually. Can I do this? 

No, if domestic borders are open you should attend in-person for the full experience. ATE Online is only for international buyers who are unable to travel to Australia.  Please apply based on all domestic borders being open at the time of the event.  

I am based internationally. Can I travel to Australia and quarantine in a hotel for 14 days then attend ATE Live? 

Yes, if you wish to quarantine in line with Australian Government entry requirements, you may do so at your own arrangement and cost.  Do not make any arrangements until you have been accepted to attend ATE Live.

I am based internationally. If I apply to participate in ATE Online and then the border opens, can I change my participation to attend ATE Live instead? 

In principle, yes. Tourism Australia will closely monitor border openings, and should you be eligible to attend we will contact you. If you did not want to travel, you can still participate in ATE Online only.  

What will happen if COVID-19 restrictions limit the number of attendees able to attend events? 

Tourism Australia is planning for all scenarios for ATE21 and is working closely with ICC Sydney to ensure all COVID-safe requirements are met.  

How many appointments will I receive?  

For ATE Live there are over 70 available pre-scheduled appointment slots available.

For ATE Online, the number of appointments depends on your market, however the average number of appointments is 48.   

As there will be more sellers than buyers attending ATE21, buyers should expect to receive a full appointment schedule regardless of whether you are attending the live or online event.  

What if I don’t get an appointment with a seller I really wanted to meet with? 

Once your appointment schedule is released, there will be a period of online messaging where you can contact any sellers you did not result in a pre-scheduled appointment with and try to find a suitable time to meet.  

We encourage buyers attending ATE Live to maximise their breaks – morning tea, lunch afternoon tea as well as the evening networking events to ensure they have connected with as many sellers as possible.  

Buyers attending ATE Online should contact any sellers they were unable to meet with during the ATE program and setup a time to meet outside of the event schedule.  

I am an international buyer applying to attend ATE Online - is it possible for me to share an appointment schedule with my colleague?

Yes, at time of application please register the primary delegate only who will be responsible for the overall schedule. At time of offer acceptance, we will provide further information on how to register your colleague who you wish to share the schedule with.

I am an international buyer applying to attend ATE Online - is it possible for me to bring an additional delegate to my virtual appointments?

We are in the final stages of selecting a virtual platform, however we do hope to be able to offer this functionality. At this stage, please apply with the primary delegate who will be responsible for the appointment schedule and we will provide further instructions on how to register additional delegates at time of offer acceptance. 

Can my organisation have multiple appointment schedules? 

Buyers organisations can apply for multiple primary delegates for both the ATE Live and ATE Online events. Each primary delegate will have their own appointment schedule. 

Will I get a list of all of the attendees and can I contact them outside of the event?

Yes, Tourism Australia will provide a Directory of Buyers to all sellers and a Directory of Australian Sellers to all buyers so you can communicate post event.

What if I am suddenly no longer able to attend after being accepted? 

Buyers should advise Tourism Australia as soon as possible if they are unable to attend the event. Cancellation fees may apply for ATE Live where costs have been incurred for travel / accommodation.  

If the cancellation is last minute, buyers should communicate with any sellers they have scheduled appointments with to let them know they are no longer able to attend. Attendance at the virtual event will be monitored. 

What is the ATE Luxe program and can I apply? 

Tourism Australia is trialing a new luxury program across both ATE Live and ATE Online. ATE Luxe will showcase Australia’s premium product offering, destination positioning and three-year Tourism Australia premium strategy to targeted buyers.