BUYER FAQ
ATE24 will be held from Sunday 19 May to Thursday 23 May 2024 at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre (MCEC), in partnership with Visit Victoria.
WHAT WILL ATE24 LOOK LIKE?
Sellers will be allocated to booths within state and territory zones and buyers will move between appointments on the trade show floor.
WHO CAN ATTEND?
ATE brings together Australian tourism businesses and global distribution partners through scheduled appointments and networking events. We expect a high number of applications for ATE24 and will manage waitlists in line with the selection criteria to ensure quality appointment schedules.
International buyers who are based in Australia or located overseas will be invited to apply for consideration to attend ATE24.
WHAT IS THE ATE LUXE PROGRAM AND CAN I APPLY?
The ATE Luxe Program will be run for a fourth year at ATE24. ATE Luxe will showcase Australia’s unique style of luxury and the depth and diversity of Australian experiences on offer through scheduled appointments, networking events and exclusive pre- and post- luxury famils across Australia.
Qualifying buyers new to ATE will be invited to participate in the ATE Luxe Program. All buyer applications will be assessed and qualifying buyers will be notified at time of acceptance.
Further information will be available at a later date.
WHAT IS THE COST TO ATTEND ATE24?
Visit the Buyer Participation Fees for the cost to attend ATE24.
WILL ACCEPTANCE FROM PREVIOUS ATE BE CARRIED FORWARD TO ATE24?
No prior acceptance will apply for ATE24. All delegates must complete a new application which will be assessed in line with the ATE24 eligibility criteria.
AM I GUARANTEED ACCEPTANCE AT THE EVENT?
No, applications will be assessed in line with the ATE24 Buyer Selection Criteria.
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. Exemptions can be made on a case-by-case basis by Tourism Australia. Please ensure any requests are submitted in writing.
HOW MANY DELEGATES FROM MY ORGANISATION CAN ATTEND THE EVENT?
Buyer organisations are permitted to register multiple delegates for the event.
For ATE24, each buyer should be a primary delegate with their own appointment schedule.
I AM AN INTERNATIONAL BUYER, IS IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO SHARE AN APPOINTMENT SCHEDULE WITH MY COLLEAGUE?
At time of application please register only the primary delegate who will be responsible for the overall schedule.
At time of offer acceptance, we will provide further information on how to register an additional delegate.
Note: spaces will be limited.
Tourism Australia is fully subsidising the cost of five nights’ accommodation from Sunday 19 May to Thursday 23 May 2024 inclusive. Further information will be available following acceptances. Accommodation is only available to buyers located outside of Melbourne. Flights are not included in buyer participation for ATE24.
CAN I BOOK MY OWN ACCOMMODATION TO ATE24?
If you prefer to manage your own accommodation booking you may do so at your own cost.
WHEN SHOULD I BOOK MY FLIGHTS?
It is recommended that you do not book your travel until you have been formally offered a place at the event.
HOW LONG WILL THE APPOINTMENTS BE?
Appointments at ATE24 will be 15-minutes in duration with 3-minutes walk time between appointments.
HOW MANY APPOINTMENTS WILL I RECEIVE?
For ATE24 there will be approximately 84 pre-scheduled appointment slots and 10 free appointment slots. Appointment numbers are subject to change.
Tourism Australia cannot guarantee a minimum number of pre-scheduled appointments as this is dependent on seller preferencing as well as exclusions selected. We strongly encourage all buyers to complete preferencing to ensure the best chance of receiving quality appointments.
Further details on how to complete preferencing will be sent in March 2024.
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 receive a pre-scheduled appointment with and try to find a suitable time to meet.
We encourage buyers attending ATE24 to maximise their breaks – morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea, as well as the evening networking events to ensure they have connected with as many sellers as possible.
CAN I EXCLUDE SELLERS THAT MAY NOT BE RELEVANT FOR ME TO MEET WITH?
Yes, buyers will be able to exclude any seller operation types that are not relevant in the preferencing process. Further details will be sent to accepted sellers ahead of preferencing opening in March 2024.
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 Australian Sellers to all buyers so that 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 will apply from 15 December 2023. Refer to the Buyer Key Dates for more information.
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 ATE24 will be monitored.
DO I HAVE TO BE VACCINATED TO ATTEND ATE24?
COVID-19 vaccination is recommended by the Australian Government for all adults. Whilst evidence of vaccination is not a requirement of participation at ATE24, it is strongly encouraged by Tourism Australia.