From purpose to progress: BESydney’s bold Social Impact Strategy ensures lasting event impact
What if a conference could change the course of a student’s future? Influence social policy? Build a regional network for women’s safety or help uncover the next scientific breakthrough?
In Sydney, that’s exactly what’s happening.
BESydney’s Social Impact Strategy is redefining the role of global business events – transforming them from short-term gatherings into catalysts for long-term, measurable business and social impact. Designed over three years through deep consultation with government, academia, clients and community, the strategy embeds social, cultural, environmental and economic value into every stage of an event.
“Our Social Impact Strategy reflects more than a decade of pioneering work,” says Amanda Lampe, CEO of BESydney. “It formalises our commitment to outcomes that matter – before, during and well after an event concludes.”
BESydney’s Beyond Tourism Impacts 2024 report found that delegates consider the following issues to be important:
- 86% value events that embrace equity, diversity and inclusion
- 82% want opportunities to engage with Indigenous communities
- 82% prioritise reducing the carbon footprints of events
- 81% expect events to address broader social issues and priorities.
A strategy built on partnerships and pathways
BESydney’s Social Impact Strategy is grounded in a practical framework that aligns the aspirations of three key stakeholder groups, each represented by a dedicated Impact Pathway:
BESydney’s 3 Impact Pathways
1. BESydney staff, board, ambassadors, sector and strategic partners
2. Clients – international associations, corporations and academia
3. The wider Sydney community and the city as a destination
These pathways provide a clear structure for planning and delivery, but they’re intentionally designed to interconnect. After all, real impact often occurs where these groups collaborate.
The strategy is activated through seven interconnected impact domains – focus areas where global event goals intersect with local community priorities to create the greatest social, cultural and economic value. These domains guide how BESydney and its partners co-design programs that turn ambition into action, and participation into progress:
BESydney’s 7 Impact Domains
- Talent attraction
- Research, development and innovation
- “Women in…” initiatives
- First Nations engagement
- Pacific and LMIC engagement
- Policy change
- Diversity, equity and inclusion
Each event is a chance to co-design programs that meet global goals while aligning with local community aspirations - ensuring that outcomes endure long after the event wraps.
The conference that sparked a regional movement
The 5th World Conference of Women’s Shelters (5WCWS), which took place in Sydney in September 2025, is a powerful example of this strategy in action.
“For us, it was never just about hosting a conference,” says Karen Bentley, CEO of WESNET, Australia’s peak body for domestic and family violence services. “It was about creating a global platform for inclusion, equity and impact.”
Together with BESydney, WESNET embedded accessibility, inclusion and cultural respect into the event design – from scholarships for frontline workers in low- and middle-income countries, to incorporating First Nations knowledge and healing practices throughout the program.
The collaboration also sparked the formation of a new regional network of women’s shelters across Oceania.
“The conference is our anchor,” Bentley says. “But the real impact will be what comes after.”
Credit: Andy Roberts
From the classroom to the world stage
BESydney’s work extends far beyond conference halls. Its partnership with the NSW Department of Education is transforming futures across rural and regional NSW.
Dr Scott Sleap, STEM Enrichment Coordinator, NSW Department of Education, works with BESydney to connect students in underrepresented areas with the global opportunities that international events bring to Sydney.
“Working with BESydney helps us ensure students aren’t left behind,” says Sleap. “The flow-on effects for their aspirations, subject choices and career pathways are immense.”
One Rutherford Technology High School student shifted from a 10 per cent attendance rate to becoming a top science student and program leader after engaging in a BESydney-supported STEM initiative.
At SIGGRAPH Asia, one of the world’s most prestigious conferences on computer graphics, animation and interactive techniques, two public high school students from a low-socioeconomic area of Western Sydney won an international animation competition. They presented their work on a global stage alongside industry leaders, opening doors to creative career paths that once felt out of reach.
Canley Vale High School teacher, Krissa Diamante, played a transformative role in connecting her students to the SIGGRAPH Asia experience. Reflecting on the impact, she shared a powerful moment: “One of the girls’ mum and sister came to watch at the International Convention Centre, Sydney – it was their first time in the city. They couldn’t believe what they were witnessing. It completely blew their minds.”
For Diamante, that moment captured the broader value of the program – opening eyes, shifting mindsets, and showing families what’s possible beyond the classroom.
“We’ve seen more girls choosing advanced science subjects, higher attendance, and a cultural shift in how students view their future,” Sleap adds. “That kind of shift doesn't happen by accident."
Events can change the world: here’s the proof
The Beyond Tourism Impacts 2024 study, BESydney’s most comprehensive impact evaluation to date, underscores just how powerful global events can be:
- 97% agreed conferences enabled scientific advancement
- 93% saw events drive industry innovation
- 88% said they attracted global talent to Sydney
- 75% said they influenced social policy
- 64% agreed conferences contributed to trade, investment and community support
Behind each of these outcomes is a co-designed impact plan and a bespoke evaluation framework that tracks what matters, not just what's measurable.
The closing session is just the beginning
BESydney’s approach has earned global recognition - including the Global Destination Sustainability & #Meet4Impact Award and Destinations International’s Global Impact Award in 2024. But the real power of the Social Impact Strategy lies not in the accolades, but in what comes next.
The focus now is on expanding the strategy’s reach, building the capability of more partners, and helping clients design events that deliver tangible outcomes – not just for their delegates, but for the communities and sectors they aim to influence. It’s about embedding purpose at every touchpoint, and ensuring the ripple effects of a conference are felt long after the closing session.
In Sydney, a business event is never just a date in the calendar. It’s a chance to shift thinking, create meaningful connections, and deliver measurable, lasting impact that shapes careers, changes systems and strengthens communities.
For support with incorporating social impact into your Sydney business event, contact us below.
