A return of Fire Australia to the ICC Sydney – in the first year post-COVID – brought people back to the largest fire-protection Conference and Tradeshow in the Southern Hemisphere.
We always hoped but couldn’t quite believe it. Registrations started coming in and – all of a sudden – the records started to fall: the largest number of Tradeshow visitors; the most plenary session attendees; the largest number of exhibitors; the biggest international delegation; the biggest Conference and Awards Gala Dinner.
In the weeks leading up to Fire Australia 2023, it became clear that we were going to have a lot of registrations.
After three years of COVID restrictions, the industry was coming back, and in bigger numbers than ever before.
Some may recall that our last outing in Sydney had a lastminute hurdle, thanks to a resurgence of the virus, that required attendees to be masked and socially distanced.
But this year, no such restrictions were in place, and the industry turned up in droves.
Over three days, practitioners were treated to a range of topics and speakers designed to stimulate discussion and inform attendees.
Highlights of the Conference programme were numerous: Dame Judith Hackitt DBE, David Chandler OAM, International Fire Protection Association speakers, and leaders from government and industry discussing the past, present and future of fire protection.
One of the best-attended sessions included a forum on routine servicing of fire systems, an area that will be more prominent in next year’s event. It was packed to the brim, perhaps giving evacuation experts a case study on fire-safety risk.
Other popular sessions looked at the Victorian Big Battery Fire, residential sprinklers for bushfire safety, data centres, sustainability, the consequences of fire and what is happening with AS 1851.
Our Tradeshow had over 80 exhibitors showing their wares. Foot traffic was greatly increased on 2022, and the open layout of the show made it easier for people to make their way around.
The position of the Plenary Stage at the back of the hall gave attendees reason to stop off along the way to see what exhibitors had to offer, and the many different pathways to get there meant that you didn’t have to see the same stands every time you walked through.
This year we reintroduced the Exhibition Stage, giving those who were interested an opportunity to discuss their products, services, or issues within the industry. We hope to revisit this in 2024 and make it even better.
The Gala Dinner was packed and, as always, we took the opportunity to raise $36,210 for the Fiona Wood Foundation, which will go to a scholarship for a PhD student, to support further research and clinical work in the care of burns victims.
Finally, our Offsite Tours – to the Sydney Cricket Ground and Allianz Stadium and to the WestConnex operations room – gave insight into how fire protection works to protect large numbers of people.
It was a truly memorable event, and we continue to receive overwhelmingly positive feedback from exhibitors, conference delegates and sponsors.
On behalf of all of us at FPA Australia, we’d like to thank all delegates and visitors to this year’s Fire Australia Conference and Tradeshow for their support and participation.
We look forward to seeing all of you, and more, on the Gold Coast for Fire Australia 2024!
For more information, go to: https://fireaustralia.com.au/
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