An audacious plan to pull off the near impossible in the middle of the pandemic paid off when Beef Australia 2021 went ahead in Rockhampton.
Now the premiere beef event and trade show has taken out the top spot for Major Festivals and Events at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards, following a difficult year navigating international border lockdowns and other COVID restrictions.
Despite interstate border restrictions having just eased, and lacking the international speakers and attendees that typically boost numbers, Beef 2021 attracted around 116,000 people from across the nation.
Beef Australia CEO Simon Irwin said the award was recognition of the hard work and contributions by a large group who, in a short period of time and under incredibly difficult conditions, were able to produce one of the largest events in the Southern Hemisphere last year.
"For everybody to have the faith to put the thing on … when everything was really following a path to say 'yes, we're going to go up to Rockhampton, and 116,000 people are going to walk through the door', it's just amazing," he said.
Given the timing, organisers had very little time to produce an event that was quite a departure from its usual format but still managed to display the beef industry at its best.
"Honestly, I can't get my head around how they pulled it off, especially because it was just so different," Mr Irwin said.
Mr Irwin said the success of the event was indicative of its broad appeal in Australia, with several cultural and environmental shows also drawing crowds last year.
"We had the Opera Queensland debut a new opera that they'd written especially for Beef before it toured the rest of the state.
"There are so many different facets to Beef."
Mr Irwin also said the additions and the atmosphere of the event became drawcards for the general public to turn out to an event that was primarily beef-oriented.
"I think that broad appeal has made it not only for people who are interested in beef, but for the broader public to come along and have a look," he said.
"I think we should never really underestimate, for people who live in an urban environment, how good it is to go out and just see the sights, the smells, to a certain extent a bit of the dust, the fun, the people, that are there at Beef.
"I think people are happy to go and have a look and learn about something a bit different."
The next Beef Australia event is due to be held in 2024.
