In the wake of this year’s devastating bushfires in southern Australia, the 2009 International Wildfire Management Conference proved that even a relatively small event can be a huge success, despite difficult times.

Held at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, the conference attracted 500 delegates from 18 to 20 June, making clever use of the Centre’s space to create a perfect fit for a small event.

“The conference was held in the Parkside Auditorium, which allowed delegates an easy flow to the adjacent Exhibition Halls 5 and 6,” said Inge Garofani, Executive Manager from conference organiser arinex.

“Parkside has its own registration area, public spaces and entrances, so it allowed the event to work very naturally within a self-sufficient area and not feel like it was lost in a large facility.”

The conference was jointly sponsored by the New South Wales Rural Fire Service and the Rural Fire Service Association, in partnership with the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

It followed the earlier International Wildfire Conference held in Sydney in 2003 which catered for 1,400 mainly international delegates. This year’s event was primarily for domestic delegates, but also attracted attendees from the USA, Canada, South Africa, Spain and Turkey.

The conference featured an exhibition of the latest fire-fighting equipment and technology, including a proud fleet of eight fire trucks brought in through the Centre’s broad and level access points. The Exhibition Halls were partitioned to suit the size of the event and create a brighter atmosphere, while the floorplan was tailored to create a natural flow and a dining area within the exhibition space.

The tragic bushfires that swept Victoria in February created a difficult backdrop to the event. Many of the issues the fire-fighting community had hoped to discuss were impossible to address while a Royal Commission continued its investigations into the disaster.

Instead, arinex worked with the event organising committee to develop a program that would still maximise delegate numbers and deal with the many other issues affecting the international fire-fighting community.

Organising committee chairman and NSW Rural Fire Service Assistant Commissioner Keith Harrap said he was delighted with the response.

“The result was an excellent event and the feedback we had from delegates, exhibitors and sponsors was very positive,” Mr Harrap said.

The event’s highlight was a gala dinner with a “true colours” theme to reflect the hues of the Australian outback. Arinex worked with the Centre’s audio visual team to design lighting for the Ballroom in rich ambers, golds, reds and yellows, creating a dramatic setting for entertainment including fiery violinists the String Divas.