Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre

What Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre does

International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney), legally International Convention Centre Sydney and previously trading as Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, is a state government-owned event venue operated under the NSW Government's Darling Harbour precinct at 14 Darling Drive, Sydney. The venue spans 250,000 sqm across three award-winning buildings comprising a 35,000 sqm convention centre (featuring Australia's largest ballroom at 2,800 capacity), an exhibition centre with light-filled rooms and an open-air harbour-view deck, and the 8,000-seat Aware Super Theatre (formerly TikTok Entertainment Centre). It is described as Australia's first fully-integrated harbourside convention, exhibition, and entertainment venue.

ICC Sydney generates revenue primarily through venue space rental for conferences, exhibitions, corporate events, and live performances, supplemented by tenancy arrangements with multiple on-site food and beverage operators (Betty's Burgers, Fratelli Fresh, Guzman y Gomez, Harajuku Gyoza Beer Stadium, Master Rolls, Planar Restaurant) and parking operations (826 on-site spaces plus Wilson-operated car parks in the broader Darling Harbour precinct). The venue's customer base spans three primary segments: corporate event organizers, entertainment promoters and artists, and exhibition/event hosts. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with rates negotiated by an in-house commercial team based on event type, duration, and space requirements.

The venue's Hybrid Event Solutions platform enables simultaneous hosting of 300+ onsite attendees alongside unlimited virtual live-streamed attendees, supported by a dedicated in-house creative production team. Go-to-market is direct-to-customer via the iccsydney.com.au website, integrated Darling Harbour precinct marketing, and a presence across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. The venue is privately held under NSW Government ownership, has no external investors or stock listing, and operates with a relatively lean 72-employee core staff that is supplemented by extensive outsourcing to F&B tenants and operational partners.

Name

Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre

Legal name

International Convention Centre Sydney

Website

https://scec.com.au

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

ICC Sydney is a state government-owned, 250,000 sqm harbourside convention, exhibition, and entertainment venue in Darling Harbour, Sydney, serving corporate event organizers, entertainment promoters, and exhibition hosts with event space, an 8,000-seat theatre, and hybrid event technology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Venue Space Rental: Revenue generated from renting convention centre spaces, exhibition halls, ballrooms, and theatre venues to event organizers, corporations, and entertainment promoters for conferences, exhibitions, corporate events, and live performances
2. On-site Food & Beverage: Revenue from multiple on-site restaurants and bars including Betty's Burgers, Fratelli Fresh, Guzman y Gomez, Harajuku Gyoza Beer Stadium, Master Rolls, and Planar Restaurant operating within the venue precinct

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ICC Sydney rents venue spaces across three interconnected buildings in Darling Harbour for conventions, exhibitions, corporate events and live entertainment, supported by hybrid event technology that streams to unlimited remote attendees. The 250,000 sqm precinct includes a 35,000 sqm convention centre featuring Australia's largest ballroom (2,800 capacity), a major exhibition centre with an open-air deck, and an 8,000-seat theatre with advanced audiovisual and acoustic design. Ancillary revenue is generated through on-site dining tenants and 826 parking spaces.

Product overview

International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) is a single, unified venue complex comprising three interconnected buildings: a Convention Centre featuring Australia's largest ballroom (2,800 capacity, 35,000 sqm total event space), an Exhibition Centre (one of Australia's largest with open-air deck views), and the Aware Super Theatre (8,000-seat venue). The venue offers Hybrid Event Solutions for simultaneous on-site and online attendance. Additionally, the precinct houses multiple dining venues (Betty's Burgers, Fratelli Fresh, Guzman y Gomez, Harajuku Gyoza, Master Rolls, Planar Restaurant) and provides parking with 826 spaces. The venue spans 250,000 sqm in Sydney's Darling Harbour.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Convention Centre Venue Hire

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TikTok Entertainment CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe TikTok Entertainment Centre is an 8,000 seat theatre and convention space within ICC Sydney, boasting advanced audiovisual equipment and cutting edge acoustic design. Three months after opening, it was recognised by Pollstar as one of the world's highest performing theatres.
• Aware Super TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe 8,000 capacity theatre has become Sydney's go-to destination for top international acts, homegrown favourites, and world thought leaders. Hosted performers include Keith Urban, Jerry Seinfeld, Ariana Grande, Kylie Minogue, Hillary Clinton, Cher and Elton John.
• Betty's Burgers and Concrete CominorOthersOn-site restaurant tenant serving burgers within the ICC Sydney venue
• Fratelli FreshminorOthersOn-site restaurant tenant offering Italian cuisine within the ICC Sydney venue
• Guzman y Gomez Mexican TaqueriaminorOthersOn-site Mexican restaurant tenant within the ICC Sydney venue
• Harajuku Gyoza Beer StadiumminorOthersOn-site Japanese gyoza and beer venue tenant within the ICC Sydney venue
• Master RollsminorOthersOn-site restaurant tenant serving rolls within the ICC Sydney venue
• Planar RestaurantminorOthersOn-site fine dining restaurant tenant within the ICC Sydney venue
• Wilson Parking (Harbourside and Darling Square Car Parks)minorOthersSecure car parking located in and around Darling Harbour for ICC Sydney visitors. The venue also has two car parks comprising 826 spaces within the Exhibition Centre and First State Super Theatre.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC): MCEC is Australia's other major purpose-built convention, exhibition and events precinct, located in Melbourne's South Wharf. It directly competes with ICC Sydney for large corporate, association, and entertainment bookings across Australia, offering comparable ballroom, exhibition hall, and theatre capacity.
• Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre: BCEC is a major Australian convention and exhibition venue at South Bank, Brisbane. It competes for the same national pool of corporate conferences, association events, and entertainment tours as ICC Sydney, with overlapping ballroom, exhibition, and plenary capabilities.
• International Convention Centre (ICC) Birmingham: ICC Birmingham is a large-scale, publicly backed UK convention and events venue with comparable convention halls, exhibition space, and entertainment theatre under one integrated roof. It is a close international analogue in terms of multi-building integrated events precinct model.
• ExCeL London: ExCeL London is one of Europe's largest convention and exhibition venues, hosting international conferences, trade shows, and corporate events. Comparable to ICC Sydney in scale, integrated events offering, and public-sector ownership / support model.

Broad incumbents

• Tokyo Big Sight (Tokyo International Exhibition Centre): Tokyo Big Sight is one of Japan's largest convention and exhibition complexes, hosting international trade shows, corporate events, and conferences. It is a broad Asia-Pacific incumbent comparable in scale and integrated convention-exhibition function to ICC Sydney.

Others

• International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) — Aware Super Theatre ticketing partners (e.g., Ticketek): Ticketek is Australia's dominant entertainment ticketing platform and a key distribution channel for ICC Sydney's 8,000-seat theatre programming. It is relevant as the primary consumer-facing sales infrastructure for the venue's live entertainment revenue stream.

Regional players

• Sands Expo and Convention Centre (Marina Bay Sands): Sands Expo is a large integrated convention and exhibition venue attached to the Marina Bay Sands resort in Singapore. It overlaps with ICC Sydney on international association conferences, exhibitions, and entertainment events in the Asia-Pacific market.
• ICC Sydney - The Star Event Centre (The Star Sydney): The Star Event Centre at Pyrmont is a Sydney-based competitor venue hosting conferences, awards nights, and entertainment events. It overlaps with ICC Sydney's corporate and entertainment segments, though at smaller scale than the Darling Harbour precinct.
• Adelaide Convention Centre: Adelaide Convention Centre is a South Australia-based convention, exhibition, and events venue that competes for the same Australian association and corporate conference market as ICC Sydney, though at smaller scale.
• Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre: HKCEC is a major Asia-Pacific convention, exhibition, and entertainment venue on the Victoria Harbour waterfront. It is comparable to ICC Sydney in harbourside setting, integrated convention-exhibition-theatre mix, and role as a regional hub for international events.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ICCSyd
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxOvHUxfgRc4Jost5FBOJig
• Facebookfacebook.com/ICCSyd
• Instagraminstagram.com/iccsyd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sydney-convention-and-exhibition-centre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre