Brisbane wins major international HIV science conference

The International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science (IAS 2023) has selected Brisbane as the host city for its HIV Sciences conference.

Taking place at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC) in July 2023, organisers are forecasting that 6,000 delegates – two-thirds of whom will travel to Queensland from overseas – will be attending the five-day event. In total, the event will contribute A$36.8 million (US$23.3 million) to the state’s economic recovery.

Conference events were important to Queensland’s visitor economy; Brisbane pictured

The team at the BCEC together with local host organisation ASHM (Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine) submitted the successful bid to host the 2023 Conference, with strong support from the Queensland Government, through Queensland Health and Tourism and Events Queensland, Tourism Australia and Brisbane Economic Development Agency.

Hosting the conference in Australia would be an accelerator for the country to reach its goal of achieving the virtual elimination of HIV transmission by 2025. It will also focus attention on the HIV epidemic in the Asia Pacific region, bringing an important spotlight to the region’s most vulnerable communities.