Australia to Host World Volunteer Conference
2 January 2013 at 10:25 am
Australia is to be the host country for the 23rd International Association of Volunteer Effort (IAVE) World Volunteer Conference in 2014.
Volunteering Australia has been selected as the host organisation for the Conference, which will be held on the Gold Coast on September 15–20, 2014.
“The conference will inject millions of dollars into the local economy which is good for business and good for jobs, especially in our tourism and service industries,” the Minister for Social Inclusion, Mark Butler said.
“The Queensland volunteering spirit shone through during the Queensland floods with droves of people stepping up to literally dig the city out of the mire.
“And another mammoth volunteering effort will be required in 2018 with the Commonwealth Games coming to the Gold Coast, so what better place to have the world’s biggest volunteering conference.”
Butler said Australia’s volunteers contribute some $200 billion to the Australian economy every year.
“They are the foundation of our community and not-for-profit sectors and the IAVE World Conference will give Australia a rare opportunity to celebrate and promote our culture and the strong role that volunteers and community organisations play," he said.
“The Conference will also encourage volunteering leaders from around the world to share what works, and how to best to improve the volunteer experience.”
It is anticipated that the Conference will also bring around 2000 participants and organisers to Australia, and will showcase the Gold Coast to a broader global audience.
“Business leaders who share our commitment to strengthening local communities by actively supporting volunteering should consider becoming Conference sponsors,” Butler said.
Since 1970, IAVE’s World Volunteer Conference has been a focal point for leaders in the volunteering sector from across the globe. Australia last hosted the Conference in Sydney in 1986.
