Announcement: @afterpay_au @AUSFW covered under the @business_gov_au program; #AUSFW #GoAfterIt @CamillaWithLove

SYDNEY (15 February, 2021)

IMG today announced that Afterpay Australian Fashion Week (AAFW) will be covered under the Australian Government’s Business Events Grants program, which will support Australian businesses by providing grants between $10,000 and $250,000. Grant funding will cover up to 50 per cent of eligible expenditures incurred by designers participating in AAFW.

Established by the Australian Government, the Business Events Grants program is funded under the $1 billion COVID-19 Relief and Recovery Fund, which is providing assistance to sectors, regions and communities disproportionately affected by the economic impacts of the global pandemic. The initiative will empower the business events sector which, due to COVID-19, has seen categorical cancellation of events contributing to a near 100 per cent loss of revenue.

The Business Events Grants program aims to support the broader business community by stimulating high value, multi-day business-to-business events across multiple sectors of the economy. Through IMG’s efforts to secure support for the Australian fashion industry, eligible businesses can now apply for funding to cover their participation costs in AAFW. In the case of Australian designers, this may include production costs for runway shows, digital content and trade showrooms, travel and accommodation expenses for media and buyers, and activation and promotional collateral for participating sponsors.

“IMG is dedicated to supporting Australian designers and the broader fashion industry through AAFW,” said Natalie Xenita, Executive Director of IMG’s fashion events group, Asia-Pacific region. “Securing coverage of AAFW under the Business Events Grants program is another way we are working to ensure that our event continues to be accessible for designers, whose businesses have been greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Grant applications are now open at https://www.business.gov.au/grants-and-programs/business-events-grants. Applications close at 5pm (AEDST) on 30 March 2021 or earlier if funding is exhausted.

The Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) is the Australian Government’s international trade promotion and investment attraction agency.

AAFW will take place 31 May – 4 June, 2021, live at Carriageworks, Sydney, and virtually at australianfashionweek.com. AAFW will support designers in various capacities including shows, presentations, direct-to-consumer retailing, virtual content and programming. All live events will be executed in accordance with all government and health official guidelines.

AAFW is an IMG event supported by Destination NSW, the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency.

Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney, Stuart Ayres, said: “The Business Events Grants program is a fantastic initiative to help eligible businesses get back on their feet. I strongly encourage designers requiring assistance to apply, so that they can secure their place at Australia’s pinnacle fashion event, AAFW, in Sydney, and showcase their incredible work on a global stage.”

In addition to Afterpay and Destination NSW, AAFW is made possible through the support of City of Sydney, ghd hair, Napoleon Perdis, Hunter Lab, GlamCorner, San Pellegrino, Tempus Two and Disaronno.

The digital home for AAFW is http://www.australianfashionweek.com and @AusFashionWeek across Instagram and Facebook, and @AUSFW on Twitter, where fans may follow along through the official event hashtags #AUSFW.

Daniel Quintanilla