From Sydney’s New Years Eve Fireworks display that stops the world and major sporting events like the Australian Open Tennis, to the local community festivals that put regional towns on the map and high profile business events attracting international delegates, its easy to see how Australians participate in hundreds of millions events each year.

While Australians love and support all types of events, people across the country are now voting for Australia’s Favourite Event of the year in a national online competition launched by the Australian Event Awards.

“Australian events make a contribution to our economy in excess of $22 billion each year, employing over 260,000 people and touching the lives of Australians every single day, whether they are planning their next holiday, reading about them in the newspaper or deciding what they are going to do on the weekend,” said Sandy Hollway, former CEO of SOCOG and co-chair of the judges in the Australian Event Awards.

“On the eve of the 10th Anniversary of one of Australia’s all-time favourite events, the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, the people of Australia are being asked to vote on which event they have loved the most in the past year – the one event that engages them and gains their support above all others.”

The search for Australia’s Favourite Event is taking place as part of the 2010 Australian Event Awards, a national program to recognise the outstanding achievements and innovation of events across all sorts of industries, including sport, the arts, community, charity, business events and more.

While the public will decide one event to be named “Australia’s Favourite,” dozens of events across Australia are competing for well-deserved recognition judged by a panel of event industry leaders. Finalists in the 2010 Australian Event Awards include Sydney’s New Years Eve celebrations, the Australian Open 2010, the Biennale of Sydney, Peats Ridge Sustainable Arts and Music Festival and AC/DC’s Black Ice World Tour.

Regional Australia are also very well represented in this year’s list of finalists with events competing from regional South Australia, Byron Bay (NSW), Boddington Gold Mine (WA), Warrnambool (VIC), Port Douglas (QLD) and Glenworth Valley (NSW).

The Australian Event Award winners and “Australia’s Favourite Event” will be announced at a decadent Gala Dinner at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre on Thursday 7 October.