A company has been selected to build and operate an interim events facility in Sydney while the Australian city’s permanent international convention precinct is under construction.

Sydney Harbour Expo, a company founded by event and equipment hire company Pages, will create a fully enclosed, fully serviced, marquee-style structure of 25,000 sq m for the Glebe Island attraction.

It will attract more than 500,000 visitors a year and generate more than AU$100m in economic benefit each year.

Infrastructure New South Wales project director Tim Parker said the interim exhibition facility almost replicates in size the current exhibition space at Darling Harbour.

“Previously, we asked tenderers for 15,000 sq m of enclosed space, with the extra 10,000 sq m to be available on a temporary basis for the larger shows.”

He said Sydney Harbour Expo’s larger design was endorsed by all the major exhibition organisers who use current facilities at Darling Harbour and came at the same cost to the New South Wales government.

The permanent convention centre, at Darling Harbour, will take three years to complete with construction beginning next year.