Australia’s Gold Coast BUSINESS EVENTS NOTHING LIKE YOU EXPECT EXACTLY WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR WELCOME TO THE GOLD COAST Inspiring, energetic and exciting - business events on the Gold Coast offer a limitless opportunity to capture the essence of our beachside City and enjoy the best of the Australian lifestyle. The Gold Coast is incredibly appealing as a destination, with an enticing blend of experiences, pristine beaches, accessible hinterland and a superb sub-tropical climate. This compelling combination regularly draws record delegate numbers to the Gold Coast. We are a city in high demand for business events, offering exceptional value for money with highly competitive rates. As Australia’s sixth largest city, we’re also in the enviable position of INTRODUCTION...............................................................1 being able to offer the high service standards and world class venues usually associated with a large international city, with the benefits of an easily accessible destination. Our team of professionals is passionate about our City and ready to go the extra mile to help you stage a conference your delegates will never forget. Come and join us on the Gold Coast – WHY GOLD COAST.....................................................21 we’re looking forwarding to extending the very warmest welcome to you and your delegates for your next business event. GOLD COAST BUSINESS EVENTS.......................43 SPECIALIST SERVICES.............................................47 VENUES AND ACCOMMODATION.......................55 Anna Case INCENTIVES AND EXPERIENCES.........................97 Director - Gold Coast Business Events 3 CONVENTION SAYS PEOPLE COME HERE TO GET AWAY FROM WORK. WE SAY THERE’S NO BETTER PLACE TO BRING YOUR WORK. Business events on the Gold Coast give delegates the opportunity to mix business with pleasure, bringing work to a location with genuine appeal. This same appeal drives attendance, creating the perfect mix for a successful event. Shaped by 57kms of sun-drenched beaches and more than 100,000 hectares of World-Heritage listed rainforest, the Gold Coast continues to deliver business events offering unrivalled diversity and distinct in flavour. From intimate meetings to spectacular gala events, the Gold Coast delivers an unforgettable experience for any business event. Whether you’re looking for comprehensive team building opportunities, state-of-the-art conferencing facilities or pre and post touring options, the Gold Coast delivers everything you’re looking for. 4 5 CONVENTION SAYS EVERYONE ASSOCIATES US WITH BLUE SKIES AND BIG SMILES. WE SAY ASSOCIATIONS CAN EXPECT WORLD CLASS VENUES AND AWARD WINNING SERVICE TOO. Gold Coast Business Event’s passionate team of locals will help you create an unforgettable experience and take the stress out of bidding, planning, promoting and staging your next event. Working with us, you’ll get access to a range of complimentary services including assistance with developing compelling bids, research and sourcing quotes, hosted city site inspections and the implementation of coordinated marketing strategies. As a division of Gold Coast Tourism Corporation, and the official convention bureau for the Gold Coast, we have decades of experience in providing free professional services to meeting organisers, conference planners, event managers and incentive groups from around the world. We’ve got the right people, with the right attitude to make your next event a resounding success. 6 7 CONVENTION SAYS BIG CITIES ARE THE ONLY PLACE TO HOST INTERNATIONAL EVENTS. WE SAY OUR BEACHSIDE CITY IS BORN TO SHINE ON THE GLOBAL STAGE. The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games™ will be the largest sporting event Australia will see this decade and right now the Gold Coast is buzzing with renewed energy and excitement as we prepare to showcase our beachside city to the world. With a global audience of 1.5 billion tuning in, the Gold Coast will be showing the world we’re a city born to shine on the global events stage. With significant new investment and infrastructure already in place, our sun-drenched city will continue to go from strength- to-strength as the destination of choice for world class events. There’s never been a better time to meet in a destination that’s up to the challenge of staging distinctive, world class business events. 8 9 CONVENTION SAYS THE PERFECT DESTINATION DELIVERS THE COMPLETE AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE. WE SAY G’DAY MATE TO 12 MILLION VISITORS A YEAR. Built to welcome visitors, Australia’s Gold Coast is as much a place to bring work as it is to come to play. Each year over 12 million visitors flock to the city, eager to soak up the sun, feel the sand between their toes and take part in the near-limitless attractions and experiences on offer. Renowned for its great lifestyle, friendly attitude and superb weather, the Gold Coast is backed by a robust economy, knowledge-based industries, research and development facilities and creative outlets, drawing a considerable pool of world class talent. The region is an academic hub of seven major universities, three medical schools and world renowned research facilities with an enviable record of strong collaboration on every level as the host of major congresses and scientific meetings. 10 11 CONVENTION SAYS THE CONVENTION CENTRE IS THE ONLY PLACE TO BE. WE SAY IT’S JUST ONE OF MANY AMAZING VENUES. With purpose-built meeting space around every corner, on the Gold Coast you’ll find a venue that is the perfect fit for your requirements. Choose to meet at the award winning Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, inside our city’s numerous international hotels and resorts or even venture further afield to our spectacular retreats and offsite event spaces. From cliff top dining to breakfast with dolphins; from cocktails in the rainforest to gala dinners for 6,000 in a ballroom; from high tea at Palazzo Versace Gold Coast to lunch with Bengal tigers – your choices are endless on the Gold Coast. With over 42,000 bed spaces on offer, the Gold Coast’s accommodation offering is just as diverse. With options to suit every budget and style, accommodation in our coastal city could easily be one of the most impressive elements of your event. 12 13 CONVENTION SAYS GREAT EVENTS ARE ALL ABOUT THE LOCATION. WE SAY OUR LOCATION IS ALL ABOUT GREAT EVENTS. The Gold Coast is home to an impressive calendar of major national and international sporting, music, fashion, and cultural events. Each year the city welcomes a large number of Australian and international visitors to attend events such as the Jeep Magic Millions Carnival and Raceday, Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show, Gold Coast Airport Marathon, Bleach* Festival, Blues on Broadbeach, Australian PGA Championship, Quiksilver and Roxy Pro and many more. The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games™ will cement the city’s reputation as a global events destination and is a further testament from the world that we have the capacity to deliver huge international events. 14 15 CONVENTION SAYS DESTINATIONS ARE ONE DIMENSIONAL. WE SAY BEYOND THE BEACH WE’RE AUSTRALIA’S MOST DIVERSE CITY. On the Gold Coast you’ll wake up to an inspiring experience every single day. The Gold Coast showcases the best of the Australian lifestyle with our culture, iconic landscapes and friendly locals all on your doorstep. The Gold Coast: • Is one of the fastest growing cities in Australia • Has more canals than Venice and Amsterdam combined • Is the most biologically diverse environment in Australia • Is home to the Gondwana Rainforests, including the world’s largest subtropical rainforest • Has one of the highest residential buildings in the southern hemisphere • Is the only place in the world where the light rail trams have surfboards racks • The largest number of migrating whales viewed from shore in the world • Will be host of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games™ 16 17 CONVENTION SAYS BUSINESS EVENTS ARE ALL ABOUT WORK. WE SAY YOU’LL HAVE ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES TO BRING YOUR EVENT TO LIFE. With one in four jobs on the Gold Coast in hospitality, we know how to put on a show. Award winning chefs, wildlife warriors, motivational experts, musicians, dancers, actors, passionate performers and marketing magnates grace the many events held across our city with their expertise and talent. The Gold Coast is famous for an unrivalled range of entertainment and attractions. With the likes of seven of Australia’s best theme parks, over 40 international standard or championship golf courses, 600 restaurants and cafés and an abundance of natural and cultural wonders, we boast an almost limitless range of possibilities for creating spectacularly unique events. An incredible array of distinctive venues and once-in-a-lifetime experiences guarantee glittering social and partner programs. Whether it’s hand feeding wild parrots on top of a mountain, a night-hike to a waterfall bathed in glow worm luminescence; boat and kayaking tours to nearby islands, the options are endless on the Gold Coast. 18 19 PASSENGERS ARRIVE AT 12m+ GOLD COAST AIRPORT ANNUALLY BUSINESS AND OVER LEISURE VISITORS 25,000+ TO THE GOLD 2 COAST ANNUALLY M OF CONFERENCE SPACE AVAILABLE 6m 300 RESTAURANTS AND CAFES 600+ DAYS OF SUNSHINE 42,000+ EVERY YEAR ACCOMMODATION ROOMS AVAILABLE 20 21 Why Gold Coast 22 23 TEN REASONS TO CHOOSE THE GOLD COAST The Gold Coast is famous for fun, but it’s also a meeting, incentive, conference and exhibition destination. Inspiring, energetic and exciting, the Gold Coast is the perfect destination for any business event, from intimate meetings to spectacular gala events. While the Gold Coast’s natural assets are widely celebrated, it’s our impressive track record in delighting delegates with unique venues, affordable accommodation, as well as a wide range of activities for delegates, partner programs and touring options that makes our city the number one choice for exceptional events with high delegate attendance.