September 2009
- The Business of Events
- Celebrate! Major Events Coming Soon
- Regional Spotlight
- Queensland Events Gold Coast Update
The Business of Events
Beyond the Conventional
Story by: Carla Adams
From skyrails to swimming with dolphins – Queensland is using its brightest and best attractions to lure the meetings, incentives and conventions industry – proving an economic slowdown needn’t mean empty space.
When the economy slows, the meetings, incentives and conventions (MICE) industry is traditionally hard hit, but Queensland has an almost unfair share of ‘lucky charms’ which set the state apart from its competitors.
Sprinkled from the Gold Coast up the eastern seaboard through to Cairns, the Daintree and far, far west, award-winning convention centres and unique venues combine with delightful tourism experiences to create a formula for a convention, event or staff experience which will not quickly be forgotten.
The state’s seven convention bureaus (www.queenslandevents.com.au/qld) regularly host dynamic familiarisations of their regions with meeting planners, convention organisers and corporate buyers from associations and corporations across Australia and the globe.
Paula Boucher, from Tourism Whitsundays, says the region is one of the few destinations in Australia that continues to inject cash into developing the region both for Leisure and Business Tourism.
“Our main domestic target markets are regional areas such as Mackay and Townsville, as well as Brisbane and Melbourne,” says Boucher.
“The Whitsundays are an exotic option which is more or less right on their doorstep,” she says.
“International key markets include New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia.
“For delegates from these countries, the Whitsundays offer many different options that are unique and very easily accessed such as snorkelling, helicopter flights, maxi yacht regatta racing, sailing, golfing on numerous courses, motor boat cruising, fishing and jetskiing.”
Water-sports are certainly a number one attraction for delegates from more land-locked destinations, but the Whitsundays is by no means the only Queensland region offering a combination of business and fun.
Brisbane Marketing Director Convention Bureau Annabel Sullivan highlights Brisbane’s emerging knowledge-based industries as a drawcard for meeting planners and conference organisers.
“With a growing global presence in a range of sectors including information and communication technologies, life sciences and creative industries, Brisbane offers excellent links to knowledge leaders and a world-class research and development community,” said Ms Sullivan.
“Australia’s new world city also provides an excellent range of venues and a reputation for success. From the world-class Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre to special event locations like the Gallery of Modern Art and Brisbane Powerhouse, Brisbane can meet the most diverse needs of any meeting planner.
“The city’s proven ability to host major international events – such as the World Hydrogen Energy Conference and the International Symposium on Sea Turtle Conservation and Biology – also account for part of Brisbane’s appeal.”
Beyond the business essentials, Ms Sullivan said Brisbane offered delegates great after-hours experiences.
“Whether it be fine dining in the urban precincts, hand-feeding wild dolphins on Moreton Island or climbing to the top of the Story Bridge, there’s something for everyone in the Queensland capital.”
And that’s just the start. Queensland’s convention bureaus can provide more information:
Brisbane Convention Bureau
Cairns and Region Convention Bureau
Gold Coast Convention Bureau
Mackay Convention Bureau
Sunshine Coast Convention Bureau
Tourism Whitsundays Conventions and Incentives Unit
Townsville Convention Bureau
Celebrate! Events Coming Soon!
2009 ITU Triathlon World Championships
Team Solo
Story by: Carla Adams
For wheelchair athlete and Murwillumbah man Bill Chaffey, the 2009 ITU Triathlon World Championships will offer a unique experience – racing against competitors.
Chaffey, who will compete in the Athletes With A Disability Tri 1 Category, has the distinction of being Australia’s sole paratriathlon representative at the September 9 -13 Championships.
“My category is for paraplegics, quadraplegics and double leg amputees,” says Chaffey who, after being hit by a truck while on a training ride in 2005, was classified as an incomplete paraplegic.
He retains 95% use of his right leg, although his left leg is permanently incapacitated.
“There are plenty of wheelchair and handbike athletes in Australia, but I think the swim component of triathlon puts them off, although that is one of my favourite parts of the race,” says Chaffey.
“All through the qualifying races to compete in the 2009 ITU Triathlon World Championships I have been the only one in my category, so it’s exciting to know I’ll be competing against paratriathletes from all over the world in just over a week’s time,” he says.
“I’ve been mentally preparing for the race, but I am getting nervous.”
After taking up competitive triathlon again in 2007, Chaffey says his long term goals include competing at the Paralympics – where triathlon is not yet a recognised sport.
“I’m having a $14,000 handcycle custom-built in Germany at the moment, and when that is ready I will focus on iron man competition,” says Chaffey.
“The dream of representing Australia in a Paralympic triathlon will always be there, I hope they introduce it while I am able to compete,” he says.
For now, Australia’s medal hopes are with Chaffey and his estimated 40 unknown competitors who will line up at the start with him on Saturday 12 September 2009.
“Of course I plan to win,” he says.
Previously held on the Gold Coast in 1991, the 2009 ITU Triathlon World Championships are expected to provide major tourism and media benefits for Queensland, furthering the state’s international reputation as a host of major sporting events.
Up to 7000 athletes from around the world and Australia and some 60,000 spectators are expected to attend this year's championships, which will utilise one of the best event-specific locations in Australia – the Southport Broadwater Parkland, a designated events precinct promoted and marketed by Gold Coast City Council and home to the Gold Coast Airport Marathon and Pan Pacific Masters Games.
Competitors and spectators alike will enjoy the standard and layout of the world championships course. The planned route will take triathletes into the stunning Broadwater for the swim component and along the Gold Coast’s scenic roads for the cycle element before finishing up with a ruthless run around the perimeter of the beautiful Parklands.
www.worldtriathlongoldcoast.com
Regional Spotlight
Technology Challenge Maryborough
Story by: Vanessa Mannix-Coppard
The Technology Challenge, Maryborough is tackling the energy crisis and harnessing youthful exuberance in one tyre-squealing weekend.
It’s Queensland’s largest school-based event. Every year, more than 2,000 primary and high school students from all over Queensland and beyond descend on Maryborough to camp with teammates, race a variety of alternative energy-powered vehicles – and perhaps improve people’s perception of today’s youth.
The Challenge, due to run this year on the weekend of 12 and 13 September, boasts a program including the Ergon Energy QLD Solar Model Boat and Car Championships, QLD CO2 Dragster Championship, robotics and Smilie Pushcart Championship and the Young Inventors Innovation Award.
The big drawcard though is the RACQ QLD 24-hour Human Powered Vehicle (HPV) Championship, a contest that sees teams of eight racking up as many kilometres as they can in a 24-hour period. Last year’s winner – The Slipstreamers from Nanango State High School – did 688.5km kilometres - the equivalent of racing full-tilt from Melbourne to Canberra.
RACQ has come on board this year for the first time offering sponsorship and receiving the naming rights to the RACQ QLD 24-hour HPV Championship.
Ross Humphries is the race’s director and the industrial technology teacher at host school, Maryborough State High. He’s raced HPVs for fifteen years and has been involved in the event since its inception. Ross says the Challenge develops participants’ technical and design skills while helping build team spirit.
“For some of these kids, if they’re not into football or team sports, this is the first chance they’ve had to be in a team, working with their mates,” he says.
Ross says the event does a fantastic job of inspiring young girls and boys (the split is about 40:60) to do something ‘challenging and different’ in their spare time.
“This is all done at lunchtime and after school yet, at the beginning of 2008, I had 250 kids out of the 700 enrolled at Maryborough High on my books.
“When we started the event in 2002 we had just six students enrolled.
“I find it particularly gratifying that kids are even asking me to come in at the weekend to work on their vehicles with them – and it says something that I’m keen to go in and do it.”
Important too, says Ross, is the event’s ability to “show kids that the world’s much bigger than Maryborough”.
They learn that HPV events are a global phenomenon with some of the world’s largest motor companies building vehicles.
They also learn about alternative energy – you could say that the Challenge is the first hands-on opportunity for these kids to attempt to tackle the environmental challenges they will probably be called upon to solve. As Lenny Vance of Ergon Energy – a major sponsor of the event – says, "They are the future of our industry."
Ergon does more than give financial support to the event. Lenny says the Challenge’s ability to ‘educate and inspire’ young people about new technology and alternative energy makes it a perfect fit with the organisation’s own vision. Ergon people are active participants in the event.
“Our local Maryborough staff are on the organising committee and assist with the installation of temporary power to the event site,” he says.
“We also have volunteers who staff an educational display that promotes energy efficiency. We featured these staff in a television commercial we produced to help promote the event across the state.”
Lenny says ‘grass roots’ initiatives like the Technology Challenge Maryborough are important.
“Advertising and other information campaigns can only go so far in changing people's behaviour around reducing energy consumption.
“Grass roots events like this provide genuine interaction with an audience and the opportunity to bring key messages to life.
“Long-term behavioural change requires community engagement.”
And it helps when it’s so much fun.
Technology Challenge Maryborough
Event Organiser: Ron Murray
Web: www.technologychallenge.com.au
Phone: 1300 794 929
Fax: (07) 4197 4455
Email: enquiry@frasercoast.qld.gov.au
Queensland Events Gold Coast Update
Gold Coast Airport Marathon number one for overseas visitors
As participation numbers skyrocket in running events around Australia, new statistics show the Gold Coast Airport Marathon as number one marathon event in attracting visitors to Australia.
This year an estimated 3,000 overseas visitors came to the Gold Coast specifically for the Gold Coast Airport Marathon on Sunday 5 July, according to Queensland Events Gold Coast General Manager Cameron Hart.
“The Gold Coast Airport Marathon draws more visitors from overseas than any other marathon event in Australia, and it may even attract the most out of any running event including Sydney’s City2Surf,” said Hart.
“It is also the number one event on the Gold Coast for bringing in tourists from overseas.”
This year's Gold Coast Airport Marathon drew a record 23,398 participants, with research showing that an estimated 29,000 people visited the Gold Coast from out-of-town to be a participant or spectator at the Gold Coast Airport Marathon.
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