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Business events are an important part of the Sunshine Coast’s tourism offerings, and our success in this space can be put down to thinking outside the box.

There’s been a lot of discussion lately surrounding the feasibility study into a dedicated convention and exhibition centre for the Sunshine Coast, which combined with the opening of the international runway at Sunshine Coast Airport would be a welcome game changer for the region.

But it’s also a timely reminder to highlight what we can already do to play in the business events space and compete on a national level with the resources we have.

In fact, the region’s business events calendar has grown significantly over the past few years allowing us to showcase our region as a tourism destination and position the Sunshine Coast as the regional events capital of Australia.

Business Events Sunshine Coast, a division of Visit Sunshine Coast, has succeeded in securing several high-profile business events for the region in 2019 through Sunshine Coast Council’s Business Events Assistance Program.
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Some of these events include the ASICS Sports Medicine Australia Conference, the 37thAustralasian Polymer Symposium and Performing Arts Connection Australia Conference and National Performing Arts Exchange, which combined will attract delegates from across Australia and indeed the world to the Sunshine Coast.

Securing these events was made possible by utilising the resources we currently have, such as The Events Centre Caloundra, our natural amphitheatres and boutique hotel spaces.

The new Sunshine Coast Convention Centre at Novotel Twin Water Resort, set to open later this month, has given us further scope to secure exciting business events for the region, such as the 2019 Queensland Tourism Awards which will be held there this November.

That same week the Sunshine Coast Convention Centre will also hold the Queensland Tourism Industry Council’s Indigenous Tourism Forum and the annual Destination Q Forum.

Winning the right to this year’s Queensland Tourism Awards is a massive coup for the Sunshine Coast.

It will bring the best of Queensland’s tourism industry from across the state to the region and elevate our status as an in-demand tourism and business events destination, while maintaining momentum off the back of other major business events held in region, such as the Australian Event Awards which were held on the Sunshine Coast for the past three years.

Another example of thinking differently is utilising our natural assets, such as Mooloolaba Harbour’s natural amphitheatre to secure cruise ship arrivals to the Sunshine Coast, or taking groups of delegates out to sandbars in the middle of Maroochy River for working lunches.

By thinking outside the box and offering delegates an authentic Sunshine Coast experience we are putting ourselves firmly on the map for future growth.

I look forward to seeing what the future will bring.

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