With approximately 60 industry buyers and media coming together on the Gold Coast, the multi-day event and trade show highlighted new venues and delegate experiences. The event included appointments with 43 Gold Coast business events sellers, a pre- famil program, evening networking events and more.
Attendees were also able to sample the newly launched menu at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre (GCCEC), including their globally inspired and environmentally conscious lunch bowls.
Executive chef, Garry Kindred, called it an exciting chapter.
“We are committed to offering innovative and sustainable culinary options that not only delight the taste buds but also support our environmental goals,” he said.
The range is designed to highlight a diverse internationally-inspired collection of dishes to cater for a variety of dietary requirements.
Historically, This is Gold Coast generates nearly $60 million annually in business leads and with the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games getting ever closer, the region is set to explode with new investment, particularly in accessible venues.
Experience Gold Coast’s director of business events, Brooke Campbell, called celebrating 10 years of the mega famil an exciting achievement.
“Last year we did a four-day program and that was well-received so we brought that back this year so it allows people to experience more of our venues and offerings and have that extra day.
“This year to expand our footprint on that extra day we went North of the Gold Coast to Sanctuary Cove.”
The pre-famil saw planners enjoy Top Golf as a team bonding experience as well as HOTA (Home of the Arts) and a site visit to the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge precinct, a $6 billion investment hub for high-tech industry development and research, ideal for association, health, science and tech conference groups.
One area of focus, particularly in the lead-up to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, is venue and attraction accessibility, an investment that will undoubtedly leave a legacy for more accessible business events.
Experience Gold Coast’s CEO, John Warn, addressed attendees at the official welcome held at the recently opened Kirra Beach House, calling the Gold Coast an event destination that “embraces collaboration, celebrates conferences and meetings and incentive groups” and said that the destination was quickly gaining a reputation as an innovation and intellectual hub, particularly in the science, tech and creative industries, with the region now home to the largest studio lot in the Southern Hemisphere and a filming location for several recent Hollywood blockbusters.
“We continue to invest in new products, new experiences, Indigenous experiences, new production companies and an evolving food scene,” he said, adding that they’re strongly focused on becoming even more sustainable and more accessible.
“The city is laser focused on investment and also reinventing and repositioning itself,” said Warn.
New spaces and experiences
Village Roadshows is leaning even harder into the region’s reputation as the Southern Hemisphere’s Hollywood, by inviting planners to ‘Follow the Yellow Brick Road’ to their newest world-first precinct within Warner Bros. Movie World. The Wizard of Oz precinct will include two new rollercoasters, new attractions and scenes from the classic film and new indoor and outdoor event spaces.
Scheduled to open later this year, the vibrant and colourful precinct promises to be a hit for after parties, corporate family days and themed events. This new precinct will be the 65th event space in operation across the Village Roadshow Theme Parks portfolio of properties.
Head of conferences and events, Caroline Duveau-Clayton, said the “wicked new event spaces” are ready to inspire planners. Spaces will include The Wizard’s Chamber, an elegant indoor venue for up to 140 guests for a sit-down dinner and the Emerald City Plaza, a spacious outdoor area ideal for cocktail receptions, capable of hosting up to 350 guests.
Enchanting additional features will include backdrops and themed areas such as the Emerald Castle, Munchkin Land and the Lilypad Platform, an ideal spot for welcome speeches and entertainment.
Likewise, theme park Dreamworld has revealed super-sized plans for a new Aztec Jungle-themed precinct as well as upgrades to Australia’s tallest observation deck, SkyPoint. Both are available for events.
Rivertown will be a new immersive event space, set to debut in late 2024. With a 280-seat capacity, this venue promises to transport guests into an exciting Aztec jungle environment, featuring animatronic wildlife and jungle-inspired décor, making it a ready-to-go themed space for everything from intimate gatherings to large-scale celebrations.
The space will include a riverside dining experience, semi-private dining areas and after-hours options for cocktail events, gala dinners and other special occasions. For corporate meetings and conferences, the venue features new meeting rooms accommodating up to 120 guests with flexible seating arrangements and the capacity to host concurrent breakout sessions.
Complementing this, at 230m above the beaches atop the Q1 building in Surfers Paradise, SkyPoint has unveiled a modern makeover with its 360-degree views of the city, hinterland and coastline.
Meanwhile, the location of the This is Gold Coast farewell brunch, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary’s new Homestead event venue has been called a modern-day nod to the traditional Queenslander. Located within the sanctuary, it offers a sophisticated take on an outback-style event.
Suited for up to 200 guests banquet-style, the space features a wrap-around verandah, a patio, a feature fireplace, an open bar and in-house audio-visual equipment including high-definition laser projection, recessed projection screens and more.
Also coming soon to the sanctuary, Astra Lumina, an immersive light and video experience is set to create an outdoor activation experience inspired by the stars, along a 1.5km trail.
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary’s general manager Travis Couch said the venue had worked with Canadian-based multimedia company Moment Factory to create the first experience of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. Set to open later this year, the experience will be available for group bookings and cocktail-style events.
“The experience is an invitation to discover the sanctuary in a brand-new light,” he said.
“The trail will allow guests to explore the grounds in search of light, cosmic visions and soundscapes.”
This is Gold Coast will return in 2025.
